Falling for the Wrong Guy

by Sara Hantz

She went back to nursing her mug. He gulped down his coffee and left his toast. He needed to see Ruby. But first he had an important call to make. About something he hoped Ruby would approve. After, he ran out of the house, down the drive, and jumped into his car, taking off for the hospital. Whatever her response, he realized that he had to give it one more shot. He’d prove to her that he’d never be just like her father, or his mother. She was too important to him to not give it everything he had. And if she said no, he’d try again.

  And again.

  “Hey.”

  Ruby’s heart skipped a beat when Drew poked his head around the door and before she could check herself, a huge smile crossed her face. Not that she didn’t want to look pleased to see him. She just didn’t want him to think she’d changed her mind. She still meant what she had said. They couldn’t carry on like they had before until he forgave himself and stepped into the light. It wasn’t good for anyone for her to keep enabling his self-imposed misery. Especially not him.

  “Hi,” she said, silently congratulating herself for sounding calm.

  “Can we talk?” Drew asked.

  Her pulse quickened. Deep down, her heart wanted her to fling herself into his arms and ask that they go back to their secret relationship. Her head pulled her in the opposite direction, telling her that she needed to move on. And pay more attention to getting a scholarship. She had goals, and they should come first. Head, heart. Heart, head. How the heck was she supposed to work it out?

  “Sure,” she replied with a nonchalance that belied the total and utter mayhem careering through her body at that moment.

  The awkward look on his face was so cute, it took all Ruby’s willpower to not drag him over to the bed and kiss him. Not that she could do that anyway, without causing herself some major physical pain. Once the meds began to wear off, her arm would be agony, not to mention the bruises all over her body. Her good hand was about the only thing not hurting so much now.

  “What you said yesterday, I—”

  “I haven’t changed my mind,” Ruby interrupted.

  Drew held up both hands. “Please, Ruby. Let me finish,” he pleaded.

  “Sorry.” She bit down on her bottom lip, anxious to hear what he had to say but not holding out much hope that things would change sufficiently for her to reconsider.

  “I’ve been thinking about what you said. And I get what you mean, but—”

  “But you still can’t change,” Ruby interrupted.

  “No. That’s not it.” He sounded frustrated.

  Heat rushed up her cheeks. “Sorry. I promise not to speak at all until you’ve finished.” She pretended to zip her mouth with her hand.

  “I’ve come to realize that my life is more than the burns on my body. I know nothing will change what’s happened, and I’ll never forget. But I want more. I want for us to be together. I’m over living like this, making myself miserable. Making you miserable. You don’t deserve that.”

  Euphoria flooded her body. At last she’d finally gotten through to him. Except… A breath hitched in the back of her throat. Talk was cheap. What if all he wanted to do was for them to keep seeing each other but still not really change? “That’s good. And what are you going to do to change how you’re living?” She held her breath, waiting for his reply.

  “I’ve started to sort out my shit with Blake. I hope.” He ran his fingers through his hair and frowned.

  “Yes, I saw the state of his knuckles,” she said. “Although he seems to be less angry about everything.”

  “It’s a guy thing. Fists first. Talk after.” He grinned.

  “I’ll take your word for that,” she said, shaking her head.

  “So what do you say? Will you give me another chance?”

  She was desperate to say yes, but niggling at the back of her mind was that this change was too quick and too superficial. She wanted to see more of him, of course she did. She couldn’t imagine loving anyone else the same as she loved him. And she didn’t want to try. “I’m not sure, what if…”

  “Good morning, Ruby. How are we feeling today?” a nurse asked as she bustled into the room. She walked to the end of the bed and picked up the notes, scrutinizing them.

  “Fine thanks,” Ruby replied.

  “And is this your boyfriend?” the nurse asked, grinning as she nodded at Drew, who had sat down on the chair next to Ruby’s bed.

  Ruby swallowed. It seemed like some divine intervention. That her hand was being forced. If she said yes, then Drew would take that as her answer. If she said no, then that was it. And she hadn’t decided yet which way to go. It was all way too complicated for her at that moment.

  “I hope so,” Drew replied, before Ruby had the chance to.

  He glanced at her, a spark of hope in his eyes. She could already feel herself melting. He hadn’t hidden their relationship or his feelings. Sure, it was just from a nurse they might never see again after Ruby went home from the hospital, but…

  “What are you doing about those burns?” the nurse asked like it was nothing out of the ordinary. She moved closer to Drew and stared at him. “Are you having skin grafts? They do wonders with them now, and it might help the pain that I’m sure you’re in.”

  Ruby hitched in a breath. She couldn’t believe the nurse could be so direct. It worried her how Drew might feel about it.

