Sean gasped and went silent. “I’m sorry she heard that,” he finally said.
“Yeah, well, she did. And that’s why she stopped listening. The batteries ran out after a few hours, and she just never replaced them. In fact, she simply forgot about the radio until tonight. So, I want to know…can you forgive her?”
Ruby stood up as hope began coursing through her body again. Maybe Hilary had been right after all! Maybe the truth would set her free! “She’s my best friend,” Hilary said, “and a great gal, as you must know.”
“Yeah.”
Ruby put her hand to her heart and gazed at Hilary, eyes shining. Hilary came and hugged Ruby to her side, and Ruby allowed herself to be hugged. She squeezed Hilary back. She could hear in his voice that he wasn’t angry anymore, just sad, and she suddenly knew they would get through this.
“Can you forgive her?” Hilary asked again. “She made a mistake. She’s sorry.”
Ruby held her breath. “I can’t,” he said, and her heart plummeted to her feet.
Hilary rubbed Ruby’s back, making her feel like a losing fighter in his corner before the bell, listening to a pep talk from the coach. “She made a mistake, but you said you loved her. If you really love someone, you forgive them. You try to work things out.”
Ruby screwed her eyes up and clasped her hands together as she anticipated his answer. She was up on her tiptoes, and came down with a thud as Sean said, “I don’t trust her anymore and to me, love is about trust. My mom googled her, and she has a record. For stalking! Did you know that? There are just way too many red flags. But thanks for telling me the truth. Ruby’s lucky to have a friend like you. Take care of her. And Ruby—since I know you’re listening—it’s over. I’ll come get my bag soon. Good-bye.”
He was gone.
Ruby’s face was frozen in horror, and then she began keening and wailing. Hilary led her over to the couch and forced her to sit down.
She might as well kill herself. She had no reason to live. Sean was gone. She should just drive off a cliff, or drink poison or—she looked around frantically. Where the hell was her gun? …Oh, that’s right, the police had impounded it.
She felt a glass being pressed into her hand as Hilary’s voice penetrated her fog. “Drink this.” She took a big sip and felt the alcohol burning its way to her stomach. “He’s just angry. I’m sure he’ll come around. Give him time,” Hilary said.
Ruby held on to the last bit of her sanity as she grasped the truth of Hilary’s words. Time. Sean would change his mind in time. She would win him back.…Whatever it took…
CHAPTER 43
Ruby stretched and smiled as she woke up to Sean nuzzling her neck. She reached out to hug him, her searching hands found his empty pillow, and she remembered he was gone. They had been apart for five torturous days now, and the darkness threatened to overwhelm her.
She couldn’t eat. Slender to begin with, her cheeks had hollowed, and she was losing her breasts. If she wasn’t careful, she’d look like Hilary.
She rubbed her face against Sean’s soft, gray Gibson alumni T-shirt she’d worn to bed. He’d left it in her hamper by accident, and she hadn’t washed it. The shirt didn’t smell like him anymore—not after five straight nights of wear—but the fact that it was his comforted her.
She leaned over and smelled his pillow. She didn’t sleep on his side of the bed, hoping to preserve his scent on her sheets. She allowed herself to breathe him in for short periods of time when she was feeling blue.
Sean was already at work; it was too late to call him. She brushed her teeth using his toothbrush and toothpaste. She combed her hair with his brush. She contemplated using his electric razor on her legs again, but she really didn’t need to shave them.
She’d bought a bottle of the body wash he used, and she unscrewed the cap and sighed as his scent wafted up at her. She could almost believe he was there…
She wondered if she was pregnant. Her period wasn’t even due for a week or so, but she wished she could find out right away if she was so she could use the information. Time was crawling by…
She forced herself to eat a piece of toast in case she was pregnant, before retiring to her drawing board where she drew for hours, until her alarm went off. She’d gotten way behind in her work during her intense fling with Sean, and now she’d almost caught up again, though she didn’t know how funny any of her cartoons were. She wasn’t finding much of anything funny these days.
