Chapter 5
Ruby
She lived full time with a sadist. She had been tormented and teased and mindfucked into a whimpering puddle of subbie goo more times than she could count. Not a week went by without her Daddy finding some new way to take her to the edge of what she thought she could handle, and often beyond.
But nothing Beckett had ever put her through compared to the stress of smiling and pretending everything was okay while she chatted with her friends. It was torture, and not the kind she enjoyed.
And she wasn’t getting a break anytime soon, it seemed.
“All right, spill,” Silver whispered as soon as they settled in the chairs they’d been pointed to so they could get their hair done.
“There’s nothing to spill,” Ruby whispered back, praying she sounded convincing enough for Silver to drop it.
No such luck.
“Bullshit. Lottie may not have picked up on it, but you’re hiding something. And you said—” Silver paused and flashed a smile for their stylists. “Could you give us like, ten minutes?”
If anything, the women standing behind their chairs looked grateful. “That would be great, actually. Could use a bit of fresh air. The hairspray fumes are starting to get to me.”
“Perfect. Thank you.”
As soon as the stylists stepped away, Silver turned back to Ruby, her expression serious. “You lied. Or Frankie lied. She told us you were running late because you’d gotten in trouble with Beckett. But then you told me he hadn’t punished you. So what’s the deal?”
Shit, shit, shit. Glancing around to be sure they weren’t overheard by anyone who might go blabbing to the bride, Ruby leaned in and dropped her voice. “I’ll tell you, but you can’t react and you cannot tell anyone.”
“Cross my heart.”
“It wasn’t totally a lie. I really am in so much fucking trouble. Apparently when I got home, I was more drunk than I realized and I kind of hid the wedding rings.”
To Silver’s credit, she hid whatever reaction she might be having ridiculously well. Other than the sheer disbelief that coated her voice when she spoke again. “You did what? Why the hell would you hide their rings?”
“I didn’t mean to. Fuck.” Ruby blinked back yet another wave of tears. “I was just trying to fuck with Beckett. I don’t even remember moving the boxes.”
“Okay.” Closing her eyes, Silver dragged in a breath, and Ruby swore she could hear her brain working. “Did you try retracing your steps?”
“Yes, but I can’t remember.”
“Let’s try it again. Just to see. Close your eyes.”
There was absolutely no way this was going to work, but at that point, Ruby would have been willing to stand on her head naked in the middle of downtown Charleston if she’d thought it would help.
“Good,” Silver said when Ruby obediently closed her eyes. “What’s the last thing you do remember doing last night?”
“Umm. I know I moved a bunch of stuff on the vanity around.”
“No. More specific. What did you move and where?”
It was a struggle to pull the memory up with any clarity, but the more she focused on the sink, the toothbrush holder, their toothbrushes, the clearer it became.
“I switched our toothbrushes. And then I moved the beard oil he’s been using to the other side of the sink.
That stuff smells amazing, by the way. Have you smelled Beckett lately? ”
“I don’t make a habit of going around and sniffing my friends’ partners,” Silver returned dryly. “Okay, what next? Really focus on what the room looks like, and try to pinpoint as many of those small details as possible.”
They went through it, step by step, with a few frustrating stumbles whenever Ruby hit a mental block. But eventually they made it to Beckett’s nightstand.
“Oh my god,” Ruby whispered. “There they are! Three black boxes.”
“Three? Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Maybe one is Lottie’s engagement ring? I don’t know.”
“Weird, but not important. Try and picture yourself picking them up.”
She could, with a startling clarity. “Fuck. I did. I totally did. Um. I think… I think I remember having the thought that the nightstand was a stupid place for jewelry so… oh my god.”
Eyes flying open, she stared at a grinning Silver, and Ruby’s heart dropped into her stomach. “I know where the rings are.”
Silver’s smile faded. “Then why do you look like you’re ready to throw up?”
Vision going black at the edges, Ruby gripped her friend’s hand, desperate for something to anchor her to reality. “Because I’m pretty sure Beckett’s planning to propose.”
Beckett
Still no fucking rings.
