Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
RUBY
The next Sunday breakfast comes around all too fast, and my mind is struggling to accept that just a little over a week ago Declan told me he was leaving, and by today, there isn’t anything left in this house to remember him.
“Hey, are you coming outside to eat?” Sadie asks, poking her head through the sliding door.
I shake my head, as if that can clear the thoughts. “Yes. Sorry.”
She smiles sweetly. “It’s okay.”
I follow her out and take a seat.
Everyone has their food plated, but not a single person has taken a bite.
“Were you waiting for me?”
“Yes,” Luca says.
Miles punches his arm.
“What? You’re worried, too. Stop acting like you’re not. Why aren’t we bombarding her like you did me?”
“I’m fine,” I say quickly and then dish up my own plate. I even take a giant bite to drive the point home.
With my fork, I point at Max’s plate. “Eat, please.”
“No,” he clips back quickly and with a fire I’ve never heard from him before. In fact, the entire table is shocked. Every single head turns to look at my son.
I don’t even have it in me to scold him, because I know where this tone is coming from.
Instead, I point to his plate again.
“You need to eat.”
“I’m not eating.” He stands abruptly and storms inside.
My dad scoots his chair back, but I put my hand on his arm. “Don’t. It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine. He knows better.”
“He’s hurt. I’m his mother. I’m allowing it right now. I’ll talk to him in a bit.”
Dad studies me for a moment and then nods.
“Now, can we all just eat?”
As soon as they all begin, I finally say what has been on my mind since the day Declan left.
“Did I make a mistake?”
My mind has raced over this day after day. Even more so when Barton caught wind that I didn’t do what he asked. He was quick to send me an updated balance.
Looking at the setback only made me more confident in my decision to tell Declan to go.
But fuck, my heart hurts so much.
Awkward glances are exchanged around the table.
No one replies.
“Should I have gone with him?”
Declan staying was never going to be an option, but Max and I not going with him, that’s all on me.
“Do you think you should have?” Quinn asks.
I shrug.
“I don’t know. I’m just numb, and nothing feels right here without them.”
My eyes sting.
“I miss him, and it’s only been a week.”
Crying in front of my entire family wasn’t on my bingo card at any point in my life, but here I am, doing it anyway.
My dad is the first to stand and hug me. “Oh, Ruby, if it feels wrong to be here without them, why didn’t you go?”
“Because that would mean I’m leaving this place again for another guy. The rumors were bad enough before; I can only imagine what they would be like this time.”
To my surprise, Miles laughs.
Quinn elbows him. “Stop.”
“I’m sorry.” He holds up his hands. “It’s not funny. None of this is funny. It’s just that I hate to break it to you, Ruby, but you’re an Asher. We all found a way to self-sabotage ourselves over the person we love, and this is your turn.”
“And that’s funny because?”
“Because this is also the moment where you figure it out.”
I huff.
“But I’m not. I’m confused and scared and—”
“Do you love him?” Hudson asks.
I nod. “Like a stupid amount.”
“And you want to be with him?” Luca asks.
“Yes.”
“And do you truly care what anyone thinks?” Miles asks.
“I …”
It’s a question I’ve asked myself many times, but for some reason, sitting here with my family, it processes differently in my mind.
No, I don’t care what the town thinks. I care about how the rumors affect my family.
“I care that you all have to walk around town and hear what people think of me, and I feel like when I make bad choices, I let you down.”
“Let us down? How in the hell do you do that?” Hudson asks, and I can see in his eyes that it’s a genuine question.
“Everyone thinks I left to follow Colt because his—”
“We know why you left,” my dad cuts in. “Look at the life you have given Max. It’s incredible the choice you made.”
“What?”
“You’re the most selfless person we know, Ruby,” Miles adds. “These people can say anything they want, but we don’t listen. They don’t know you.”
“Yeah, it’s a little intimidating how awesome you are.” Luca grins.
“Let’s not forget that you do it all on your own as a fucking mom. It’s impressive as shit, Ruby.”
I have no words.
They’re proud of me? But they never say anything.
I sit there for another second, no doubt with shock written all over my face.
“Well, it’s about time you all said something.” Sadie nudges Hudson.
“And you better do more of it from here on out,” Quinn says, grabbing another piece of bacon.
“I …” is all Shay gets out through her tears.
“I’m sorry if we ever made you doubt how proud we are of you, Ruby,” my dad says and stands to hug me where I sit.
“But the question remains: why are you still here? Declan isn’t just some guy, and he sure as hell isn’t going to steal you away from us for years on end.
You’ll be back more than enough with that one.
And here or there, wherever you end up, we are still going to think nothing but the best of you. ”
“But …”
“Go get them, Mom,” Max says from the doorway. “I miss them, too.”
I wipe the tears off my cheek and share a look with everyone at the table. Of course, I start crying again when I make eye contact with Shay, because she’s crying even harder now.
“Are you all okay watching Max until I get back?”
“What?” Max squeaks behind me. “I’m coming, too.”
He earns a laugh from everyone for that one, but it only lasts a moment before everyone gets to work. An hour later, Max and I are in the car headed for the airport in Wind Valley.
By the time the wheels touch down in Chicago, my confidence has slipped a little.
