Chapter 3
Ruby
Rolling over in bed, the sun shines against my face, but I don’t open my eyes so I can hold onto the lingering dream: Ben and I riding along the country roads, taking the corners fast. My arms wrapped around his body, his warmth seeping through the flannel I’m wearing and his leather vest. I laugh out loud as the wind whips my hair behind me. It’s the perfect day.
Reality crashes in when my phone pings with a text.
I reach over to my nightstand, pick it up, and the ring on my finger glints in the sunlight.
I should take it off now that I know the truth, but I can’t stop myself.
In the week and a half since he gave it to me, I’ve struggled with what this could mean.
My mother called me back a couple of days afterward, and I tried to thank her.
She had no clue what I was talking about.
I messaged Judge to ask him if he sent me a gift; he told me he hadn’t.
That means Torch gave it to me.
It’s from him, and I know why he lied. He knew I wouldn’t accept it otherwise.
I’ve been so mad since he told me I was too young and needed to move on with my life, that he was ready to settle down and was eyeing a girl with the club.
I thought that girl was Barbie. But he said they only fooled around, which bothers me because I don’t want him fooling around with anyone but me.
So why did he say we were only ever friends?
I grab my cell and look at the text message.
Evie:
Want to get together and do some studying? I could use some girl time.
Me:
Hell yeah.
Jumping up off the bed, I excitedly get ready to spend time with my bestie.
She’s been so remote lately, and I want to make sure she’s okay.
I rush through my morning routine and send Evie another quick message, trying not to mention that she needs to break it off with Justin before he really hurts her, because it upsets her.
Me:
Want me to ride over there?
Evie:
No, I’ll come get you. We can swing by the coffee shop and grab some sweets.
Me:
Fuck yeah
I can imagine her blushing that I cussed. She’s so funny. Evie was raised in a proper household where they had housekeepers and didn’t say inappropriate things. You wouldn’t realize it, though. She’s down to earth.
The first time I saw her on the practice pitch, I could tell she needed friends. Paris was harassing her because of Justin, and her entourage followed along.
Evie tried not to be my friend, but later she told me it was because Justin convinced her that my family was criminals.
I wanted to kick his ass. She said she talked to her parents, and they told her not to judge people based on others’ opinions.
Her father even revealed that he knew my family.
I later found out that hers owns a legal practice associated with the club.
One of the brothers, Law, collaborates with them.
I never did let Evie push me away. I liked her, and I needed friends too.
Over the summer, I spent time with her family in Newport, getting to know them all quite well.
Evie had broken up with Justin, and she and I had a blast. We took belly dancing classes, hung out by the Olympic-sized pool at her grandmother’s lavish estate, and rode around in Evie’s sports car to several art galleries in the area.
Now, all of a sudden, he’s back in her life, and he’s not only verbally abusing her, but physically, too. She won’t leave him, and I’m sure it’s because he’s threatening her family. Fucker knows he better not threaten me.
It also seems that Evie has captured my brother Judge’s eye.
I hope he can help her break away from this bastard.
My family’s club isn’t on the up and up, but they help people when there’s a need.
I don’t think of them as criminals or lawbreakers.
It’s like they choose to bend rules occasionally to do what’s right.
After slipping into a pair of loose green cargo pants, a black short-sleeve T-shirt, and a pair of black combat boots, I tug a black knit hat over my loosely braided hair.
I own a few outfits that expose my skin, but today I didn’t feel like wearing any of those.
I opted for my old wardrobe; it covers everything, and an itchy need washes over my skin to be relaxed right now.
Today, we don’t have practice, and I have no classes to get to.
This is one of my study or lab days. Ordinarily, I would be in a studio working on my project for my semester final.
It’s a sizable mixed-media study on self-expression, based on my own personal story.
I’m incorporating various textured paint styles on canvas to represent me.
It’s a difficult piece, highlighting the many sides of myself from before the attack, the aftermath, and where I am now.
Palette knives will work well with textured paste to elevate the scars and pain.