Perched on the edge of his disheveled bed, in the middle of his disaster of a bedroom, he stared down at the black screen in his hand. Time was running out, and he needed to call Braden so they could figure out how to break the news to Lottie.
Fuck.
And the worst part was, he felt like an absolute asshole for how he’d been with Ruby all morning.
It was clear she’d been hurting when she’d left.
He should have held her, told her it was all going to be okay even if that was the farthest thing from the truth.
He should have done something so she wouldn’t leave the house crying.
No matter how angry he’d been, he should have taken care of her.
But he hadn't, because he was a fucking asshole.
The phone in his hand buzzed, and a moment later it came to life, Ruby’s mischievous smile lighting up the screen. Swallowing against the lump in his throat, he answered the call. “Hey, baby. I was just thinking about you.”
“Well if you were thinking about how you’re going to kill me when you finally get your hands on me, I’m afraid I’m going to have to put a wrinkle in your plans.”
“I was actually thinking about what an asshole I was this morning.”
“Oh.” There was a beat of silence before she spoke again, surprising him with the hint of amusement in her tone. “Would it make things better or worse if I tell you I know what I did with the rings?”
Relief and excitement flooded him, both so strong they made his head spin as he jumped to his feet. “Where are they?”
“In my jewelry box. Silver did this exercise with me and I remembered that I found them last night and apparently I decided that they didn’t belong in your nightstand because that’s not where jewelry goes.”
Wasn’t that just like his brat? He could see her in his mind’s eye, clear as day, snickering over how clever she was as she hid the rings in the most obvious place ever.
Hurrying to her closet, he opened the top drawer of the tall, antique jewelry box she’d fallen in love with during one of their day trips into the city. And sure enough, right there in the middle of the blue velvet rows, were three gleaming rings.
Disappointment warred with relief in his stomach. This wasn’t at all how he’d planned for her to see her engagement ring for the first time. But he swallowed down that bitter pill and focused on what really mattered. “They’re here. Any idea where the boxes are?”
“Bottom drawer of the jewelry box. But, um, Beckett?” Her voice quivered, and he paused his search for the boxes to focus on his babygirl.
“Yeah, baby?”
“Are you… Is the other ring for me?” she whispered.
Well, there went any lingering hope he’d had that she didn’t remember the other ring. “It is. I was going to give it to you on Christmas Day.”
“God, I really am the worst fucking person.” Her voice was thick with unshed tears, and he wished with everything he had he could hold her. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin everything.”
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this fucking nervous. His heart felt like it might actually beat out of his chest as he swallowed hard. “The only way you could ruin anything is by saying no. Please don’t say no, Ruby Red.”
“I won’t. I promise when you give me that big shiny ring, I won’t say no.” She let out a watery laugh. “I’ll even pretend like I’ve never seen it before if you want.”
Closing his eyes, he held the ring he’d bought for her against his chest. “I don’t care. All I care about is spending the rest of my life with my brat.”
“I, ah, don’t suppose you’re happy enough about me saying yes to let me off the hook for losing the rings.”
She sounded so sweet and hopeful, he was almost tempted to do just that.
Almost.
“Oh, Ruby Red. You know me better than that.”
“Yeah.” Her sigh was heavy and so full of drama he couldn’t help but laugh. “Can’t blame a girl for trying.”
“No, I suppose I can’t. But I will give you a choice.”
“What kind of choice?”
“I’m on my way with the rings. Do you want your punishment when I get there, or do you want it at the club?”
“Well… I suppose that depends. Is it the same punishment, just delivered sooner rather than later? Or entirely different punishments altogether?”
“Different punishments. And no, I won’t be telling you what they are.”
“Sadist,” she grumbled. There was a long silence, followed by another of those deep sighs. “I’d rather get it over with sooner, I guess.”
“All right. I’ll see you soon, Ruby Red. I love you.”
“I love you, too. And Daddy?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“I can’t fucking wait to get that ring on my finger. However you do it, whenever you do it, I don’t care. I just want to marry you.”
Same, babygirl. Same.