by C. A. Harms
I remembered the night, feeling bored and needing some fresh air. I remembered sitting on the front porch listening to the party going on inside as I remained in the quiet of the darkened front porch. Then I remember hearing someone approaching and looking up to find a very attractive guy sitting down on a bench only a few feet away from me.
His smile was one I knew I will never forget.
“Jay,” I whispered before I could stop myself.
“Yeah.” I heard the humor in Darcy’s voice and understood that the good memory that I’d just had was about to be darkened by something I’d only wish to forget. “Jay Grady, and you ralphed on his bed.”
Hanging my head, I wished with everything inside of me that this was nothing but a horrible nightmare.
“This Jay person hit her?” Vera’s voice was fierce.
“No way!” The two of them carried on next to me while I fought the mortifying rage of embarrassment battling inside of me. “He was so sweet with her, no way did he hurt her. However he did punch the guy that hit her. Granted it was an accident, but he didn’t care. He looked furious.”
“What?” Just speaking made my head throb. “He what?” Pushing past the pain, I needed her to repeat herself.
“I said Jay Grady punched some guy for you. It was very heroic.” She wagged her brows. Had my face not hurt unbelievably bad, I would have smiled. “Even when you puked on his bed he didn’t flinch. Who’d have guessed he had it in him? He’s normally so quiet and standoffish. But not last night. He was ready to kill someone after you got yourself in between the two guys that were fighting.”
“Why would you do that?” Vera truly needed to bring her high-pitched mother tone down a few notches. She was killing me slowly.
“It was an accident.” Believe me, I would have never inflicted this pain on myself intentionally.
“You look like you’ve been in a cage fight with a gorilla. What is your father going to think?” And there it was, the worst part of it all. This pain, it was nothing compared to the mess I’d endure the second I had to face my father. What would I say?
Chapter Seventeen
Jay
“How’s the hand?” Isaac chuckled as he sat down on the couch next to me.
I flexed my fingers and stared down at my cracked knuckles. “How’s Rob’s face?” Did he deserve it? No, but fuck, it was an unstoppable reaction. The second his fist connected with Ruby I flew into defensive mode.
“You chipped his tooth and he had to get four stitches in his lip. The scar could look badass one day but right now he just looks like he got his ass handed to him. The other guy came out looking like a king, and from what I’ve heard, he’s taking credit for your handiwork.”
Part of me felt bad, but it was a very small part.
“Who was the girl?” When I didn’t answer him right away he chuckled and I knew that even if I tried to recover he’d already picked up on my interest in her. “She looked a little too innocent for our parties, never seen her around her before.”
Again I say nothing.
“Her friend Darcy’s one a few of the guys know well.” To be honest I wasn’t a big fan of her friend. After she left Ruby alone at a party she obviously didn’t want to be at, my opinion was instantly formed.
“Ruby.” Her name suited her, so pure.
“Clay said she threw up all over your bed.” Again he laughed. “Rob feels bad, you know he’d never hit a girl.” Maybe not, but he did, and it was the wrong one. “Have you checked on her?”
I’d scoured Facebook, looking for any Ruby that might be her, and had come up empty. After I led her to her friend’s car, I tucked her inside and stood back while they drove off. My anger was still overshadowing my judgment and by the time I’d realized I hadn’t gotten her number it was too late.
“Don’t have her number, or her last name.”
Isaac said nothing, but his movements at my side gained my full attention. Lifting his ass up off the couch, he reached in his back pocket and pulled out his phone. I watched as he tapped away and then lifted it to his ear.
“How is she?” He paused and waited while listening to whoever it was on the opposite end of the phone. “Big lug is worried about her, but realized he never got her number.” What the fuck?
“Stop being a bitch and give me her number.” I arched a brow and waited. “Why?”
He glanced in my direction and I could tell by his sour look that whatever he was hearing was going to cause me a bump in the road. Of course, nothing is ever smooth sailing for me.
“All right, well, would you at least tell her that Jay is asking about her and would like to talk to her?”
My stomach was in knots but I tried not to show that I was nervous.
“Okay and―” Before he could finish the call ended and he pulled the phone away, laughing. “Darcy will tell her.”
“Darcy?”
I should have known already that when Isaac said some of the guys knew her well that he was one of those guys.
“She doesn’t like me much.” He shrugged. “I forgot to call her after.”
“Great, so you fucked over Ruby’s friend.” I’d never hear from her now.
“She was a participating party and not once did I make any promises.” Our fraternity president was a whore. “Besides, I think you’ve got bigger problems than her friend hating me.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, brother―” He slid forward and patted me on the shoulder almost sympathetically. “It would seem that you’ve developed a little crush on the Dean’s daughter.”
My stomach felt like it dropped and my legs went weak. No fucking way.
“I can see that conversation now.” Isaac could barely contain his laughter. “Dad, I’d like you to meet Jay, my boyfriend. He’s known around campus for his special dance moves, you may have heard of them. Hashtag, dicksaswinging. It was all over campus social media. He’s famous.”