  “I’ve made an appointment with a plastic surgeon to see what he can do,” he said simply.

  Ruby’s mouth dropped open. Had she heard right? He was really going to get something done about his burns? After everything he’d said about them being there to remind him of what he’d done? If ever there was a sign, then that was one. In neon with flashing lights.

  “Yes, he is my boyfriend,” Ruby blurted out.

  She grinned at Drew, who grinned right back at her. He reached over the bed and took her hand in his. She knew that it was going to be okay. And she would be there to help him, because it wouldn’t be easy. But it was clear that he was going to pull himself out of the darkness. And she’d be right there beside him.

  The nurse left the room and Drew’s expression was suddenly serious. “I don’t ever want us to be apart. I love you.”

  Warmth flooded through Ruby. “Me, too.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Whoa,” Drew said as Ruby walked down the stairs.

  “What do you think?”

  His nerve endings tingled. Ruby looked awesome. He’d been waiting at her house for what seemed like ages for her to get ready for the Winter Formal. But looking at her now he didn’t care. The wait was worth it. And he’d been talking to Mrs. Davis while waiting. She’d given him a piece of her amazing chocolate cake. He thought she might have mentioned him bailing before when she’d made a cake especially, but she didn’t. And he really liked her for that.

  “Drew?” Ruby’s voice broke into his thoughts.

  “Sorry, what did you say?” He shifted awkwardly.

  “Do you like my gown?” Ruby asked, accentuating every word.

  Her eyes twinkled as she smoothed down the front of her pale blue dress. It had thin straps, and all Drew could think of was kissing the perfect skin on her gorgeous, pale shoulders.

  “You look hot. I-I mean great,” he replied, sneaking a guilty look in the direction of Ruby’s mom, who stood there laughing. He hoped that Mrs. Davis couldn’t read his mind, or she definitely wouldn’t let Ruby go with him.

  “Have a great time, the pair of you. See you later.” Mrs. Davis opened the front door and ushered them out.

  “Yes, have a good time, and take care of her,” said Ruby’s dad who’d been standing beside Mrs. Davis.

  Drew exchanged a glance with Ruby, and she gave an almost imperceptible wink. That was the longest sentence he’d heard Mr. Davis utter in all the years he’d been coming around to the house. Ruby had told him that even though he hadn’t come to visit her in the hospital, her car accident had shaken him up enough that he’d started taking his anti-depressant medicatio
n. Little by little, he was starting to improve. Ruby had told him they didn’t know if he’d stay on the medication or backslide, but it was a start.

  They headed to Drew’s car, and he opened the door for Ruby to slide in. “Your carriage awaits, m’lady,” he said in a phoney and pretty terrible British accent.

  “Thank you. And how absolutely super that you have actually cleaned it for the occasion,” Ruby replied, in an equally phoney although slightly more competent accent to match his.

  “Nothing spared for you.” He closed the door and then scooted around the back of the car and got into the driver’s side.

  “You know Blake will be at the formal,” Ruby said as they drove to school.

  Blake had already mentioned it. They’d been talking a bit recently, especially when Drew was at their house with Ruby. Blake had tickets for the Giants game in three weeks’ time, and he’d actually asked Drew to go along. Of course, Drew had said yes right away. He couldn’t wait.

  “He told me. Why didn’t you ask him to come with us?” Not that he minded it being the two of them. It just seemed odd for them not to go together.

  “I did, but he said he had someone to pick up.” Ruby shrugged, and then pulled down the visor and checked out her face in the mirror.

  “A girl?” Drew asked. He thought how great it would be for Blake to meet someone.

  “I guess, he didn’t say. He’s not seeing anyone, so it will probably be a friend from school.”

  They pulled into the school parking lot and headed around the back of the school into the side entrance which led to the gymnasium. The music was blaring, and when they pushed open the doors, it was filled with students. The decorating committee had done an awesome job. There was a glitter ball hanging from the ceiling and red, green, and silver lights flashing randomly.

  “There’s Blake,” Ruby said, pointing to across the room. She waved, and when he saw them, he headed over, with a girl hanging on his arm.

  Ruby quickly glanced at Drew, and he looked as puzzled as she did. The girl Blake was with didn’t go to their school. So who the heck was she?

  “Hey, man,” Drew said as they got closer.

  “Ruby, Drew, this is Andi,” Blake said. He pulled his arm from hers and then repositioned it around her shoulders, giving a tiny squeeze. Ruby recognized the gesture. They were definitely more than friends. And her senses were on full alert wanting to know everything.

  “Hi,” Andi said.

  “Hi, Andi,” Ruby replied. “So how do you two know each other?”

