Page 27 of Ruin Me
“Hey, Quen,” she says, shortening my name with a grin after pulling open the car door and sliding into the seat beside me. Her presence fills the car, and suddenly, it’s the best place in the world.
“Hey yourself,” I reply, trying to sound smooth and not like I’m completely floored by her simple beauty. “You do know you should’ve waited for me to come and get you.”
“Don’t need you to watch over me like a hawk. I grew up in Westfield. I can handle waiting outside in the daylight for my… date.”
“Date.” The way she says it makes it seem sexy and deep. I hope that is where this goes.
I indicate the bag of food on the back seat. “Hope you’re hungry.”
“Starving,” she says, and there’s laughter in her voice, easy and free, “and burgers are my favourite.”
“Good.”
My heart is thumping, and nerves are making me want to slam my foot down to try to run away from them, but I keep it steady as we roll through town. My cargo is precious, and I need to keep her safe. The buildings and streets pass us by as we head up the winding road to the hilltop.
“Nice spot you’ve picked,” Vogue says, her eyesscanning the view as we park in a space that looks like it was made just for us.
“Best one in town,” I tell her, grabbing the food and blanket from the back before climbing out. I lay the blanket out on the grass, all neat and squared off, as Vogue steps out and helps me spread it wider, her hands brushing against mine, sending signals I’m doing my best to ignore for now.
We sit down, the skyline of the town painting a picture in front of us that could be worth a thousand words, but I don’t say any of them. Instead, I hand her a burger wrapped in paper and some fries, placing the drinks in their cardboard tray between us and popping the tops on the cans.
“Cheers,” she says, lifting her drink in a makeshift toast before taking a long sip.
“Cheers,” I echo, tapping my can against hers.
We eat, and the silence isn’t awkward—it’s comfortable, filled with a soothing silence and the occasional rustle of leaves around us.
“Never thought I’d enjoy a simple burger this much,” she muses, wiping her mouth delicately with the paper napkin.
“Life’s surprising like that,” I respond.
Her eyes hold mine for a moment longer than necessary. “Yeah, it is,” she replies with a smile.
I stare at her, mesmerised. Her eyes are on the horizon. She’s got this way of looking at things, like she’s drinking it all in, and it makes me want to see the world through her eyes.
“Vogue,” I say, and my voice sounds rough evento my own ears. She turns, eyes questioning, and something about the way she looks at me right now—like I’m the only person in the world—grabs hold of my guts and twists.
The words are right there, on the tip of my tongue. They’re simple, honest, but they feel like a leap off a cliff. “I need to tell you something.” My hands are steady, but inside, everything’s churning.
She tilts her head, brushing a strand of hair from her face, and waits. Always patient, that’s Vogue. The burger forgotten, she gives me her full attention, but that seems to make it harder.
“You’ve kinda turned my life upside down,” I start, and her eyebrows rise a fraction. “In a good way, I mean. Since you walked into my life, everything’s brighter, somehow.” I pause, watching her face for any sign, but she’s an enigma. I plough on, because if I don’t say it now, I might never get the balls again. “I’ve seen things, been through stuff that would break most people. But you—“ I shake my head, amazed. “You just light up the dark spots without even trying. And I want to be there for you, protect you from the shit that life throws out, because yesterday, you gave me something that I’ve never had before. A foundation to rebuild my shattered soul. I owe you everything for that.”
Her lips part slightly, like she’s processing and calculating, and I brace for whatever comes next. I’ve laid it out bare, my heart kicking against my ribs like it’s trying to escape.
For a moment, there’s silence between us. I can’tmove, can’t even breathe. Her mouth closes, and she swallows hard. When she speaks, her voice is soft but steady.
“With you, it’s different to the past. I feel something real, and it scares me a little because it’s so rare to find someone who gets me.”
Her confession punches me right in the gut. It’s exposed, honest. She’s trusting me with a piece of herself no one else gets to see.
“Vogue,” I say, and it’s more than just her name; it’s everything I’m feeling right now. I lean over, closing the distance, and my lips meet hers.
The kiss is a world-shaking kind of thing. It starts slow like we’re both testing the waters, but then it catches fire. My brain goes quiet, and all I can think about, all I can feel, is her. Her lips, her breath, her hands as they come up to cup the back of my neck.
We break apart for air, and the sun decides to put on a show just for us, painting the sky all shades of oranges and pinks. The fading light wraps around us, and we’re not just two people kissing; we’re sharing something unspoken, something that’s growing stronger by the second.
The fire from our kiss rages into an inferno, the kind that burns away all thought except for the need, the raw hunger clawing inside me. My hands pull her closer, and I can feel the heat of her body through the thin fabric of her dress. She’s a flame, and I’m all too willing to fly into it and be scorched.
