Chapter 28
28
RUE
M y plan backfired and now I’m paying for it. Malice will be angry when he finds out Josh wants me to be his BFF.
“Thanks for the ride, Josh.”
We’re in his truck parked in front of Malice’s parents’ burnt house. Leigh went with me to speak with him the day Malice broke his nose.
Rather than accept my apology in Malice’s place, Josh blackmailed me. Introduce him to Isaac, “The Punisher,” and he won’t have his dad press charges against Malice for assault. I can’t imagine what Malice’s parents will do to him should that happen.
“No, probs. When will Isaac see me?”
“Isaac is protective of his time and his space.”
“That bag of money will help my family.”
“Maybe if you take back the word blackmail,” I eke out. “It’s such a dirty word, Josh.”
He hangs his head. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Rue. Running with the wrong crowd in Alexandria stunted my brain for the worse. Your use of ‘agreement’ is more appropriate.”
Josh is a decent guy. He, his three siblings, and his dad moved to Cambridge for his dad’s job in construction.
“Let me talk with Isaac. I’ll let you know what he says.”
There’s a tap on his window. We look. It’s Malice. Josh rolls down his window and extends his hand. “Hey, Sterling. Sorry for what I said to you and about Rue.”
Malice’s eyes widen. He stares at Josh’s hand and works his jaw back and forth, his eyes darkening like he wants to punch Josh in the face again. Thank goodness he does the opposite.
They shake. It’s a truce and a step in the right direction. I am tired of drama and conflict in my life. I just want to do a good job, get paid, and find my parents. I open the door and slide out of Josh’s truck.
“Again, thanks for the ride.”
“Yeah, thanks, bro. From now on though, Rue’s gotta do her job, or else she doesn’t get paid. That means where I go, she goes, and vice versa. Are we clear?”
“Crystal.”
They fist bump. We watch Josh drive off before we walk side by side to Malice’s place. In my peripheral vision, he shoves his hands in his jeans pockets and looks down at the ground. “I’m at a loss here, Rue. What the fuck happened?” He shakes his head. “That is not the same guy.”
Malice is moody as fuck, but inside, he’s like the rest of us. He wants to be seen and heard. Look and listen, Rue. It’s how you’ll win over his heart. Trace’s words to me.
Trace believes Malice wants to be seen and heard. I want the same. That means seeing and hearing the same thing rather than assuming. I tell Malice what happened. “Leigh brought along a baseball bat. As soon as he saw her with it, he apologized and explained why he said what he said.” I give Malice the reason.
“You believe him?”
“That he wants to change for the better and leave his bad rep and bad behavior behind? I do.”
“Because you relate?”
“Yes,” I admit.
“Then I believe him too. But if he hurts one hair on your head, I will break his leg with Leigh’s baseball bat. Yeah?”
“Okay.”
“Be sure to tell him that.”
“Fine,” I mutter.
We’re at the front door. Malice opens it and waves me inside. The scent of chocolate chip cookies hits me hard. My stomach growls. I clutch at my stomach.
“When was the last time you ate?”
“You bake?”
I smile. He scowls. We spoke at the same time.
“I had a bagel and cream cheese on the way to school.” From Leigh when she and Seven picked me up. I sat closest to the window so they could sit side by side in his pickup truck and hold hands. They are so cute.
“Let’s get you something to eat.”
“The cookies?—”
“Are cooling off. Dessert.” He rubs his palms together with a cheesy grin.
I smile. “Can we have food delivered?”
“Dine-in. Pho. Town center. I’m bored out of my mind, Rue.” He grabs his hair and crosses his eyes.
I see him in a new light.
Malice is funny.
But he’ll revert to being a grumpy puss once I give him the bad news. My bad rep continues to wreak havoc in my life and will affect his too. It’s why we’re not good together and why a relationship won’t work. What he touches turns to gold. What I hang on to for dear life dies and turns to ash. There’s a better girl out there for him.
I’ll win over his heart but won’t give him mine. I repeat it two more times in my head before I tell him I’m banned from stepping into the town center.
“Is it because that little lap shit was almost killed in the roundabout?”
“Something like that.” I kick at the area rug. “The dog’s owner and her family own the buildings that the businesses pay rent for. The businesses banded together to stay in her good graces and submitted something to the court saying I must stay ten feet away from them.”
“They put a restraining order on you?”
“I prefer no contact. Restrain is so negative, don’t you think?”
“ Rue .” He puffs out a frustrated breath.
I sit on the couch and hold my head in my hands. “I’m sorry for being a burden. I’ll make ramen. If you want to get out of the house, why don’t you take Cassie out? I won’t put it in my report. Just stay out of trouble. If you do get caught, I’ll get fired and be out of your hair and your place. A win-win for you.”
“ Regret .”
“Go.” I give him a dismissive wave.
Malice gets on his haunches in front of me and, with his finger under my chin, he tips up my head until we’re looking at one another.
“One, to be clear, I am not interested in Cassie. Two, you are not a burden, and if someone made you think that, then they’re a worthless P.O.S. And if I ever made you feel that way, I’m sorry a thousand times over, Rue. Third, I want to spend time with you. How about we order in and eat on the rooftop? It’s magical up there.”
How can I refuse when he uses the word magical? I throw my arms around him. “Thank you, Malice.”
I see him for who he is under his moodiness and couldn’t-care-less attitude.
Malice is thoughtful and kind, and he can compromise. If I’m not careful, I’ll go against my promise to myself and give Malice all my heart.