  “We met at therapy,” Andi answered, glancing up at Blake and smiling at him.

  What? She turned to Blake, so Andi couldn’t see her face, and mouthed, “Therapy?” Her brother shrugged in a what-the-heck? way.

  “Oh right. Good,” Ruby said, turning back to face both of them, unable to think of what else to say. Never in a million years would she have guessed Blake had been doing that. He’d always dismissed anything “touchy-feely.” Just like she knew Drew had done.

  “I’m just going to the bathroom,” Andi said to Blake. “Won’t be long.”

  She walked away, and the three of them stood in silence watching.

  “Therapy?” Ruby said as soon as she figured Andi was out of earshot.

  Blake nodded. He dipped his head, looking a little embarrassed. “Mom’s not-so-gentle suggestion. I think since Dad’s finally started to improve, she learned from you about making her demands known. Since I’ve been going, it’s started to give me a different perspective on what happened.”

  Ruby couldn’t get her head around it. It wasn’t like she didn’t think therapy was a good idea for people. But Blake? It just seemed too weird to contemplate. Then again, she’d been thinking how much he’d changed recently. More relaxed. Not back to how he used to be pre-fire, but much better than he was.

  “Why didn’t Mom tell me?”

  “I asked her not to say anything.”

  “Why?” It stung that they could keep something like that from her.

  “Because it’s therapy. It’s not something you brag about doing.”

  “But I’m your sister.” She hated that he felt he couldn’t confide in her. He never used to be like that.

  “I know. I’m sorry. It wasn’t personal,” Blake said.

  Ruby inwardly shook herself. Blake had his reasons, and she had to accept that. She didn’t want to jeopardize their relationship now that it had started to get back to normal.

  “That’s cool,” she said, smiling at him. Andi returned, and she and Blake headed for the dance floor.

  “Let’s go and dance,” Drew said, taking her by the arm and leading her to a spot near the deejay’s setup.

  “Can you believe that?” Ruby whispered in his ear as they danced.

  “I was surprised, that’s for sure,” Drew replied.

  “It hurt that he didn’t feel he could tell me about it though,” she admitted.

  “Don’t sweat it. I’m sure he didn’t mean to upset you. It was just his way of dealing with it,” Drew said.

  Ruby looked straight into Drew’s green eyes, and her heart flipped. Being with him made her feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

  “I’m just being stupid. The main thing is for him to be happy,” she said.

  “Like we are.” He kissed her gently on the cheek.

  Desire flooded through her, and Ruby wrapped her arms tightly around him.

  “Yes. Like we are.” She turned her head slightly so their lips met.

  They’d kissed a hundred times before, but there was something different this time. She pulled back and looked at him. He smiled at her, that gorgeous, devastating smile that she was seeing more and more of as the weeks went on. She loved him, so much. And no matter how rocky their start had been, she knew that it had all been worth it.

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  Acknowledgments

  Huge thanks, as usual, to my critique partners Amanda Ashby and Christina Phillips for everything you’ve done over the years. I couldn’t have done it without you.

  To everyone at Entangled Publishing, thank you for being such a great publisher to be with. Thank you to my amazing editor, Tracy Montoya, for your advice and support in helping to get this book together. Thanks to: Crystal Havens for all your help, to everyone in publicity, and to Heather Howland for another fabulous cover.

  Finally, to my family, Garry, Alicia and Marcus. Thanks for all your support.

  About the Author

  Sara Hantz was born in Northampton, England, the eldest of four children (she has three younger brothers). School and Sara weren’t a match made in heaven. She was bored a lot of the time, and it seemed much more fun to dream up ways of disrupting lessons than to actually pay attention. Which could explain why she was always in trouble! But she redeemed herself later, when at twenty-one she went back to full-time study. Except she got carried away and became a bit of a “qualification tart.” She even worked in education for a number of years—lecturing.

  But all that time, she was never content. She knew there was something missing, but just didn’t know what. Until she discovered writing.

  She wasn’t one of those people who wrote as a small child. She did read, though, avidly. And it took her a few years of thinking about writing before she actually started. But now, she wouldn’t do anything else, and she never gets bored!

  She moved to New Zealand (a beautiful country) from the UK fourteen years ago with her husband and four children. After working at a university for three years, she left to work in their hotel and devote more time to her writing. She wishes she’d done it sooner! Two years ago, she moved to the Su
nshine Coast in Australia—another perfect place to write.

  In her spare time, she loves going to the movies, watching TV, walking on the beach, and playing with her gorgeous Labrador. She loves to hear from readers. Visit www.sarahantz.com.

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  In the Blood

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