“I swear, man,” Porter said. “Fuck. I know who you are. Who you guys are.”
“Good,” I said. “That’s good that you know who we are. Meaning…”
“Meaning I won’t do some stupid fucking dare again,” Porter said. “Hey, man, listen… you know who Alyssa is, right? The Alyssa…”
Porter put his hands to his chest.
“Yeah, I know of her,” I said.
“That was the dare, man. I paint the wall and…”
“You paint her?”
“I got to see them. Fucking hell. Tell you what, I can make it happen for you.”
I grinned. “Amazing the shit we do for pretty girls, right?”
“Right?” Porter asked.
I stopped grinning.
I curled my lip.
I moved fast, grabbing Porter’s head and throwing him into the mirror.
It shattered with a loud pop.
The girl behind the counter screamed.
Ported fell to the floor again, glass falling all around him.
He looked at me, his face bleeding from the impact of hitting the mirror.
I stepped toward him and he closed his eyes and put his hands up.
That was the end of that.
I looked at Pres and Barr and nodded.
We had to get out of there.
The girl behind the counter would be smart enough to keep her mouth shut.
Just like Porter and his buddies.
That’s how it worked with the Rulz.
I made it two steps and stopped when I realized we weren’t the only ones in the gym.
I saw Tinsley standing near the counter, looking shocked.
She was holding hands with someone.
With Ruby.
And when Ruby looked at me, she broke away from Tinsley and ran.
I looked at Pres. “Fuck you for this.”
“Kip,” Pres said.
I ran to go catch Ruby.
* * *
Ruby was outside, hugging herself.
“What are you doing here, girl?” I asked.
“I was hanging out with my best friend,” Ruby said. “And I thought I was going to see you. Surprise you. Hang out with you. Or something.”
“How did you end up here?” I asked.
“Kip, I didn’t know they were going to come inside,” Pres said as he barreled through the gym door.
Barr was with him, along with Tinsley.
Tinlsey ran to Ruby’s side.
“You set me up,” I said to Pres.
“No, I didn’t. I didn’t…”
“I don’t get what the problem is?” Barr asked.
“You told her I was here,” I said to Pres.
“I didn’t realize…” Pres gritted his teeth. “Fuck. You think maybe for a second we could have talked about this, Kip? What to do? When to do it? Ruby wanted to surprise you.”
“Who the fuck are you anymore?” I asked Pres. “You’re keeping secrets about my girl now? Lying to me to play into a goddamn surprise? I don’t need a fucking surprise, okay? I know what I want and need.”
I moved toward Ruby and Tinsley blocked the way.
“Don’t,” I said to Tinsley.
“You did enough,” Tinsley said.
“What the hell does that mean?” I asked.
Ruby finally turned.
There were tears in her eyes. “I thought I was done with this kind of shit, Kip. That’s what it means.”
She started to walk toward Tinsley’s car.
I looked at Tinsley. “We had to take care of this.”
“I know,” Tinsley said.
“Why did you bring her in there?”
“I’m sorry,” Tinsley said. “I didn’t even think…”
“You all want me to stay away from her,” I said. “And yet for a second you all can’t think and realize who I actually am. Of all people, girl, you? Were you not the one straddling me that day down on the beach? Hiding under the rocks, in that little cove? The shit I told you about my life. Who I am. You saw who I was. You wanted me first. And there was a good reason for it.”
I walked around Tinsley and knew I couldn’t just let Ruby slip away like this.
“Hey, girl,” I said to Ruby.
“Don’t say that to me anymore,” Ruby said.
“Listen to me for a second. I had no idea you were here…”
Ruby finally looked at me.
Those perfect, color changing eyes…
“Why does that matter?” she asked. “This is who you are.”
“And so what? I protect. I love. I keep my promises. That’s what you saw.”
“What I saw is what I had to get away from,” Ruby said. “The violence…”
“Not the same as what you’ve seen, Ruby,” I said.
“Don’t tell me what I’ve seen, Kip. Or what I know. Or what I don’t know. You just threw some guy into a mirror like it was nothing. And nobody is going to do a thing about it. That’s… scary.”
My blood ran cold. “Ruby…”
She put her hand out and touched my chest. “I just want to go home. I thought I was going to come here and hang around your pool and the guesthouse. And go into the ocean. And swim. And flirt. And…”
“We can do that right now, girl,” I said.
“No,” she said. She blinked fast. “Texting and flirting are different than reality. I can’t have this as my reality, Kip. I’m sorry. I have to go. I want to go. Before I end up getting into trouble myself. Please understand that. I can’t… slip…”
Ruby curled her hand around my shirt.
She started to shake.
I felt my heart starting to crumble.
She opened her hand and patted my chest and walked around Tinsley’s car to get into the passenger seat.
I stepped back and watched Tinsley get into the driver’s seat and drive Ruby away.
Who I was took another person I loved away from me.
