Page 76 of Lessons in Heartbreak

With a deep, relieved breath, she walked into my chest, wrapping her arms tightly around my middle. I smiled lightly, curling my arms around her back and settling my chin on the top of her head.

There was an element to Ruby, no matter how badly she wished it out of existence, that made her feel inherently breakable. The wrong twist of my hands, exerting muscles with too much force, and I could genuinely hurt her.

I’d sooner cut off my own arm.

“Thank you,” she whispered into my chest.

I smoothed my hand up and down her back, an unexpected tightening in my throat as I felt her pressed against me in such an innocent way.

A world without Ruby Tate.

Fucking unfathomable.

And it had almost happened. It could have happened before I had a chance to see her again, to know what kind of person she was. It could have happened and my life would’ve kept right on spinning. The thought of it made me sick to my stomach. With burning eyes and a heavy chest, I pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head and then cleared my throat as I pulled back. “You’re welcome.”

“Sunday,” she said.

I nodded, booping her nose with the tip of my finger. This time she smiled, and the sight of it lightened the weight behind my ribs. “Sunday,” I promised.

Chapter EighteenRuby

Me:I cannot believe I’m going to ask this, but how does this outfit look?

With a small shake of my head, I stepped back and snapped a picture of myself in the full-length mirror hanging on my bedroom wall, attaching it to the text I sent to Lauren.

Lauren:Look at you showing a baby glimpse of stomach! Hot. I need more details though. What’s the purpose of the clothing in question?

Me:Function (going for a walk) and Seduction (I’ll explain later)

Lauren:Umm No, You Will Explain Now, Young Lady

Me:Quit yelling at me.

Lauren:If you think I won’t drive over right the fuck now...

Me:Fine. I think you’re rubbing off on me.

Lauren:Explain.

Me:I propositioned Griffin with a friends with benefits situation after the fair, because I told him about my surgery when he accidentally saw my scar because he was trying to undress me in the bathroom of the school, and he was just soAppealingin how he responded, I couldn’t help myself. I was climbing into his LAP before I knew what was happening. He told me to take a day to think about it, but the extra time was unnecessary. My reasoning is entirely sound.

My phone was ringing before I could take my next breath, and I answered it on a laugh. “Good morning.”

There were no words on the other end of the phone, just unintelligible squealing. On my bed, Bruiser tilted his head back and forth, whining slightly at the high-pitched noises he could hear. I scratched behind his ears and walked out of the room, giving one last glimpse to the crisscrossing straps of the white halter-style sports bra underneath the white mesh top.

The bra covered my scar, but the see-through cropped shirt over it, even though it was boxy and loose, showed more of me than had been shown ... well ... maybe ever.

“So the outfit is okay?” I asked dryly.

“Ruby,” she gasped. “I am speechless. I am without speech.”

I laughed, pulling aside the curtain in my front room to make sure Griffin wasn’t here yet. “We don’t have long. He’s going to be here in a couple minutes.”

“Did you have sex with Griffin?” she whisper-yelled.

“No. And he’s not here, you know. He can’t actually hear you.”

The sound of a door closing came through the phone. “No, but Marcus is in my bedroom sleeping, so ...”

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