“Of course I am,” she said. “Which is what you tell every poor victim.”
I laughed. “Victim. Wow. That’s nice.”
“I’m not sleeping with you, Kip,” Ruby said. “Not going to happen.”
“Which proves my point.”
“What point is that?”
I reached for Ruby’s hands and squeezed them. “That we need more than one night. We might need forever at this thing, girl.”
“And you’re going to wait forever for me, right?”
“If I have to.”
Ruby snort-laughed. “Bull-fucking-shit. You won’t make it twenty minutes after I leave before you’re trolling the beach for some dumb blonde with big boobs and no sense of decision making.”
“Oh, come on, girl, don’t tease me,” I said.
Ruby waved her right middle finger in my face and walked away.
I looked up and let out a long breath.
And I smiled.
For once I never wanted a night to end.
* * *
I put my hand out for Ruby to take so she could climb up on the rock I wanted her to sit on. She slapped my hand away and climbed up the rock herself.
She turned and sat down, her feet dangling.
It was the first time I saw her taller than me.
I decided to just stand there and keep my eyes on her.
She looked at the ocean.
The breeze hooked itself around some of her hair and pulled it across her face.
She didn’t even bother to try and move her hair.
It was like nothing bothered her.
Just another reminder of how different she was.
So different than everyone at BFH. Not meant for this town. Or anything that resembled the kind of life I lived.
“So, Kip, you snuck me out of the house,” Ruby said. “And you know Mom is going to get pissed about it. You better make this worth it.”
“It’s worth it right now, girl,” I said. “Just staring at you as you stare at the ocean.”
Ruby kicked her foot at me. “Stop that.”
I grabbed her ankle.
Her toes were little, stubby things. Her big toenail had some leftover nail polish on it.
“Don’t touch my feet,” she said. “That’s gross.”
“I have a foot thing,” I said.
“What? You do?”
“No,” I said. “What the hell, girl?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Hey, people are into that. People are into a lot of things.”
“I’m into you.”
Ruby put her head back. “What do I do here with this…”
“With what?”
“With you,” she said to the stars. “I can find a way to hit you hard enough to shut you up or I can just sleep with you to get this good boy, nice crap out of your system for good.”
I let Ruby’s foot go and rubbed my jaw. “That’s a tough call. I mean, I know my answer to that.”
“I didn’t ask you,” Ruby said, looking at me again. “I asked the stars.”
“Oh. The stars. Do you talk to the stars a lot?”
“All the time.”
“Really? You don’t seem the type.”
“And what type is that?” Ruby asked. “See, once again, you stupid rich boys can’t think beyond your pampered little town. I’m fucking poor, Kip. I’m not Tinsley. She won the lottery. Not me. So when it’s dark out and there’s nothing to do and I’m wide awake because my mother is fighting with some guy…”
“You talk to the stars,” I said.
“Yeah.”
“Hey. Your mother…”
“No, no, no,” Ruby said, waving a finger. “We’re not doing that. I’m not playing the pity poor girl routine here for you, Kip. I’ve seen things you can’t imagine. I’ve survived things you don’t want to know about. It’s that simple. Just think about where you found me, okay? To me, that was better than where I was.”
That really got to me.
I was pissed.
Pissed that Ruby lived that kind of life. Pissed that Tinsley had lived that kind of life too. Pissed because it left me feeling like I couldn’t do a damn thing about it to help either of them. Then again, Pres had Tinsley.
And I had…
“So I talk to the stars,” Ruby said. She stuck out her tongue.
I stuck out my tongue.
“Let me ask you the real question,” I said to Ruby. “Do the stars ever talk back?”
“They used to.”
“Used to?”
“When I was… you know…”
‘Oh,” I said. “Right.”
“It’s okay though. The quietness gets to me sometimes. But it’s better than feeling the way I did.”
“I can sing if you want,” I offered. “It’ll keep things from being quiet.”
“That I believe,” she said. “And please don’t sing. I’m half debating on whether I like you or not.”
“Too late, girl. Tinsley already said you like me.”
“I told her that to shut her up,” Ruby said.
“Really?”
“Yeah. When I told her we were texting, she lost it on me. She told me all your dirty secrets.”
“Oh no. Not that. What will I ever do?”
“She told me you’re smooth. You’re good looking. You know exactly what to say and when to say it. She even told me that you and her… came pretty close…”
“I can’t help the power I have,” I said.
“Then I guess I should be thankful I’m still clothed.”
“You should be,” I said. “Or we can just fix that little problem.”
Ruby stuck her foot out again. “Nope.”
I playfully tried to bite her foot.
She kicked back on the rock with a yell.
Her right hand slipped off the rock and her funny yell turned serious.
I jumped up at the rock and was on there in a second.
“Dammit,” she groaned. “Twisted my wrist.”
I slipped my left hand under her head and made sure she wasn’t going to fall off the other side of the rock.
Not that she would get hurt.
But it was a hell of an excuse to touch her.
“Are you okay?” I asked her.
“You don’t care about my wrist. You just wanted to touch me.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Depends.”
