Page 171 of Save You
“I…” My voice trails away.But anger flares in my chest.“There’s a lot going on right now, but that’s nothing to do with her.”I wish there was any other way of getting that through to him.
“You’ve only been like this since you met Ruby, so don’t go trying to protect her.It makes me sick.I don’t even know you anymore.”
“Hey, Wren, cool it,” says Kesh, but Wren pushes him out of the way and takes a furious step toward me.
“You act like Ruby can fix everything in your oh-so-shitty life.Like she’s some kind of a saint.But she’s not,” he hisses.
I stare at him with a frown.“I get that you’re angry.I’ve been a shit friend and I’m sorry—but leave Ruby out of it.You don’t know her.”
Wren shakes his head scornfully.“I know Ruby very well indeed.If you’d listened to me for more than two seconds any time in the last few weeks, I could have told youhowwell I know her.”
I open my mouth, but the words stick in my throat.
I know that tone of voice.And I know what it means.
Wren seems to clock that he’s said too much too.He grits his teeth so hard that his jawbone juts out.
“What are you saying?”
“This might not be the right place for this conversation,” suggests Alistair, but I shake my head.
“What did you mean just now?”I insist.
Wren hesitates, but my glare isn’t letting him off the hook.After a second or two, he clears his throat.“Ruby and I had a little something going on at a Back-to-School party once upon a time.”
My heart starts to pound; my throat is constricted.
“Well, there’s a surprise,” says Cyril, sounding almost pleased.“Ruby’s spent all this time keeping the fact that she got off with your best friend a secret.”
“Shut it, Cy,” I growl.
“Looks like she’s not the sweet girl next door after all,” he continues, unfazed.“So maybe now you’ll finally stop putting her on such a fucking pedestal.”
“Say another word, Cy, and I swear to God…”
“He’s right,” Wren interrupts.“If you mattered to her as much as she does to you, she’d have told you about it months ago.”
I spin around and grab him by his collar.He doesn’t struggle or fight back, just looks at me with his dark eyes.
“You know it’s true.Or else you wouldn’t be losing your shit like this.”
His words echo in my head; my breathing is ragged.Wren’s suit jacket is about to tear, I’m gripping it so hard.
I really have been thinking about nothing but Ruby.I’ve spent the whole time trying to win her back and neglecting everything else around me.Not just Lydia, but all my friends.And what for?
And what the fuck for?
“What are you lot doing out here?”I hear a voice whisper fiercely behind us.
Ruby.
I turn toward her and feel a painful stab in the chest.I’m out of my depth here.I’m only dimly aware that there are a few guests behind Ruby, looking on in concern.
She comes right over to us.“What are you doing here?”she whispers again, looking from me to Wren and back again.
“James just learned about our little secret, Ruby.”
All the color drains from Ruby’s face.
