Page 43 of Rags to Royals

Well, shit.

I turn around and look up at Cian, who is still out in the hallway. “I guess you and Henry are sharing Ruby's room.”

He lifts one big shoulder. “I’m disappointed to not be wrapped up in your sheets tonight,” he says. “But Henry and I will be fine. We’ve done this before. In worse circumstances.”

I do not want to know.

But I do kind of want to know. There is definitely a part of me that wants to hear all of his stories. No, I can’t date someone who is adventurous and exciting and who jets around the world, especially on a private plane. But hearing about it is tempting.

“Okay. Goodnight,” I say.

The corner of his mouth curls and I know that he made a note that it was just a good night and not goodbye.

I step into my room and close the door between us. He can find the towels and whatever else he might need on his own. I need space.

I look at my sister. “Are youokay?”

She shakes her head no.

“I thought you’d be happy Henry’s back,” I say, crossing to the bed and climbing onto the mattress next to her.

Ruby and I have also shared a bed many times. Also, in worse circumstances.

“I mean, at first I was really happy to see him. I’m stupidly in love with him,” she says. “But he's always going to leave, Scarlett. That's just our reality. He's not going to stay in Emerald, Ohio. Cian is his job. More, Cian is hisfamily. There's never going to be a time when he can choose me over him. And I can’t live a life where the man I’m in love with is here very part time. I don’t think I should have to be second choice even if I understand why his first choice comes first.”

This is something my sister and Henry actually have in common. Ruby has always been there for me. She has uprooted her life to go with me and Mariah more than once. She is amazingly loyal, and she would put me and my daughter ahead of anyone. Even herself.

“You know exactly where he’s coming from,” I say. “You’re a lot alike.”

She nods. “We are. Which is why he and I are not going to work out. I can’t see him just here and there. I really don’t think that I’m cut out for a long-distance relationship.”

I would agree with that. Ruby is a very loving person. And while our inner circle is small, it's tight. She likes to be with the people she loves. She needs quality time. She loves cuddling, sharing meals, face-to-face conversations and laughter, making memories together. She can’t go even two days without talkingto our mother. And she can’t be away from home for more than a week, even on a fabulous vacation.

“I’m really sorry.” I reach out and squeeze her hand. “Why did we have to fall for those guys? Out of all the guys on the planet? Why the two that it will absolutely not work out with?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t know. But—” she says pointing at my nose, “I don’t want to hear about how it’s probably some punishment. This is not the universe or God or karma or Dad somehow magically punishing you for past decisions or mistakes.”

I don’t say anything to that. That is exactly what I usually do. I assume that I deserve bad things to happen to me. I’ve been that way since I was about twelve. When our father started telling me that.

“Fine. You’re right. It's just bad timing. Or bad luck. Or whatever.”

Ruby nods her agreement. “It just sucks. Sometimes things just suck. But it's not because we deserve them to suck.”

I turn and lie back on the pillow next to hers. I think about that.

Sometimes things just suck. But that doesn’t mean we deserve them to suck.

That is actually a little comforting.

But it also seems really fucking unfair.

Chapter 9

Cian

“Cian,” Henry says, sitting forward in his chair. His tone is low and measured. This is his serious tone.

I’m really tired of things being so damned serious. I stick a French fry in my mouth. “Yeah?”

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