Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CALEB
My heart is pounding when I get off the phone with Raven. Ruby could've been the person who was robbed at gunpoint tonight, had Stephanie not been the one to tell her to leave early. "Thanks. I'll see you later, please let me know how she's doing."
"Who was that?" Ruby asks, as she sets the pizza she brought down on the counter.
"Raven. Stephanie was robbed at gunpoint in the parking lot a few minutes ago," I say the words slowly and carefully so that she can understand them.
Ruby's face goes pale, and I can see the immediate worry flooding her eyes. She opens her mouth, but no sound comes out. I take a deep breath, trying to steady the shaky feeling in my own chest.
"She's okay," I add quickly. "They didn't hurt her. Just took her things."
Ruby closes her eyes, relief washing over her features for a brief moment before the reality of the situation settles in. Her lips tremble, and I know that she's thinking about how easily it could've been her.
"I should've been there," Ruby whispers, her voice cracking slightly. "I was supposed to be there."
"You couldn't have known, Red," I reply, reaching out to squeeze her hand gently. "Stephanie insisted you leave early. It could've happened to anyone. And I'm glad you weren't there. Do you know what I would've done, had you been?"
"But it didn't happen to anyone. It happened to Stephanie because she was covering for me," Ruby says, her eyes filling with tears.
I nod, feeling the weight of her guilt mingling with my own relief that she's safe. "I know. It's hard. But she's okay, and that's what matters right now."
Ruby nods, wiping her eyes, but the tension lingers between us. Everything feels fragile, like a single breath could shatter the moment entirely.
Ruby takes a deep breath and picks up her phone, dialing Stephanie. I watch as she paces the room, her voice soft but laced with concern. It's moments like these that make me acutely aware of the vulnerabilities that surround us.
While she talks, I close my eyes, imagining the parking lot of their office. I've always thought it was a fuckin' stalker's paradise. At one point, I told them both that, but they laughed. Slowing my breathing down, I envision it. It's dimly lit, with only a few flickering streetlights casting long shadows that dance eerily across the asphalt. I think about how we can make this place safer—more lights, security cameras, perhaps even a dedicated guard during late hours.
I remember the times I brought it up with the owner of the building, discussions about safety protocols that always seem to get postponed. On more than one occasion I went over there as not only a concerned husband, but as an officer of the law. It's clear now that we can't afford to push it aside any longer. The stark image of Ruby's terrified eyes as I told her about Stephanie's robbery runs through my mind, and a resolve forms inside me.
Ruby's voice pulls me back to the present. "Stephanie's shaken up, but she's with Raven now. He's taken her report, and he's about to take her home."
I nod. "Good. She shouldn't have to face this alone."
"I want to do something for her," Ruby says, her voice a mixture of resolve and guilt. "Something that shows we're here for her."
"That's a good idea," I reply, considering the possibilities. "Maybe we can send her something? Flowers? Or..." I pause, realizing that gestures, while kind, aren't going to solve the larger issue.
Ruby's brow furrows as she comes to the same conclusion. "We're going to hold a meeting. Talk about what happened and figure out real solutions."
I agree, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders. I glance at the pizza on the counter, realizing neither of us has much of an appetite now. I wrap it up slowly, as if by doing so, I can wrap up the fear and uncertainty that's seeped into this evening.
"Do you think we could arrange for better lighting in the parking lot?" Ruby asks, coming to stand beside me.
"Absolutely," I reply, grateful she's on the same page. "And maybe security cameras. I'll talk to management in the morning."
Ruby leans into me, her warmth both a comfort and a reminder of how close we came to a very different outcome tonight. "Thank you, Caleb. For always being the voice of reason, I don’t know what I’d do without you."
I kiss the top of her head gently. "We’re in this together. Always. Lucky for you, you'll never have to figure that out."
As the night wears on, we sit on the couch, wrapped in a quiet solidarity. Thoughts of Stephanie, of the danger we can't always predict, linger in the air around us. I know Ruby’s mind is running through various scenarios, much like mine is. Neither of us speaks much more, letting the heaviness of the night settle as we lean on each other, absorbing the shared silence.
Eventually, fatigue begins to overtake the adrenaline, drawing my eyes to the clock. It's late—later than I realized—and I can see the exhaustion etched on Ruby's face.
"Let's try to get some rest," I suggest softly. "We'll tackle everything tomorrow."
Reluctantly, Ruby agrees, and we prepare to turn in for the night. As we lay in the darkness, I can hear the distant hum of traffic outside, mingling with the quiet sounds of Ruby’s breathing.
The image of flickering streetlights plays over and over behind my closed eyelids—a reminder of the shadows we're fighting to illuminate. But wrapped in the familiarity of home, with Ruby beside me, I’m reminded that even on nights like this, there’s strength and comfort to be found in each other.
Tomorrow, we’ll strive to make things right. But for now, in this moment, we're safe. And that is something I cling to as sleep finally takes me.