Page 6

FIVE

ruby

Wednesday, after photography club, I head for Lorenzo’s, my stomach growling.

With campus deserted for the summer, we’ve been grabbing dinner together almost every night, and even though I like his friends, I love having him to myself.

I give a warning knock on Lorenzo’s door and let myself in.

From across the kitchen, he waves, phone pressed to his ear.

“I’d need you for probably three days, Mom,” he’s saying, scraping a hand through his hair.

“Hi, Gina!” I call, leaning toward Lorenzo so his mom can hear me, and then I smile when I catch the high tones of her singsong voice. I adore Gina Rossi.

Lorenzo stiff-arms me to keep me away from his mother. “I can’t change the surgery date,” he says. He listens for her reply, then shakes his head quickly. “He has dates the following week, but I’m not waiting. I need this over with.”

He holds the phone away from his head and motions me toward the kitchen. “Have a snack if you want. We’re not going anywhere soon,” he says grimly and returns to the phone. I can’t hear Gina’s words, but the tone of her monologue is pleading. I do as told and move for the kitchen.

Lorenzo drops to the couch and sighs loudly. “You don’t have to be sorry,” he finally says. “And I know you want to be here. Obviously I want that, too, but I can’t put it on hold.”

Gina says something, and Lorenzo drops his head into his hand. I can’t believe it. I try to imagine what could keep Gina from taking care of her son after surgery but can’t come up with a thing.

“Don’t worry about it, Mom. I can get Cash or Cameron here for a couple days. They’re not gonna let me die.”

Cash Hartnell might be the most talented running back Shafer has had in years, but I wouldn’t trust him to correctly dispense heavy painkillers on his best day.

Cam, Shafer’s wide receiver and definitely Lorenzo’s most responsible friend, would excel at the job. Too bad he’ll be in Atlanta all summer.

“Not Cam,” I volunteer. “Internship, remember?”

Lorenzo gives me a look like I’m killing his vibe. “I can hire an overnight nurse or whatever if I have to,” he says, apparently to both me and Gina.

I set down the folder of job-training materials I just picked up from campus and open the fridge, plucking a vanilla yogurt from the orderly row of yogurt cups.

The idea of Lorenzo paying someone to help him get out of bed and prepare a few meals while I’m happily living a block away fills me with guilt.

I can at least take the after-work shift.

And I can spend this weekend whipping up a batch of freezer meals too. Why didn’t I think of that earlier?

“Alli?” Lorenzo says into the phone, his voice incredulous.

I look up, taking in his expression carefully. I haven’t missed hearing that name one bit.

Lorenzo shakes his head. “No. She’d do it, but ... just no.”

I snort. She’d do it, all right. She’d do it perfectly, and she wouldn’t smudge even a dab of that petal-pink lipstick she’s never left the house without.

Over on the couch, Lorenzo has completely sunk into himself.

Ever since he found out about the surgery, he’s been trying to act like this is only a minor setback, when in reality he’s been working his ass off for months to avoid this very fate.

Yesterday he got the worst news of his year, and he’s been trying to keep a smile on his face because on the same day, I got the best news of mine.

The yogurt goes tasteless in my mouth, and I throw it in the trash.

“Put her on speaker,” I tell Lorenzo.

He gives me an exhausted look but does as told, probably grateful to have someone else fielding Gina’s suggestions.

“Hi, Gina,” I say, plopping down next to Lorenzo. “I’ll take care of your son, don’t worry.”

Lorenzo looks taken aback.

“Oh, honey,” she says. “Lorenzo said you’re starting a new job the same day. And I just can’t believe the timing, because we’re moving my mother-in-law into assisted living that very morning.”

“The job’s flexible. I’ll talk to my boss about starting a few days later.”

“What?” Lorenzo cuts in. “You said your boss was a total hard-ass.”

“No, I didn’t. I said—” I hesitate, not finding anything clever at the ready. “Fart-ass,” I say quickly. “He’s very flatulent.”

Lorenzo looks briefly amused. “I mean, smart-ass would have been the obvious choice.” Then he rolls his eyes, quickly reverting to his grouchy self. “Anyway, stop,” he says in a warning tone. “You’re not doing this.”

“It’s not a big deal, L, relax. It’s just a couple days.”

“Ruby, you are a gem,” Gina says, and I can hear the smile on her face. “This is such a relief. I was already losing sleep worrying who would take care of him.”

A deep crease forms in Lorenzo’s forehead.

“Great, it’s settled. And don’t worry. I’ll call you after surgery to let you know everything’s fine.”