I give the large cardboard box form by the wall a weary glance, knowing I need to get back to the studio and work on it, but the memories are hard right now.
I look down at the ring again. The rose with the green tourmaline stone in the center isn’t exactly something a man with feelings would get you, but my mother confirmed for sure that it wasn’t her.
Roses are my jam now, and Torch knows this.
He was there with me when I told some of that story.
Without them, I don’t know where I’d be.
I even have a rose on the canvas with thorns sticking out, representing how they helped me.
This is the first project I’ve shared, incorporating the pain I went through that night. The loss of my youth. The loss of my friend. I look down at my arms, and even with the band tattoos covering them, I can still see the scars, reminding me of the barbed wire my attackers wrapped around my skin.
My phone buzzes, breaking me from the morbid thoughts. I read Evie’s message saying she’s waiting in the parking lot. Shaking off the memories, I grab my bag and head out of the dorm room, leaving the ring on my finger.
As soon as I step out into the quad, I hear Paris’ whiny voice insulting Evie. I fucking hate this bitch. She isn’t happy unless she brings others down. Walking toward them, my boots stomp along the pavement, alerting her to my approach.
“Well, if it isn’t the little runt. What are you and the cow up to today? Want to go to a club again?” she chuckles evilly.
Snatching her by her expensive extensions and dropping her to the ground seems like fun right now. The urge to unleash some of my pain and anger on her overwhelms me, and Evie must clock it in my eyes.
“Come on, Ruby, let's go.”
“No!” Paris screeches as she advances on Evie. “I’ll have him back. As a matter of fact, he’s still fucking me.” Spit flies from her mouth as she yells at Evie.
“Yeah, well, you’re the whore who is okay fucking around with him when he’s going around telling everyone he’s with Evie. Why don’t you fuck off?”
“Shut up, runt. I know shit about you.” Her eyes move up and down my body, and for a moment, I wonder what she knows.
“Everyone knows my family heads an MC. Who gives a fuck? What no one knows is that you are faker than your spray tan. Also, you would spread your legs for anyone.”
“Yeah? You should have seen this guy at your last game, begging to get some from me. He was drooling all over me. I told him I don’t sleep with bottom dwellers.
The scumbag was from your family’s club.
Let me see if I can remember the name on his vest.” She taps a well-manicured finger against her lips. “Oh yeah, it was Torch.”
Air whooshes from my lungs. I saw him at the match, but she wasn’t with him. That doesn’t mean he didn’t see her. The despair must cross my face because she zones in on me instantly.
“Oh, was he someone special? Did you think he was there for you? Hmm. Maybe he wants a real woman instead of a child?” She hits the nail on the head, and the words crush like a blow to my sternum.
I turn away, giving her my back, but she doesn’t like getting the cold shoulder and grabs ahold of my braid, yanking me into her.
I swing around and glare up at her, not afraid of her being taller than me. “Get your fucking hands off me, or I’ll drop you right now.” My phone rings, and she lets me go. I look down to see Torch’s name on the display, but I ignore him. “Let’s go, Evie.”
I walk to the car with her, and when my phone goes off again, I send him to voicemail, not sure why he’s calling me right now. I glance around campus, not finding my normal tagalong, but I spot several cameras.
He wouldn’t fucking spy on me. Would he?
Torch
Take my call, princess.
Me
Fuck off. Paris said you begged her for sex.
I hate showing jealousy, but I’m not about to ignore the fact that he could be watching me. I’m sure my father does because he tends to call at the perfect time or knows shit I wish he didn’t. Like when I was at the wrong club.
Torch: I turned her down. I swear it.
I turn off my phone and drop it into my bag.
“Let’s go,” I say to Evie.
“Okay.”
A couple of hours later, we’re at Evie’s apartment.
I pet her kitten, Cassini, while she shows me the draping she’s planning for one of the dresses in her senior project; then I begin sketching in my book.
We have a class together, but it’s not one requiring us to study.
What we do is bounce our different forms of art off each other.
She majors in fashion design, and I’m into art history.