I said nothing as he stood up and walked out of the room hollering to anyone that would listen that Jay’s girl is the Dean of the school’s daughter.
Like I said before, nothing in my life is ever fucking easy.
Chapter Eighteen
Ruby
“There was a fight in the movie theater?” I nodded, doing my best to hide behind the fallen hair that was shadowing my face. “Over what?”
“A girl, I think, I don’t really know.”
“How did you manage to get in the middle of it?”
I’d lied before, but this one was so out there. I had told him I was going to dinner and a movie with Darcy. He’d not really liked that idea, but he never argued. The story I’d fed him wasn’t too far off from the original, except I exchanged the party for the theater and left out Jay.
“They were right behind us and it was dark.” Slow and steady, that is what I kept chanting in my head so I didn’t screw up this story and get caught. “It all happened so fast. First they were just talking to each other in hushed tones and then it escalated. Before I had the chance to move out of the way one of them swung out and instead of hitting the guy they connected with my cheek.”
I looked up when he said nothing in return and found him staring at me with a disgusted look. Either way, this story or the real version, it wasn’t my fault. You’d think he’d ask me if I were okay, but no, he was far too worried about how this would all look instead.
“You can’t go out looking like that.” There it was. “What will people think?”
“Maybe that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
He made a huffing, displeased sound. “More like I’m raising a troubled girl who can’t manage to keep her head down and not embarrass me.”
I bit my lip because inside I was screaming things I knew I shouldn’t say. Heartless ass was one of them.
“I’ll talk to your professors, tell them you are under the weather. I think it would be best for you to work from here until this,” he waved his hand in the
direction of my face and I flinched, “heals. I can’t have people seeing you looking like this.”
And with that he spun on his heels and walked out of the kitchen, leaving me staring behind him. My chest burned with the emotions that were now starting to churn inside of me. I was humiliated, saddened by everything, the idea that I was even feeling guilty for getting into this mess. Guilty, as if this was all my fault. But then again in a way, had I just gone to the movies like I’d said I was, I wouldn’t be dealing with what I was now.
So I guess it was my fault after all.
***
“It looks better actually.” I used my hair to hide my face. With my head tilted down, it made it easier. “Yeah, the purples and blues are now more of a mustard yellow and even an off shade of green, but better.”
I’d considered staying home for a few more days but I was already going stir crazy. I needed to get out of the house, out of the stuffiness I was constantly surrounded with. It was weird really, but I missed Darcy, and that alone was proof enough that I needed human contact.
“Do you want me to put a little concealer around the area to help it blend?”
“Not out here in the open where everyone can see.” I already felt like everyone was staring at me. Leaving against my father’s advisement, I wished now that I’d given it a little more time. We stood in the middle of the quad, students hurrying past us on their way to their next class and I’d done so well at remaining unnoticed. Before I could suggest we find the nearest bathroom, Darcy grabbed me by the arm and dragged me off toward the parking lot.
“Get in.” She motioned to her now opened car door. “It’s this or the bathroom, where fifteen other girls are staring and ready to ask a hundred questions. You choose.”
She had a point.
Ten minutes later she was admiring her work and I was feeling a little less like a Cyclops.
***
My day was over, or at least the portion where I sat in a classroom and everyone whispered. I even caught my professor staring at me a time or two. Some looked as though they felt sorry for me, which was ridiculous. Others laughed, as though they thought I’d gotten it during a brawl I’d lost. In a way they were right, I was the loser, but mostly of my dignity.
Hanging my head and focusing more on the ground before me, I put one foot in front of the other, slowly moving my way through the halls and out of the building.
Living so close to campus was a godsend in this sense and the further away from the crowds, the better I began to feel. That was until I heard my name.
“Ruby?”
My entire body went rigid and I practically tripped over my feet as I paused.
“Hey.” The sounds of feet scuffing against the pavement got closer and closer. “I’ve been watching out for you, wondering how you’re doing.” I knew right then who my tagalong was and my heart felt like it grew tight in my chest. It only became worse when he reached my side and I could see this shoes in my peripheral vision.
“Wow.” His thumb grazed over my jaw, applying just enough pressure at my chin to lift my gaze to meet his. His own jaw ticked in irritation and it caught me slightly off guard. “I am so sorry.”
“Why are you sorry? You didn’t do it.”
For a few silent seconds he just watched me and that earlier frustration seemed to fade. “No,” he agreed, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, “but I’m still sorry it happened.”
“Me too.” Smiling back at him, I felt a little less uncomfortable. For days I’d dreaded the moment I would come face to face with Jay again. Puking on a guy’s bed after being punched by a stranger wasn’t my idea of the best first impression. I worried myself sick from the embarrassment and was fearful to face him again. But this, it wasn’t so bad.
“You’ve been hiding.” I wasn’t quite sure if that was a question or a statement. “I’ve been watching around for you.”
“You have?” Hearing the surprise in my own voice caused the embarrassment to resurface.