We both practically run to the area where an Uber will pick us up, wheeling carry-on bags behind us, and take us to Declan’s offices.
“Are you nervous?” Max asks, his focus on my bouncing knee.
“A little.”
“Don’t be. He told me how much he loved you the day he left.”
I fight back the tears.
I never let Declan say the words that night, but it seems he was going to make sure I knew them either way.
I just hope I’m not too late.
The car pulls to a stop outside his building, and Max’s eyes go wide.
“He owns this?”
“Not all of it, just a few floors.”
With Max’s hand in mine, we march into the building.
I check in with security, and they direct us to the elevators.
Max and I don’t speak as we take it all in, but that’s okay. I think the silence speaks volumes for both of us.
The elevator doors open to Declan’s floor, and the hustle and bustle of a business is in full force. Yet, to the right, Susie is sitting in her own cubicle, watching a movie.
She glances up, then looks back to her iPad, and then back up.
She jerks her headphones over her head and drops the tablet to the desk, running to us with a high-pitched squeal and leaping into my arms.
“I missed you!” she says.
“We missed you, too,” I tell her and then set her down. She and Max immediately pick up where they left off, Max rescuing her iPad and sharing the chair.
Okay, well, I’m on my own now.
“Susie, why are you …” Declan’s words are cut short when he sees Max, his head immediately jerking to the entrance where I’m standing.
My heart slams into my chest, and for the first time in days, I feel like I can finally breathe again.
All by just seeing him.
It’s him, but different. He’s not in his day-to-day sweats and T-shirt. He’s in a suit and tie, and he looks really good.
Because I don’t know what to do and we clearly now have an audience, I wave.
His stunned expression changes to fighting a smile.
He waves back.
I step toward him.
I had a whole speech planned, but the moment we are toe to toe and he looks into my eyes, I simply speak from the heart.
“I miss you,” I whisper and then hold my chin high.
He doesn’t reply.
I swipe away a tear and then sniffle. Nothing about this is pretty, but I won’t give up.
“Every day. And I don’t care where it is, I just want to be where you are.
I know I said all that stuff about not repeating my past, but this is different.
We are different. This is my future. I need you in my life. Max and I need you and Susie.”
I pause, waiting for Declan to move, flinch, or say something. He only stares at me with a look of disbelief in his eyes.
“I know what I said back in Lovers. I—”
“Alright, it’s ready. I just had to have … oh shit.”
Colt steps out of an office.
My heart immediately sinks as I look back and forth between them. Are they working together now? Why else would Colt be here? If they are working together, does that mean Declan is working with Barton?
“I have to go.”
“Wait,” Declan says.
“I …” I spin around and point at Colt. “I texted you hours ago and told you Max and I were headed to Chicago, but you never said you were here.”
“You knew she was coming?” Declan asks him.
“I did, and yes, but I wasn’t going to ruin this.”
“Too late,” I say “Max, we’re leaving.”
“Ruby, hold on a second,” Declan says again.
I don’t listen. I start jamming my finger on the elevator button. “Come on. Come on.”
“Ruby.”
I drop my chin to my chest as Declan’s voice surrounds me.
Just once, once, I’d like something to work out in my favor.
The simple thought makes me want to cry all over again.
“It’s okay Dec. You don’t have to say anything.”
I wipe at my cheeks to save some kind of dignity, then turn to look at him.
“You’re just doing what’s best for you and Susie. I know.” I look at Colt. “Please bring Max down in five minutes.”
He nods.
The elevator doors open and I step in. I press the “L” button and wait, arms crossed and gaze down as I wait for the doors to close, knowing Declan is going to stare at me until they do.
For what? What reason would he have to just watch me fall apart?
I close my eyes for the last few seconds, and then finally breathe a sigh of relief when the doors close.
“Oh God,” I say and let the tears break.
“Baby, please don’t cry,” Declan says from beside me.
I startle and then I can’t help it. I break down.
“Instead of giving a speech on everything I’m thinking I’ll get right to the point,” he says. He steps in front of me, his finger under my chin, gently forcing me to look at him. “What’s best for me and Susie is being wherever you and Max are.”
“What?”
“I sold the company to Colt.”
Oh my God.
“You what? But Declan, that wasn’t your goal. That wasn’t what you wanted. All that stuff with Susie’s mom and what you need to—”
“Baby, I’m miserable without you, and I don’t need this company. I need you. I know I’ve made mistakes before, but those choices have led me to you, and letting you go was not a mistake I was going to make. Not again.”
“But you love this place.”
“I love you more.”
“You do?”
He nods.
“I love you so damn much, Ruby Asher, and as soon as this deal is done, I’m coming back to Lovers. For good.”
“You are?” I ask, even though it’s silly because he clearly just said so.
“I am.” He steps closer, backing me up against the elevator wall. “And I know I don’t deserve it, but I want us to pick back up where we were. With you and Max moving in with me and Susie, all of us doing this family thing forever.”
I chuckle through happy tears. God, I’m a mess. “Is that a proposal?”
He shakes his head.
“I am going to marry you someday, but when I propose, you won’t have to question whether I am or not. Got it?”
I bite my lips.
“Got it.”
He swoops me into his arms and kisses me as if his life depends on it.
And I will choose to let him kiss every single day for the rest of our lives.