We have a painting class together, but we both have all those projects up to date.
“I thought you said you and Torch weren’t into each other?” Evie asks.
Yeah, I lied to her. I guess if I want her to open up about Justin, I need to do the same about Torch.
“He says he’s not into me. Says I’m too young, but I’m into him. How about Justin? Are you into him?”
She shakes her head as I glance at her. “It’s not the same with him and me, compared to you and Torch. Justin and I have a lot of history. Our families are in the same circles.”
“Do any of them know what he’s done to you?”
“No, and it wasn’t like what you think.” She won’t look me in the eye. She’s playing down his behavior, but I’ve seen the bruises firsthand. I hate that she’s defending him.
“We don’t lie to each other, Evie.”
“Do you tell me everything?” She motions to my neck, and I think about what I’ve told her, but it’s not the whole story.
“I can’t tell you more about it.”
“Then I can’t tell you more. I’m not lying; I need to do this on my own.”
“Okay.” Setting Cassini back on his bed, I start collecting my things. “I’m going to head out.”
“No, don’t leave.” She holds her hand out to me. “I didn’t mean it to come out that way. I’m in over my head, and I don’t know what to do. I have to attend this party with him on Friday. Want to help me figure out my outfit? Paris is going to be there too.”
“Sure.” I smile, and we spend the next couple of hours going through her designs, picking the perfect outfit for her. I love it, and I’m certain Justin will hate it. I think she knows it, too.
It’s dark by the time I’m ready to head out, so Evie gives me a ride back to campus. As we pull up to the dorm, her phone rings through the car, and both of us look at the display at the same time. Justin’s name flashes across the screen.
“I have to get it.”
“Go ahead.”
She answers, “Hello.”
“Where are you, Evelise?” he barks through the speakers.
“I just pulled onto campus with Ruby.”
“What have I told you? Remember the rules.”
“I’ll call you back as soon as I drop her off.” She reaches to disconnect him.
“No. Hello, Ruby. Evie shouldn’t be slumming it with you. Get out of her car, so she and I can talk in private. It’s rude you didn’t get out sooner and let us have a private conversation.”
Again, I glimpse our surroundings. Evie does too. How does he know we’re parked, or that I didn’t get out of the car?
“Justin, please be nice to my friend.”
“No. You aren’t nice to my friends. Paris told me what happened today. What about Dean? You didn’t show him respect when he was in town last.”
Dean is a creepy-as-fuck jerk who stared at both mine and Evie’s breasts, making crude comments about us. I don’t blame her for her behavior towards him. I put my finger to my open mouth as if gagging, and Evie can’t stop the chuckle.
“What’s so funny, Evelise?”
“Uhm, nothing. Sorry. I’m telling Ruby goodbye. I’ll call you later.” This time, she hangs up on him.
“He’s telling you not to hang out with me again, isn’t he?” I call her out on her promise that this wouldn’t happen again.
“Yeah, but I told him I get to have a friend. He’s with Paris.”
I burst out laughing as I think of her telling him he gets to keep Paris. She and I both know he’s still sleeping with her. She’s confirmed it, and he won’t deny it.
“Okay. Text when you get back to your apartment.” I climb out of the car and head for my dorm.
Returning to my room, I clean out my bag and realize my phone has been off this whole time.
I click it back on, and it instantly blows up with missed texts and calls, all from Torch.
I ignore them and head to the bathroom to shower and prepare for bed.
I have an early morning class tomorrow. By the time I climb between the sheets, I recognize my reality can’t be ignored anymore.
I read through Torch’s texts, begging me to respond back. He tells me he didn’t flirt with Paris, and I honestly believe him. He hasn’t lied to me as far as I know, so I shoot him a quick text.
Me
I’m back at the dorm. Please give me time and stop watching me.
Torch
Night princess.
There’s no denial of his watching me, but he doesn’t confirm it either. I glance down at the ring on my finger as I flip off the bedside lamp. The bathroom light remains lit because I’m too afraid of the dark. Bad things happen to me in the darkness.