Chapter 12
I got drunk, texted Ruby, and when she didn’t answer, I surfed alone in the dark for a little bit. The easy thing would have been to distract myself with the company of a girl that was pretty. But none would be as pretty as Ruby.
That was just a fact.
And my heart wasn’t going to change its mind overnight.
Which really fucked with my head.
I had the ability to fall in and out of love over the span of twelve hours like I was getting paid to do so.
But with Ruby… I was stuck.
Goddamn stuck.
I woke up on the couch in the guesthouse and looked around to make sure everything was in one piece.
I saw someone under a blanket on the other part of the couch and wasn’t sure what to expect. I wished it was Ruby. I figured it was some girl.
It turned out to be Barr.
He was still snoring.
His phone in his hand, resting on his face.
I pulled his phone away and the screen lit up.
When I saw the name Mel show up I shook my head.
I left the phone on the back of the couch and walked across the guesthouse to the kitchen to make some coffee. So I could think.
I stood in the corner of the counter and lowered my head.
“Psst.”
I jumped and turned.
Tinsley stood a few feet away, hugging a blanket around her, sleep in her eyes and her hair.
A weak smile on her face.
She nodded to the door and I nodded back.
Outside, she shivered and I put my arm around her.
“Kip, I’m so sorry about what happened,” she said. “For as much as I’ve been overprotective of Ruby, I can’t believe I let that moment slip between the cracks. I’m just so used to it…”
“I know, girl,” I said. “I’m not mad at you. Or Pres. You two are just trying to keep her safe. But I am too. And what she saw… I get it.”
“Pres didn’t set you up either,” she said. “He told me what you were
doing and we were going to meet here. I went over there to make sure it didn’t go too far. I knew you were angry about things so I hoped seeing Ruby would help.”
“I get it,” I said again. “But she’s right. And you’re right. And Pres is right. She needs to take care of herself and stay clean. My life is crazy. And sometimes it gets messy and violent…”
“Kip, are you falling in love with her?”
I looked down at Tinsley.
I didn’t say a word.
No way I was responding to that question.
And I guess by not saying a word, I did answer the question.
Tinsley shook her head and let out a long sigh.
“I’m going back to bed,” she whispered. “You better figure your shit out, Kip.”
“Thanks, girl,” I said. “Love you too.”
She went back inside and I stood outside the guesthouse alone.
Ruby had seen a side of me maybe I wasn’t ready for her to see. But the same happened to her. I saw the side of her when she was passed out on those steps.
That meant it was only fair to show her the other side of me.
* * *
I parked my SUV on the side of the road like I did before.
Hidden in the same spot, which wasn’t exactly hidden at all.
Talk to me, girl. Please.
The second I sent the text I regretted it.
So I sent another one.
Fuck that last message. I’m outside waiting for you.
I smiled as I sent it.
That got Ruby’s attention for real.
WTF Kip? U can’t b outside.
I turned my head and looked at the back of the SUV.
I was in uncharted waters here.
And I wasn’t going to back down.
I’m parked in the secret spot. If you don’t find an excuse to get away for the day I’m going to pull right up to the house. I’ll walk right in and have tea and muffins with Gram.
I waited.
Ruby started off with a middle finger emoji.
I laughed.
Then she actually typed something back.
Can’t. U come here and ur dead.
I shrugged my shoulders.
You’re worth dying for, girl. And I’m not lying. You have ten seconds to decide… ten… nine…
I sent the text.
Then I typed again.
Six. Five. Four.
I sent it.
Ruby didn’t respond.
Two. One… I’m on my way, girl.
Ruby responded.
WAIT! STOP!
I laughed again.
I’m not playing, Ruby. I have something to show you. It’s important.
Ruby responded again.
Walking now. Don’t fucking move. I hate u so much.
“Love you too, girl,” I whispered.
I got out of the SUV and dropped my phone to the seat.
When I saw Ruby a few minutes later, she was moving fast.
I figured I was in store for a slap across the face. Or a punch to the mouth. So I was well prepared for that.
What I didn’t expect from her was to jump up at me and kiss me.
I had to catch her like I did before.
I kissed her back.
She quickly ended the kiss and then slapped me across the face.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” she yelled.
“I want to show you something. Then you need to get ready to spend the day with me.”
“Why would I do that?” Ruby asked. “I’m going to have to come up with a hell of a story for that to happen.”
“Say you’re with Tinsley again.”
“I’m not so sure Gram likes her all that much.”
“Then tell her the truth. That you’re spending the day with me.”
Ruby laughed. “Yeah. Right. This better be good, Kip. And don’t you dare make some kind of reference to your junk.”
“I don’t think what I’ve got between my legs is considered junk,” I said.
Ruby groaned. “I’m walking away in three… two…”
“Back of the SUV,” I said. I showed my hands. “And I don’t mean it like that.”
I walked her around the SUV and opened the back.
“All for you, girl,” I said.
“What is this?” Ruby asked.
