Page 49 of Save Me

Even so, it hurts as I turn around and walk with Lin toward the exit.

15

Ruby

“What’s wrong with you?” Ember asks, making me jump a mile.

I’m stirring a pan of jam, so deep in thought that I didn’t even notice her creep up behind me to stare over my shoulder.

“Nothing,” I say, a moment too late.

Dad points an unopened packet of preserving sugar at me. “Your sister’s right; something’s up.”

I roll my eyes. “You’re bugging me, that’s all.” I stir a bit too vigorously, and the hot apple mush splashes onto my hand. I inhale with a sharp hiss.

“Get that under cold water now,” Mum says, taking the spoon from me. She pushes it into Ember’s hand and me over to the sink, where she runs the tap.

“Can’t you just leave me in peace?” I mutter.

“Gladly,” says Dad. “But you’ve been like this since that trip on Saturday, and I’d like to know why.”

I just mumble. There’s no escape, even at home.

I’ve never understood why everyone complains about Mondays. For me, every Monday symbolizes a new beginning, when you canget things on track for a great week. Normally, I love Mondays. But today, absolutely everything is rubbing me the wrong way. People at school, memories of Saturday, Ember’s curious eyes. Even the little splash on my hand that burns like hell. Stupid jam.

I wish I could just shut myself away in my room and focus on the next three months’ worth of homework, but my family forced me to help cook up the apples. Even though I’m pretty sure the jam’s just an excuse to get me to talk.

A moment later, Ember confirms my suspicions. “Why don’t you just tell us what happened?”

“Because you don’t really want to know how I am,” I retort. “You’re only asking because you want all the details about Beaufort’s.”

“That’s not true!”

“No?” I say provokingly. “So you’re not interested in what it was like then?”

Now she shifts her weight awkwardly to her other foot. “Yeah, I am. But both things can be true. I can be interested in one of the biggest gentlemen’s outfitters in the country and in how you are at the same time. There’s room in my heart for both, sis.”

“That’s sweet,” says Dad, rolling past the two of us in his wheelchair to get to the stove. He takes a clean spoon and dunks it in the simmering jam. I always find it fascinating to watch him taste things. When I try a dish, I look…normal. With Dad, you can tell at once that he’s a professional. His expression changes, like he’s mentally taking apart every ingredient and considering whether there’s anything missing, and if so, what it could be.

Just like now. He’s put his head to one side, and we’re watching, intrigued. The next second, his face brightens, and he wheels back slightly to the little metal trolley with all his spices. Hereaches for the mixed spice and adds a pinch or two to the pan. The cinnamon smell reminds me of Christmas—my favorite holiday.

“There’s nothing to tell, Ember,” I say belatedly, making my sister groan with frustration. “You already know everything there is to know about Beaufort’s.”

“I’d love to see inside the workshop though,” she sighs, resting her chin on her hand.

“Would that interest you? You want to specialize in ladies’ clothes, don’t you?” Dad asks.

The doorbell rings, and we look at each other in surprise.

“Who could that be?” Mum says, heading toward the hall.

“It’s about the atmosphere, Dad. Seeing the way people there work, the materials they use, how they cut out. It would have been so interesting.” Ember’s wistful face makes me feel guilty. I get that she considers it unfair that I had the chance, just out of nowhere, to visit a major designer’s head office and she didn’t. But on the other hand, look how that ended up for me. There’s no way I want my sister to ever feel as humiliated as I did at that moment.

“I’ve got an idea. Couldn’t you ask your friend to give me a tour too?” Ember asks. She’s only half joking, which unsettles me.

“You can ask him yourself, Ember,” says Mum unexpectedly.

I turn around with a frown. “What?”

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