Page 13 of Spark

Yeah, and only a half-hour before that happened, I had to watch Ruby in an extremely flirtatious conversation with Finn, one of the many musicians at Reed’s party, which then led to Finn pulling me aside to ask if Ruby was seeing anyone.

In that moment, I was once again reminded of the fact that Ruby is, always has been, and always will be a non-starter for me.

Because she wanted my brother over me. Finn over me.

Cooper over me. Hell, anyone and everyone over me.

The pilot’s voice erupts over the speaker with an announcement: the doors have closed and we’re heading to the runway. But when he’s done giving us his spiel, Ruby pokes my forearm and asks, “At least admit you’re more annoyed with Kai than me. Give me that if nothing else.”

I roll my eyes. “Fine. Yes.”

Ruby fist-pumps the air. “Progress, again!”

I lean into her, like I’m telling a juicy secret. “When I made eye contact with Kai during the drive to the airport, I double flipped him off in your honor.”

She purrs and pats my shoulder. “You’re my knight in shining armor.”

“I try.”

She snorts. “Rightly so, since I’m your BFF, and Kai’s only your stupid big brother.”

“What he did was dumb, but it wasn’t malicious.”

Ruby agrees. “But, still, let’s let him suffer a bit longer.”

We start looking for a show to watch together, but when the flight attendant comes by with food and drinks, we ditch that idea and dig in.

“It’s a bummer we didn’t get to test my theory about your insomnia,” Ruby says, chomping on her food. “If you’ve forgiven me by the time we get to our hotel in Vancouver, we can try then.”

I’d kill or die to make that happen. But still, I reply calmly, “I’m too annoyed with you to make any firm future plans. ”

Ruby rolls her eyes before pointing at my tray. “Are you gonna eat that second piece of toast? It looks awfully lonely over there.”

“Go for it.”

“Thanks, bestie.”

I watch her scarf down my toast with gusto, and I can’t help grinning at her adorableness.

“What?” Ruby asks when she catches me staring at her. She pats her chin. “Do I have jam all over on my face?”

“I’m amused at how much you like plane food.”

“It’s the best. Do you have any butter? I’m all out.”

I hand her the butter, and she opens it with enthusiasm.

“Being a horrible friend works up an appetite,” she says, making me chuckle against my will.

“I wouldn’t know.”

“No, you wouldn’t. Because you’re the best friend, ever, and I’m a monster. The worst friend in the history of the world.”

“Not the worst . Close, but not quite.”

“Gotcha.”

“Shit. I just reassured you, didn’t I?”

“Oldest trick in the book, my darling.”

After a bit more conversation, we finish our meals and a flight attendant takes our trays away.

With a yawn, Ruby pulls out her phone and connects to the plane’s Wi-Fi.

It’s what she always does before hunkering down to sleep on a long flight: she catches up with her parents, just in case things go badly while she’s fast asleep.

It’s a morbid approach to flying, if you ask me, but Ruby says it’s the only reason she can fall asleep so easily: because she knows she’s said what needs to be said to her loved ones as her last conscious act.

“Oh, fuck,” Ruby says, looking down at her phone. “Crap.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I just got a text from my building manager. A pipe broke above my unit and three others, and they all got water damage.”

“Shit. How bad is it?”

“He doesn’t know yet. He says not to worry, it’ll be covered by insurance, and he’s got a crew already there assessing the damage and figuring out what needs to be done.

” She looks up, frowning. “He says there’s a good chance I might need to be out of my place for as long as a week after we get back. ”

I don’t hesitate. “You can stay with me.”

She bites her lip, like she didn’t hear my offer. “Stephanie’s coming to stay with Titus when we get back.”

“Like I said, stay with me.”

“I don’t want to cramp your style. It’s only a week. I’ll stay in a hotel.”

“But you’re sick to death of hotels.”

“I’ll survive.”

“Ruby, I’ve got no style for you to cramp. I’m single, remember?”

“Yeah, single and ready to mingle. You always date like a maniac when we first get home. And this time, I’m sure you’ll go balls to walls, considering how horny you must be.”

“We’re talking about one week. I can survive that long. I’ve come this far, haven’t I?”

Ruby considers it briefly but eventually shakes her head. “You’ve only got one bed. I’ll ask Savage and Laila.”

“They’re all the way out in Malibu, though. Aren’t you going to be doing some songwriting sessions for some of Reed’s newbies when we get back?”

Reed’s studio is right down the street from my place. It’s Ruby’s biggest dream—writing songs for other artists. The bigger the better. So, to his credit, our label owner has invited Ruby to sit in on some writing sessions with some of his up-and-coming artists at his studio in North Hollywood.

“We could test out your theory about my insomnia during that week,” I add, when she looks like she’s seriously considering saying yes to me. “Come on, Ruby. I’m genuinely curious to see if you’re right.”

Ruby flashes me a side-eye. “You said you don’t get insomnia when you’re home.”

“Did I? Oh. Well, that probably won’t be true with that quarterback still all over the news.” My heart feels like a herd of wild horses stampeding in my chest. In this moment, I’ll say whatever it takes to get Ruby to stay with me, in my bed, for one glorious week.

Ruby nods slowly, like that makes sense to her. “Thanks for the offer. I’ll think about it and let you know once I have more information.” With a big yawn, she tugs on the shoulder of my T-shirt. “Now, will you please forgive me for my sins and be my pillow? I’m sleepy and contrite.”

I laugh. “What happened to you staying awake to shit-talk Kai all the way to Vancouver, as the price of forgiveness?”

“Oh. Yeah. I did say that, didn’t I?” She yawns. “God, he’s such a dick. Your turn now.”

I crack up. “It’s okay, monster. You’ve worn me down.”

Ruby flashes me an adorable smile. “Does that mean we’re besties again?”

“Besties again.” It pains me to call her that, even though I genuinely cherish our friendship. But the thing is I love this girl too much not to have her in my life, one way or another. For a long time now, when it comes to Ruby, I’ve been resigned to take what I can get.

As Ruby snuggles up against my shoulder, I kiss the top of her head. “Sweet dreams, Ruby Duby.”

“Use my head as a pillow, if you start to feel sleepy.”

“I won’t, but thanks.” Unfortunately, I never sleep on airplanes.

That’s not a recent thing. My whole life, I haven’t been able to get my body to relax enough to sleep when my brain knows I’m hurtling through space at three hundred miles per hour in a metal container.

And it certainly doesn’t help watching Ruby texting her loved ones her final goodbyes.

“Don’t forget to wipe my drool, as needed,” she murmurs.

“I make no promises about that.”

Ruby yawns. “Sorry for using you as a flotation device, my love. I promise I’ll never pull that kind of bullshit again.”

“You’d better not.”

With her head still resting on my shoulder, she holds up her pinky, and I link mine in hers.

But the truth is, even though I’ve been talking a good game, I’d let Ruby use me as a flotation device any time she needed.

Even in shark-infested waters. In fact, if I saw this girl of mine drowning, I’d jump in and try to save her without a thought to my own safety, even in the face of great whites circling.

So, really, I can’t blame her for using me to save herself this morning when, in reality, I’d demand she swap my life for hers if the opportunity arose.

“I forgive you,” I whisper into her hair. I close my eyes and inhale the scent of her shampoo. And I love you.

“Now I really will have sweet dreams,” Ruby whispers.

It’s the last thing she says before her breathing turns rhythmic, making it clear she’s fallen fast asleep against my shoulder. As usual. And once again, like always, I love every second of Ruby’s body pressed against mine. Albeit, not in the precise way it’d be, in a perfect world.