“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