The only good thing to come out of this fiasco was that she’d lost a few papers, but gained many more, including the San Francisco Chronicle, so now she was in their closest big paper. She’d bought a subscription and could wake up and read her cartoon over coffee every morning like she used to dream of. She hadn’t gotten her first check after the changes yet—she was paid only once a month— but she expected her income to jump considerably. Notoriety wasn’t always a bad thing…
She took a shower, dressed carefully, and went to go stake out Sean’s house again. He’d be home soon, and yesterday, when she’d done the same thing, he’d actually talked to her a bit before going inside.
Maybe he’d talk to her again today.
▬▬▬
Ruby was parked across the street from Sean’s house in her brand-new silver Mini when she saw his familiar Prelude pull onto his street. She got out of her car and smoothed down her micro mini skirt nervously as she watched him park.
He got out, glanced at his house once, then made his way across the street towards her.
“Hi Sean,” she said. “How’re you doing?”
“I’m fine.” He would not meet her gaze but appeared to be focused on something just over her shoulder. She resisted the urge to look behind her. “What are you doing here again?”
She smiled tremulously. “I keep thinking about you and I just wanted to check in. You’re looking fine.” She purposefully stressed the word ‘fine’ to get his reaction.
He lowered his gaze to his hands. “You can’t keep doing this Ruby.”
“Doing what?” He wore navy trousers and a crisp white shirt. White looked so good on him. It set off his black hair to perfection.
“Following me, calling me all the time, riding your bike in front of my house…it has to stop.”
“Even though we’re no longer lovers,” she swallowed hard, and her voice grew husky. “I hoped we could still be friends.”
He shifted his backpack on his shoulder. “Perhaps we should just cut our losses and move on.”
Her eyes filled with tears, and his face softened. “Please don’t cry, Ruby.”
“I’ve said I’m sorry,” she murmured, looking at the ground. “What more do you want?”
“Nothing. Not anymore.”
She gazed up at him, and her tears spilled over and down her cheeks. She’d practiced in a mirror at home until she was sure she had that Demi Moore/“Ghost” crying thing down pat. Amazingly, he remained unmoved.
“I have to go.” Sean stepped back, turned and started back across the road.
She followed and caught his arm desperately. He wouldn’t look at her. “What?”
“You still haven’t picked up your overnight bag.”
“Fine. I’ll come get it tonight. Okay?”
He was coming over!
“You’re at the new house?” he said.
“No. I didn’t move. That place was supposed to be ours, and without you…”
“I didn’t want you to lose the house.” He crossed his arms and seemed to debate with himself about something. “How are you? You still having those nightmares about Jeremy?”
“Yeah,” Ruby said. She’d never had nightmares about Jeremy. “I sleep with the lights on and wake up sweating four, five times a night.”
“Car,” Sean said, herding her onto the curb, so it could pass. She was aware of his hand on her back, and obviously so was he, because he dropped it like she’d burned him.
“I’m sorry about…all that,” he said. “What have t
he police said? I’m sort of out of the loop now.”
You’d be back in the loop if you took me back! “They found my car. It was totaled and dumped in the woods, so my insurance company finally bought me this two days ago,” she murmured. Her stolen car had been part of the news coverage. It was no longer a secret.
Sean squinted at her. “I heard they think Jeremy killed…um, her, but I don’t know what they found. I mean, evidence wise.”
“There are a lot of unanswered questions, but they know he killed Tara.” Sean gasped and she continued. “When they searched his house, they found my stolen car keys, so he definitely stole and crashed my car. The paint chips found at the scene matched mine exactly.”
Sean’s face fell. “Oh wow. …I heard they closed the case. Did they ever find a motive?
That was the problem she’d created. Lots of evidence of Jeremy’s guilt, no real motive. “Yeah. Stalking. He apparently stalked tons of women and had been doing so for years.”