“Yeah.” Jay reached out and placed his hand over mine, pulling me a little closer to him. “Our night was cut short by a bunch of assholes and I wanted to ask if you’d be willing to allow me to make that up to you.”
Make it up to me? What?
“Maybe grab something to eat or catch a movie.”
I knew that I was staring at him, lost in the haze that had become my thoughts, but I was still trapped in the part about making it up to me. He didn’t have anything to make up, he didn’t owe me a thing.
“I had fun talking to you.” He threaded his fingers through my own and I looked down at our now joined hands. His were so big compared to my own and the way they fit together gave me a comforting feeling inside, followed by the fluttering in my stomach and the chills on my arms. “So, what do you say, Ruby?” Looking away from our hands, I found him watching me. “Can I buy you a burger, or some buttery popcorn?”
“I think a movie sounds good.”
Still holding my hand, he used his other to reach behind and pull something from his pocket. Holding his phone out before me, I looked down at it and then back at him. “Put your number in.” I didn’t want to let go of his hand but I knew I needed to. Almost as if he had the same thoughts, we both slowly released our holds and I took his phone.
After punching in my number, he took it back and tapped something on his screen. Shortly after my own phone rang and I didn’t even attempt to grab for it.
“There, now you have mine too.” Again he typed away on his phone. “Also wanted to make sure you didn’t give me a fake number.” When he looked up with one brow arched and a grin on his face, those butterflies from earlier retuned. He was honestly adorable in that moment.
Jay was tall, not big and bulky with all kinds of crazy muscle, but lean and fit. There was no doubt he took care of himself, and his eyes, they were unbelievable. A bluish green, that in the right sunlight reminded me of the ocean. Add that all to his mischievous crooked grin and well, for the first time in my life I felt like I’d found someone who would be worth throwing all my father’s rules away for. Jay made me feel reckless, and I truly loved that feeling.
I wanted more of it, so much more.
1. Rock a pair of heels like the hot girl I am.
2. Get my girlie bits waxed.
3. Share my red lipstick with a gorgeous guy. (That means kiss him)
4. Skip class, because I’m hung over.
5. Forego panties and go dancing in a short dress.
6. Give my number to a random guy. (Not random but I still did it.)
7. Pick out my favorite nail polish and forget it landed in my handbag while tossing it in the cart. (Shh, it’s not stealing if it’s an accident.)
8. Get a tattoo in a secret hidden location.
9. Pierce something, like a nipple or a further south region.
10. Cash in my innocence, to a well-endowed peer.
Chapter Nineteen
Jay
“It’s a bad idea.”
“I didn’t ask you.” Ignoring Isaac, I climbed the stairs and began walking toward my room. The sounds of his hard footsteps following me grew louder as he sped up. “Her dad is not gonna go for it. Have you ever met the man? I have, and he’s an ass.”
“I’m not planning on going out with him.”
“Who you going out with?” Corbin shouted from his open bedroom door but I didn’t pause.
“I guarantee you that her dad has seen the video of your tasseled dick. The minute he finds out his daughter is going on a date with you he’ll pull the plug.” I tried not to react to his words. They were probably true but it wasn’t gonna stop me. We didn’t need any unwanted attention brought on. Hell, it’s hard enough to keep the shit that goes on here under the radar, but you dating the dean’s daughter, fuck,” he mumbled but I wasn’t listening. He’d let the cat out of the bag, all the brothers within earshot heard the news and were coming in to add their two cents.
Clayton high fived me and chuck
led. “Way to go, bro. The best things in life don’t come easy and you are definitely going big.” Corbin just stood in his doorway with a grin on his face. Eli and Xavier, they were both hard-faced and staring. I wasn’t quite sure what they were thinking, but to be honest, I didn’t care. I enjoyed the time I had with Ruby before it all went to shit. She wasn’t the party girl, the type to do just about anything to gain a guy’s attention. Instead she was quiet and her timidity drew me in. I wanted to get to know her and I wasn’t gonna allow the fear or intimidation of my brothers or even Ruby’s father stop me.
“It’s a movie.” Holding up my hands in surrender, I looked around to my brothers. “I’m not planning on nailing her in the middle of the quad with an audience.” I was also a fucking adult and didn’t need any of their permissions. “All of you, well, with the exception of you―” I pointed to Isaac the man whore. “You’ve all been there, all found a girl you’ve enjoyed spending time with.” I didn’t care if I was giving them all ammunition to give me hell later. “Tell me this, if we’d come to you and told you each that you should back off,” I started naming off each of their girls’ names one by one. “Would you have backed away?” When none of them replied, I knew my answers. “It’s a fucking movie, maybe it becomes more, maybe it doesn’t. But to be frank, I don’t need any of your permissions to date her, so back off.”
Entering my room, I closed the door behind me and made sure to turn the lock. Eli thought he was slick with his master keyring to all our rooms, but joke’s on him. I changed my locks and added a slide lock. Crazy fucker wasn’t getting in here without knocking the door down.
Crawling on my bed and lying on my back, I grabbed my phone. The earlier message from Ruby was still covering my screen when I woke it.