Chapter 14 #3
Mom’s smile drops, and Dad stands a little taller. My mom doesn’t wait for an answer. She steps back immediately, ushering us both inside. Catcher and I follow my parents into the living room.
“Ruby, what is going on?” Mom steps closer to Dad, seeking his comfort like she’s expecting me to drop a bomb. Unfortunately, I am.
My dad puts his arms around Mom’s shoulder, but his eyes never leave Catcher. There’s already suspicion there, and I hate this. Catcher stays close behind me. Something about his presence is giving me the strength to say what I have to say.
“Ruby,” Dad brings me out of my wandering thoughts. “Start talking,” he says in his no-nonsense dad voice.
My throat tightens. I clasp my hands together to keep them from shaking. “It’s about Robby.” The name alone shifts the air in the room. My mom’s face softens with worry. My dad’s expression hardens instantly.
“What about him?” my mom asks.
I swallow. “He is… he’s in trouble.”
“That boy has always been in trouble,” my dad mutters.
“Joseph,” my mom snaps, but she’s still watching me anxiously. “What kind of trouble, sweetheart?”
I take a shaky breath. “I’m not sure, but it’s bad.”
My dad leans forward. “Did he come to you?”
I nod.
“When?”
“About a week ago.”
“What did he want?” His voice sharpens with every question.
“Money,” I admit quietly.
My mom exhales. “Oh, Ruby…”
“I didn’t give him any,” I add quickly. “I told him I couldn’t.”
“That should’ve been the end of it,” my dad says, already angry. “You shouldn’t even be entertaining him.”
“It’s not that simple,” I say, my voice cracking. “It hasn’t been simple for a long time.”
My mom leans forward, reaching for my hand. “Honey, what aren’t you telling us?”
I close my eyes for a second, gathering the strength to say it out loud. “He’s been using my name.”
Silence.
“He… opened credit cards. Took out accounts. Everything under my name.” The words spill faster now. “I didn’t know at first, and by the time I did, it was already bad.”
My mom closes her eyes and lets out a long, exhausted sigh as she lowers herself to the sofa. “Ruby…”
“He did what?” Dad’s voice booms through the room. “He ruined your credit? He put debt in your name?” He paces once, dragging a hand through his hair. “That son of a—”
“Joseph,” Mom snaps, but there’s no stopping him now.
“How much?” he demands.
I hesitate.
“Ruby,” he presses.
“A lot,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper.
My mom’s eyes fill with tears. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“Because I thought I could fix it,” I admit. “I thought if I just worked more, cut back, figured it out—”
“You shouldn’t have to fix something he broke,” my dad says more gently.
“I know,” I say, my own frustration bubbling over. “But he’s my brother.”
“Yeah, and Robby is our son, but that doesn’t give him the right to destroy your life,” he fires back.
“There’s more,” I add quickly.
Both of my parents look at me.
“He came to my house,” I say. “He was desperate. Said he needed money and that he owed people. He made it sound as though someone was after him.”
“That’s because someone probably is,” my dad growls. “And you thought handling this alone was the right call?” my dad demands.
Before I can answer, Catcher steps forward. “He’s not the only one looking for Robby,” Catcher says.
My parents’ attention turns to him.
“What does that mean?” my dad asks, narrowing his eyes.
Catcher’s voice is calm, but there’s tension underneath it. “After what happened last night, Robby has been put on the Kings’ radar.
My stomach drops.
Catcher keeps going. “A guy cornered Ruby and asked about Robby.”
Mom stands. “What?”
My dad’s face goes red. He moves instantly, pacing hard, trying not to punch something. “That’s it. That’s it. This ends now.”
My mom’s expression shifts from fear to anger, her eyes flashing in a way I haven’t seen before.
“I’m fine,” I say quickly.
“I don’t care if you’re fine,” Mom shoots back. “That should have never happened.”
My dad turns to Catcher. “Who was he?”
Catcher shakes his head. “Didn’t recognize him. But he knew her name. Knew her brother. That’s not random.”
“That means they’ve been watching,” my mom whispers, horror creeping into her voice.
“That’s exactly what it means,” Catcher confirms.
I hug my arms around myself, trying to hold everything together before quietly saying, “This is my fault.”
“No,” Catcher says immediately.
“Yes,” I snap. “I should’ve stopped him. I should’ve reported it. I should’ve—”
“You should’ve been protected,” my dad cuts in, his voice thick with anger and something deeper. Then he turns back to Catcher. “I trust the situation was dealt with?”
Catcher nods and says one word. “Handled.”
My mom pulls me into a hug, her arms going tight around me. “We’re going to fix this,” she murmurs into my hair. “You’re not dealing with this alone anymore. Do you hear me?”
I nod, even though everything inside me feels as if it’s unraveling.
Looking at the anger on my dad’s face, the fear in my mom’s eyes, and the quiet, controlled fury in Catcher’s expression, I can’t help but wonder what the hell Robby has gotten us into now.