“But I mean, what are the odds that both my most recent ex-girlfriends would be stalked by the same man…”
Ex-girlfriend? She narrowed her eyes. “Probably pretty high. This was his pattern. The police proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he stole my car, murdered Tara, and was trying to frame me for it. As if that sexual assault wasn’t enough.” Her voice broke.
Sean reached out and rubbed her arm. That’s better. “Um…and they found a message from Tara herself, one he’d apparently taped off of his phone, telling him to stop threatening her.”
He leaned closer. “Threatening her how?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, but I heard there was at least one other mysterious death connected to him. This girl he dated six years ago named Gretchen. Her mom thinks Jeremy drowned her, but she had no proof.” She’d googled Gretchen Hixon and found her obituary. Gretchen had drowned. The rest she’d just made up. “He sounds like a serial killer.”
“Wow.” Sean’s face was unreadable.
“You heard about the pictures, right?”
He wiped his face with his hands. “Yeah. What a sicko! Taking pictures of Tara right before he killed her…I hope he rots in hell.”
Not those pictures! “Yeah. And he had pictures of me too. One from years ago when we worked together, and some recent ones taken while I slept. One of those was a nude picture of me. Asleep. Detective Fung gave me that one back, thank God. Can you imagine?”
“Wait a minute. He actually broke in and took naked pictures of you while you were sleeping?” His eyes practically bugged out of his head.
She nodded. “But still,” she sniffled for effect. “Even after all he did, I struggle with the fact that he’s dead by my hand.”
“Stop beating yourself up,” Sean said. She was pleased that they were slipping into their familiar roles already. She was the guilt-ridden but capable woman, and he was her champion. “He came over there to kill you, don’t forget.”
“I know,” Ruby said. “Thanks. Your support means so much to me. Especially now.”
“I gotta go,” Sean said abruptly. He cut across his yard.
She raised her hand to him in farewell. “You’re coming over tonight? Right?”
“What?” he stopped in his tracks on his porch.
“To get your bag, I mean,” she said. “I could maybe fix us a snack and some drinks—”
His shoulders stiffened. “I’ll come by after dinner to fetch it, and that’s all I’ll be doing. Good-bye.” He unlocked his door and disappeared inside his house.
She scrambled back across the street to her car, so excited she peeled out. She had so much to do before tonight! This might be her last shot at getting him back.
She thought back to her conversation with him and smiled smugly. He definitely missed her. Half the battle was already won.
▬▬▬
Ruby heard the knock and bit her thumb so hard from anticipation that she left teeth marks. She wrung her hands as the butterflies swooped and dove in her stomach. She danced her way to the door, repeating softly, “You got this!”
She swung the door wide, ready with a big, welcoming smile…her face fell. “What’re you doing here?” she asked James, Sean’s old roommate that she’d met at his surprise party. “Where’s Sean?”
James stood on her porch in a yellow rain slicker and boots looking uncomfortable. “Sean asked me to pick up his bag.”
“What?” she said, suddenly feeling obvious in her heavy makeup, black cat suit, and stilettos. She covered her cleavage with her hand. “Why didn’t Sean come himself?”
James looked everywhere but at her. “I guess he thought it’d be easier this way.”
He was getting soaked. Rain dripped off his nose, and he looked miserable. Her anger churned inside her, but James was Sean’s best friend, and he could be an ally. “Come on in,” she said, stepping back and gesturing with her arm.
He didn’t move. “No thank you. I’m in kind of a hurry. I’ll just take it and go.”
“It’s not packed,” she admitted through gritted teeth. She’d been hoping Sean would change his mind altogether about taking his stuff back. “It’ll take a few minutes. Come on in. Don’t stand out there getting rained on.”
He stepped into her small entry and stood there, dripping water into a spreading puddle on her floor. He looked down, sidestepped, and cleared his throat. “Sorry.”
