Page 72 of Rags to Royals

I frown. “What?”

“Thatyoufell for him that weekend too.”

Fuck.

“I told him my real name long before I fell for him,” I say.

“Ah ha!”

Yeah, I didn’t say I didn’t fall for him. Because I can’t lie to my sister.

“Whatever,” I say. “I can’t be in love with himnow. I don’t have time to jet off to Fiji even if I wanted to and I actually have no inclination whatsoever to…do whatever people do when they go to Fiji.”

Ruby chuckles softly.

I frown though. It’s true. I don’t care about Fiji. “I’ve got shit to doright here. I’m going to prove that Dad is wrong about everything by living a simple, humble,happylife right here down the road from that gaudy, pompous palace he calls a church.

“I’ll be serving the town, being a great mom and a good neighbor allwithoutgoing to even one fucking weekend service. I’m going to be living all the principles he preaches but doesn’t demonstrate right here in front of him and his whole congregation. I’m going to disprove everything he says about me and Mariah. Andyou.”

I look over at her. Our dad and his church have never bothered her as much as they have me, but then again, Ruby has never set foot on the church’s campus. She honestly doesn’t seem to care what he thinks or says at all.

I wish I could be like that.

“I’m going to show him that Mariah isnotmy punishment for a damned thing. That she’s amazing and we’re doing so great. That we’re happy despite whatever he wished to happen to us. And I’m going to help anyone and everyone that church turns its back on.”

I realize I’m squeezing Ruby’s hand too tightly with my…exuberance…when she slowly peels my fingers back from hers. “Okay. Good. Got it. That all sounds amazing.”

I take a breath.

She laughs and leans over to kiss my cheek. Then she says, “I guess I’m Team Cian because I love the way he looks at you and I want someone to stand beside you and say, “Fuck yes. That’s mygirl,” when you say and do that stuff. And I think he’s the one to do that.”

God, I can imagine that so easily.

Why can I imagine that so easily?

“You’rethere cheering me on,” I tell her.

“Sure,” she agrees. “But I’ve always been there. I’m programmed for this. Since the womb. I think it’s good for you to know that people outside of me, Mom, Mariah, Brian, and Greta can believe in you and support you, Scarlett.”

I feel tears stinging my eyes. Dammit. I don’t need anyone else. We’re fine. We’ve always been fine. Just us.

I blink quickly, glad the room is dark, so Ruby doesn’t notice.

“I was hoping you’d tell me that it’s fine if I just use him for sex for the next seventeen days,” I finally say. And I’m serious.

She laughs. “Well…I mean, as long as you tell him that’s all you want.”

“Really?” Because I don’t know that I’m going to be able to keep my clothes on around him for over two weeks.

“You tell Cian that all you want is sex and see what he says. If he agrees, then you’re golden,” she tells me.

“It doesn’t make me a bad person to only want him for sex?”

“It doesn’t make you a bad person,” she assures me. “It just makes you a little stupid.”

“Hey!”

“I’m just saying, if you can havemoregood things from him, it’s maybe a little stupid to only want sex.”

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