“We can stay out here all night if you want,” I said. “I don’t need sleep.”
“Yeah, neither do I. I don’t sleep all that much anymore.”
“Why not?”
“A lot on my mind, Kip.” Ruby slowly sat back up and turned to face me, hugging her knees.
“Like what, girl?”
“Just everything.”
“Give me something of everything then,” I said. “You’re so easy to talk shit but when it’s serious you get all cute and shy on me.”
“I don’t even know you,” Ruby said.
“Now, I could say something cliché like why don’t we fix that and get to know each other… but let me be honest. If you’re going to vent to someone, why not someone you don’t know? I won’t judge you. And you get to spin the story however you want.”
Ruby leaned forward and rested her chin on her knees. “Fuck.”
“What?”
“I wasn’t lying to Tinsley after all.”
“About what?” I asked.
Ruby smiled. “I actually do like you, Kip.”
Chapter 7
I moved another inch closer to Ruby, my legs open, almost like I was doing the splits over the rock. She still hugged her legs, chin on her knees, staring at me.
I had no idea how much time we had already killed off together, but for me, it wasn’t enough. And there wasn’t going to be enough time either.
Eventually the sun would start to come up.
Time would tick forward.
Ruby would have to go home.
“So wh
at else is on that pretty mind of yours, Ruby?” I whispered to her.
“I told you… it’s just boring up there. And I get why I’m there. And I get why my grandmother is so overbearing. She basically lost her daughter, you know? And she lost me for a little while. I didn’t hold back either, Kip. I told her everything that was going on. It just felt right to do when I got there. But now it’s kind of coming back to haunt me.”
“She just loves you,” I said.
“I know that. Don’t say that. Believe me, I know that.”
“Okay. Well, let me ask you something. What do you want to do?”
Ruby shook her head. “I don’t even know. Maybe… paint a picture of the ocean. Or take a picture of the ocean. Uh… maybe go for a run. Or get a bike. Ride a bike. Um… what else? Swim in the ocean. Or surf? I don’t know how to surf.”
“I can teach you, girl,” I said.
“That’s the point, Kip. I really don’t know. It’s… anything.”
“That’s good though,” I said. “You can do anything.”
“I’m not you. Remember? I don’t have the means for that. I don’t even know what I’m doing next in life. I’m not living at my grandmother’s house forever. But I have to figure out where to go and what to do. I can’t go back to that town again.”
“Again?” I asked.
“Just can’t go back,” she said. “I don’t want to.”
I reached for her cheek and stroked it once. “I wish you could see what I see, girl.”
“And what do you see, Kip?” Ruby asked.
“I see someone strong and beautiful who can do anything they want. Everything you just listed, let’s do it. I can be there for you. Because I believe you and I believe in you.”
“You believe in getting in my pants,” she said.
“Well, if that’s an outcome, then cool.”
Ruby kicked her foot forward and hit me in the balls.
I jumped and groaned.
“Asshole,” she said.
“What?” I asked. “I’m offering a shoulder to cry on and ears to vent to… but at the end of the day, I’m not fucking blind, Ruby. I can only stare at you for so long…”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“What else is on your mind?”
“No. You tell me what’s on your mind. Besides sex.”
“What else is there?” I asked.
“Kip…”
“I don’t know, girl. I don’t plan much out. Never been my thing. You can call me whatever you want… about being a rich boy or whatever… but it doesn’t matter to me. I’m right here. I’m in this moment. I’m enjoying it. Whatever happens next is what happens next. I know things are different in our lives, but my parents are a mess too. Yeah, they have money, but they aren’t good together. I’m pretty sure that’s a thing in this entire town. You know Pres’s mother died, right?”
“Yeah,” Ruby said. “How sad.”
“Yeah. She and Pres’s father were not good together. She stuck it out to screw him over when she died. Imagine that, girl. Living your entire life without real love and planning your revenge in death.”
Ruby lifted her head and swallowed hard. “Wow. That makes it sadder.”
“Yeah, it does,” I said. “I would never say that to Pres though. He’s been through a lot with his father. And my parents… it’s like a competition. Who could make the most money. Or prove they don’t need the other person. I mean they even…”
I caught myself.
Don’t you dare bring up ‘her’ name in this right now. Don’t you fucking dare.
“They even what?” Ruby asked.
“Look, it’s all bullshit, Ruby,” I said. “I know having money probably makes some things easier. Fine. But I’m not that kind of person. I’m not talking to you because I want to get into your pants either. I mean, yeah, I want to get into your pants. Who wouldn’t? But it’s not the reason why I’m talking to you.”
Ruby tilted her head. “I have a feeling we’re going to end up in a world of regret together.”
I leaned forward and put my chin on her knees. “But think of how good it’ll feel before the regret.”
“You really are smooth,” Ruby said.
“Yup,” I said.
Ruby stared at me. “I fucked up, Kip.”
“You fucked up, girl? That’s okay. We all fuck up.”
“No, Kip, I fucked up good.”
“Hey. You can’t beat yourself up over the past.”
“The ring.”