She shrugged. “It’s just water. It can be wiped up.” She watched him twitch nervously for a second and sighed. “You can sit down, I don’t bite.”
He gave her a brief smile, pulled up his slicker to collect the water, and sat down on the very edge of the window seat. She stomped into her bedroom, undimming the lights on her way.
She kicked off her heels and pulled on a sweatshirt, shaking with suppressed rage. She blew out the vanilla scented candles surrounding her bed and looked with disgust at the wine bucket on her nightstand. She snatched up the black peek-a-boo teddy she’d laid out and tossed it back in her drawer.
Motherfucker. He was afraid to face her!
She took Sean’s empty bag from atop her dresser and stomped into the bathroom. She opened her medicine cabinet, threw all his toiletries into the bag, and blew out all the candles flickering by the tub. Then she marched back into her room and snatched open her top drawer.
All his clothes were clean and folded neatly inside. She gazed at the drawer sadly for a moment before tossing it all in the bag. She’d gone to the trouble to clear a drawer for him in her house! Which was symbolic, and he’d ruined it. Dammit. They were supposed to be rebuilding trust tonight.
The last thing she put in the bag, was the naked hot tub picture of him. He’d put it in his bag for safe keeping before they’d left for the movies on Halloween.
She was tempted to keep it, but she was already on thin ice with him, and she’d copied it, of course, so it was okay that she had to give the original back.
She slipped it back into the side pocket and took the bag into the living room. James stood and reached for it immediately. She held on, and he gave her an odd look. She let go.
He started for the door. “Thanks. I’ll see you Ruby.”
“Wait!”
He glanced over his shoulder. “What?”
“This thing between Sean and I…it isn’t over.”
He looked away. “It’s none of my business. You’ll have to talk to Sean—”
“Would you do it for me?”
“Excuse me?”
“Would you talk to Sean, sort of plead my case for me? You could really help me here.” She couldn’t mask her desperation.
“I can’t. It’s between the two of you. I’ll see myself out,” he said. He scrambled for the door and closed it behind him.
She stood with her eyes squeezed shut and her fingernails digging into her palms until she was certain he’d driven away. Then she screamed and howled and proceeded to trash her living room—all except for her beautiful couch.
▬▬▬
When she was finished, when every book was off her shelves, every knickknack broken or on the floor, she felt much better.
She crawled over to her cell phone and dialed Sean’s number. He was going to talk to her tonight.
His mother answered, and Ruby almost hung up. Janice Chaplin had never been warm to her, and she dreaded a confrontation.
“Hi Janice, it’s Ruby. How are you?”
“Haven’t you done enough?”
Bitch! Ruby swallowed a retort and said, “May I please speak to Sean?”
“No. Even before you bugged our house and listened to our private conversations, I knew you were bad news. Too bad Sean didn’t listen to me. How could you—”
“It’s not nearly as bad as you think,” Ruby snapped. “I only listened once, and you weren’t even there. You were still in Florida—”
“It’s illegal, no matter how bad! The only reason you weren’t arrested is because Sean talked my husband and I out of pressing charges!”
“Sean talked you out of it?” Ruby said, curiously pleased and touched to hear that. It was a hopeful sign. It proved he still cared for her.
“Don’t you go reading anything into that! He just felt sorry for you after you killed that man. That’s all. You’re bad luck. Trouble. Cursed. Stay away from us.”
“Listen. Sean is a grown man who—”
“Doesn’t wish to speak to you!”
The line went dead. Furious, Ruby threw her cell on the couch. Janice would live to regret that.
▬▬▬
The next day, Ruby was again waiting for Sean when he got off work.
This time though, he didn’t approach her. He stayed on his side of the street and called out, “Ruby, go home.”
She started across the road towards him. “Since you lied about coming by last night, I’m forced to come to you.”
He turned and made a beeline for his front door. “We’ve nothing more to discuss! Please stop harassing me. It’s no good for either of us.”
Drawn To You: A Psychological thriller Page 41