Page 42 of On the Rocks

He shrugged — again, completely oblivious. “Sure! Be right back.”

When Mikey dipped inside, I sat the floats down on the table by the rocking chairs before turning back to her. “You’re leaving?”

She still wouldn’t look at me.

“I think we both know it’s for the best.”

Her words twisted like a knife in my chest, but I didn’t have any words to say to make her stay.

She was right.

I hated it, but it didn’t change the fact that she was right.

Mikey came out moments later with her purse, and the guys met her at the door, giving her a hug and a little more shit for taking their money. She was all gracious smiles and warm thank you’s until the door shut, my brothers back inside, leaving us alone on the porch again.

I opened my arms. “Thank you for today. For tonight.”

But she just stared at me, her eyes filling with tears that wouldn’t shed. “Why did you have to do this?”

I frowned, letting my arms fall. “I—”

“No,” she said, shaking her head, hands clinging to the strap of her purse like a lifeline. “Everything was fine. I wasfineuntil I met you. You’ve messed everything up.”

My brows furrowed more. “What, by reminding you that you have a choice? That you don’t have to marry someone who makes you feel this way?”

“Ilovehim,” she spat.

“Fine. But does he love you?”

She scoffed. “Of course he does. How dare you even insinuate otherwise.”

I smirked at the wordinsinuate, sensing the well-to-do woman she was raised to be slipping back into place just like she always did.

Shaking my head, I put my arms up in a mock surrender. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Just forget about AmeriCorps, about school, about anything that doesn’t revolve around Anthony andhiscareer. Clearly, you’re very happy and I was mistaken by saying anything at all. I sincerely apologize.”

I was being an asshole. I knew it, but just like I’d overstepped earlier, I couldn’t stop myself from doing so now.

I wanted her to wake up, to see what I saw.

Even if it hurt.

Ruby Grace’s bottom lip trembled a bit as she pressed it to the top, adjusting her purse on her shoulder before she growled and stormed off my porch.

“See you around?” I called after her.

My only response was one middle finger thrown my way over her shoulder.

Ruby Grace

Once again, I found myself speeding through town with the top down on my convertible, cursing Noah Becker’s name.

“Oh, thenerveof that man!” I growled, punching the gas again once I made the turn down the old road that led to my parents’ house. The warm night air whipped through my hair, little tendrils of fire red invading my vision as I drove. The radio was silent, the only noise the revving of my engine and the revving of my temper.

Noah had crossed a line. He shouldn’t have held me the way he did in the pool, with his hands on my hips, his chest so close to mine. And then on his porch, he’d stepped into my space like he owned it, like I washisand not Anthony’s.

And he’d even said it.

“If you were mine, Ruby Grace, your dreams wouldn’t come second to anything.”