“The ring?”
“The ring I texted Tinsley about.”
“Oh, yeah. The ring. Can you tell me about it?”
“It’s stupid, Kip.”
“I love stupid.”
“That’s because you are stupid,” Ruby said. “It’s on your level.”
I smiled. “I love when you pick on me.”
“I bet you do,” she said.
“Come on, tell me about the ring.”
Ruby bit her bottom lip. She sighed. “You ever seen one of those machines where you put in a couple quarters and get a toy or whatever?”
“Yeah, sure,” I said.
“I’m being serious,” Ruby said. “There was this store my mother would buy groceries at. Everything was cheap. Dented cans. Some expired stuff. You know… the life…”
I felt my heart twisting a little.
Ruby sighed again. “I always asked her for money for the machines. She said we never had any. So I decided to do it myself. To earn two quarters. Think about that. Fifty fucking cents. I bet you don’t even know what a quarter is.”
“Thanks for that,” I said.
“Sorry. I got two quarters. I stole them from my mother’s bag. And then the next time we were there, I couldn’t wait to stop at the machines. There were four of them. There was a gum ball one. A candy one. One that gave out a fake tattoo. And then one that was a mystery. It was this little plastic container. With a clear top. I could have gotten anything, Kip. But I got a ring. It was cheap. Stupid. With this pink plastic thing that was supposed to be a diamond.”
“That’s the ring you lost?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Ruby said. “But it kind of looked real. The silver plastic and all that. I mean, from a distance it looked real. I used to wear it as a necklace. I mean, I always did. Up until I forgot it…”
“At Garcia’s place,” I said.
I hated saying that guy’s name. That piece of shit who hurt Ruby.
I still remembered everything about that apartment building. And the apartment. Finding Ruby on the steps, passed out.
“Yeah,” she said.
“I wish I knew about it when we were there to get you,” I said.
“No, Kip. Listen to me. I have to tell you something.”
“What?”
“I had the necklace and ring when you guys came to get me.”
“Okay…”
Ruby swallowed hard. “Last week… I snuck out and went back to see Garcia again.”
* * *
I jumped back so hard and far I thought I was going to fall off the rock.
“What did you say?”
“Kip…”
“You went back there?” I asked. I felt the anger boiling inside me. “What did you go back there for, Ruby? To fuck him? To get high?”
“Kip, stop,” Ruby said.
“Yeah, I’ll stop. Sure.”
I swung my myself off the rock and hit the beach.
I started to walk away, my heart screaming at my mind to calm the fuck down. To not be such an asshole, all swept up in the moment. But I was going to be real with Ruby. That was my thing with her. I wasn’t going to sugarcoat something.
“Kip, wait!” Ruby yelled.
I kept going, though.
I made fists.
My mind raced with images.
Of that shithole apartment.
And all those guys in there.
With drugs. And guns.
And Ruby… if she was mes
sed up. And they were near her… touching her…
“You fucking asshole,” Ruby yelled. “You liar. Walk away then. This is why I’ll never tell anyone anything.”
I dug my heels into the sand and stopped.
I turned and watched as Ruby came toward me.
“Don’t play that excuse with me,” I said.
Each time I blinked I saw Ruby changing…
Ruby.
Kait.
Ruby.
Kait.
I shook my head.
“You don’t get it,” she said to me.
‘You really don’t get it, Kip. How hard it is for me. It’s like the only family I have. Or someone that loves me.’
‘I love you! Okay? There. I fucking love you, Kait. You don’t need that shit. Or that life.’
‘Yes, I do. I’m not meant to be here. You know that.’
‘I’m not going to stop saving you. Ever. I don’t care what you do.’
‘Just stay away from me. I mean it.’
‘You’re going to hurt yourself, Kait. For real… I can’t imagine losing you…’
“I can’t imagine losing you,” I whispered.
“What?” Ruby asked.
I blinked fast. I curled my lip. “Why? That’s what I want to know. Right now. I want to know why.”
“It’s not your business,” Ruby said.
I laughed. “Right. It’s not my business. All that matters is you lost your ring. Your favorite ring. And it hurt you enough that you texted Tinsley. And then you thought for a split second telling us would make us go get it. Right?”
“Tinsley didn’t know what she was doing,” Ruby said.
“No?”
“She thought it was something else,” Ruby said. “She thought I took one of my grandmother’s expensive rings and took it to Garcia to get stuff. She didn’t understand what ring I was talking about. I have nobody to talk to, Kip. Everyone is fast to assume and judges me. Just like you just did.”
I shut my eyes for a second.
You have no idea what I’ve been through, girl. I lived through this once before and the outcome…
“Fine,” I said. I stuck my hand out. “Hey, girl. My name’s Kip. What’s yours?”
Ruby looked at my hand. Then at me. She reached for my hand. “My name’s Ruby. And I totally fucked up big time.”
“What happened, Ruby?”
“I told you it gets boring up there. I thought I was going crazy one night last week. I know I could have texted you. Or called. It was me… I was weak. Scared and weak.”
KIP: a bay falls high novel Page 7