I jumped up and sat down. “When you and I snuck to the beach that night, you told me some shit you wanted to do. So let’s do it.”
“Kip…”
“You said you wanted to paint a picture of the ocean. So I got you some paints, an easel, and a stand. And then you said you wanted to take a picture of the ocean.” I leaned back and grabbed the box to a camera. “Got the most expensive one I could find.” I tossed it to her.
Ruby gasped. “Kip. This thing is like…”
“Yeah,” he said. “So you can take the picture. And you mentioned running. I grabbed some running shoes for us. Then you said something about getting a bike and riding a bike and surfing…”
I pointed up.
Ruby stepped back and realized what I had on top of the SUV.
“What the fuck?” she asked.
I laughed. “You really never learned how to say thank you, huh?”
Ruby looked at me. “Why?”
“Why… so we’re doing this again?”
“Of course we are. Everything in life comes with a price.”
I put my feet back on the ground and stepped toward Ruby.
“You saw a side of me that you weren’t ready to see,” I said. “I should have told you about the Rulz. But to do that, we have to get closer. I’m not interested in just texting you. Or coming up here and sleeping with you. I want to know about you.”
“You’re buying me,” Ruby said. “I’m not used to this stuff.”
“I’m not buying you, girl,” Kip said. “I like you and I’m doing something for you. That’s it. You said it yourself. You’re bored up here. So let’s have fun for today.”
“Fun…”
“Walk back home, pack a bag, and tell Gram whatever you need to tell her. If you’re uncomfortable lying, then we’ll find a way to see Tinsley today. So it all matches up. But… Ruby…” I slid my right hand around her body and pulled her tight against me. “You’re all mine today. No questions asked.”
Ruby put her hand to my chest and shoved me back. “Other way around, Kip. You’re doing this to get my attention. To see me. To spend time with me. You’re all mine today. Got it?”
I smiled and growled in my throat. “Got it, girl… believe me… I got it.”
* * *
Ruby climbed up into the passenger seat of the SUV and shook her head. She threw a bag to the backseat and shrugged her shoulders.
“So… drive,” she said.
“You tell me where, girl. You want to paint a picture of the ocean? Take a picture? Where’s your favorite place?”
Ruby sighed. “A few miles down the road. There’s this really cool spot with the rocks. I always stand there. Would make for a great picture.”
“That’s our first stop then,” I said.
I started to drive and Ruby reached across the seat and grabbed my hand. “I’m sorry I got freaked out. But when I saw you-”
“We’ll talk throughout the day, Ruby,” I said. “Skip the heavy shit for now. I just want to see you smile for the entire fucking day.”
“Well, the only way that’s going to happen is if I’m not near you,” she said.
“There she is,” I said.
We both started to laugh.
At our first stop, I opened the box for the camera and shook my head at everything it came with. There were different size lenses. Accessories.
“I’ll do it,” Ruby said. “Watch.”
She grabbed the camera and in a matter of two seconds she had the lens attached and the camera turned on.
“How do you know how to do that?” I asked.
Ruby stepped back and lifted the ca
mera. “Say cheese, Kip.”
I lifted my lip as high as I lifted my middle fingers.
“That’s a great first picture,” Ruby said.
She then stared at the screen and did something to edit the picture.
Then she started messing with the settings and took pictures of the trees, the ground, and the sky.
“Nice,” she said. “This is a really nice camera, Kip. I can teach you how to use it.”
I grinned as I stepped up next to her. I gently elbowed her. “Girl… that’s your camera. Not mine.”
“What?” she asked.
“This is all yours. You obviously have something for taking pictures.”
“I don’t take handouts.”
“It’s not a handout,” I said. “It’s a gift.”
“For what?”
“When’s your birthday?” I asked.
“November eighteenth,” Ruby said.
“Happy Birthday, girl.”
“Oh, fuck off. You’re either really late or really early.”
“You pick,” I said.
Ruby shook her head and walked away from me.
The spot she picked was actually really awesome.
The rocks were jagged and stacked, making them a little risky to climb up.
Ruby put the camera strap over her neck and jumped up on the rocks like she had done it a million times. Which maybe she did. There were so many hours and days I wasn’t near her and all she had was time to kill. And her coming here to rest her mind and not be able to do what she wanted… that felt wrong.
She stood with her feet on two different rocks and looked back at me and smiled.
She lifted the camera and started taking pictures.
I smiled and went to get my phone.
I had to take a picture of her taking pictures of the ocean.
I sent her the picture.
When her phone vibrated, she lowered the camera and touched her back pocket.
I grinned with horrible thoughts in my mind as she touched her own butt.
She looked at the phone and then looked back at me.
I winked and blew her a kiss.
Ruby waved for me to join her.
I tossed my phone into the back of the SUV and raced toward the rocks.
I jumped up with ease and whistled when I looked down off the dangerous cliff.
It wasn’t the biggest fall in the world but if you went down, it would fucking hurt.
KIP: a bay falls high novel Page 12