As soon as we hang up the phone, Lorenzo hits me with a glare.

“Oh, no, don’t thank me or anything, Groucho,” I say, chucking him under the chin.

“Knock it off, Ruby. You know I’m grateful, but what the hell are you doing?”

“Making sure you don’t die at the hands of Cash Hartnell.”

“He’d be there for me.”

“I’m sure he would, but is that who you’d like holding your hand when you come out of anesthesia? Handing out your medications? Cooking your meals?”

“I have plenty of friends. And that’s not even the point! You were on top of the world yesterday when you got this job, now you’re going to piss it away? Plus you have class.”

“It’s not a big deal,” I say again, wondering whether it’s myself I’m trying to convince. “Bree will give me class notes, and I’ll just talk to my boss.”

“And say what?”

I shrug, suddenly filled with dread. If I lose this job, I’ll probably have to grovel to my parents for a summer gig .

.. and spend the next ten weeks listening to their lectures on responsibility.

But I’ll deal with that later. I stand up and start uselessly tidying the couch pillows.

“This is more important than the job. Okay?” I turn for the kitchen, not giving him a chance to respond, but he grabs my hand, so of course I stop. I always do.

“Ruby.” His fingers wrap around my wrist. He waits for me to look at him. “Thank you.”

Lorenzo has the most beautiful eyes on earth. Blue-eyed boys get all the glory, but Lorenzo’s are dark as night and impossible not to drown in if you don’t look away in time. “You’re welcome.” I slip free of his grasp but can’t help adding with a smile, “Ingrate.”

As twilight settles over the neighborhood, we head up the block to University Boulevard, a dogwood-lined street just off campus with wide brick sidewalks and businesses catering to Shafer’s after-dark crowd—a twenty-four-hour convenience store, a late-night movie theater, and a slew of bars.

We hit up the Phantom—the go-to bar among students—for food and a few rounds of pool.

Even though the summer crowd is a fraction of what the place gets during the school year, it still feels mildly claustrophobic thanks to the overabundance of furniture, the lack of air-conditioning, and the moody red lighting.

Lorenzo asks me at least three times if I’m sure I want to play nurse for him, and each time I bury myself deeper.

Even when he says I can back out as long as he has a couple of days’ warning to ask his friends to help, I promise him I won’t.

And I won’t back out, even though I don’t know what I can possibly say to my would-be boss.

How many times has Lorenzo waded through shit with me?

Every single time I’ve needed him, and most of those were messes of my own making.

There’s nothing I want more than to be there for him.

“You up for buying me a drink, loser?” I ask after beating Lorenzo twice in a row.

He pulls out his wallet and hands me a ten-dollar bill. “Here, go wild.”

“Come with me!” I fit my pool cue into the rack on the wood-paneled wall.

“No, ma’am, it’s almost my bedtime. I’m not touching booze between now and surgery.”

It’s not just the surgery, though. Lorenzo hardly drinks anymore.

I respect the changes he’s made, but sometimes it’s hard to reconcile this guy with the kid who got me drunk for the first time in ninth grade .

.. and basically every weekend thereafter.

“Fine, fine, be mature and sensible. See if I care.”

“I’m sure White Bread would gladly take you out for a drink or five.”

I realize I haven’t thought about Brad all evening. “It’s okay, I’ll just head home.”

“You want company?”

I smile. He does this every time it’s dark, offering to walk me even the shortest distances despite Shafer’s notoriously safe campus. “My car’s at your house, so we’re going the same way. Let’s head out.”

On the darkened street in front of Lorenzo’s place, he opens my car door but stands there so I can’t get in and gives me an appraising look.

“Can I help you?” I ask.

“Are you really going home?” His voice is low and full of meaning.

“Yeah. Where else would I be going?”

He hesitates. “Brad’s.”

“If I was going to Brad’s, I wouldn’t be lying to you about it.

Now move.” I push his shoulder and he steps back, just enough to let me pass, not enough to create much distance between our bodies.

And even though I touch Lorenzo all the time, something about the way he doesn’t smile or playfully fight back makes my entire body take note of the warm sensation of his skin under my fingertips.

“Okay. Drive safe.” But he’s watching me expectantly.

“What is this thing you have about Brad? He’s a good guy.”

“I never said he wasn’t.”

“Is it because he’s on your team?”

He shakes his head quickly like suddenly he doesn’t like this subject. “He’s just not the guy I picture you with, Ruby.”

“Then who is?” Lorenzo has always disliked the guys I dated, but he had good reason, because all of them were shit. Brad’s completely different, though.