Page 67 of Save You
I stare at my sister.“Who is it, Ember?”
Ember stares back at me, eyebrows raised.“I’m not telling you.”
“Ember, I…”
“Forget it, Ruby.Now, can we please have breakfast in peace?”She bites demonstratively into her toast.
The rest of breakfast drags by at a snail’s pace.After a minute or two, Dad tries to lighten the mood, but without much success.My thoughts are whirling.I’m running through yesterday evening in my mind, wondering when Ember had the chance to spend longer than five minutes chatting with a boy who wasn’t Kieran.Itmusthave been him.But then she wouldn’t be being this mysterious about it, would she?
After breakfast, Ember and I load the dishwasher in silence, and then go upstairs together.Before she vanishes into her room, she gives me another thin smile, which I return wearily.We never normally snap at each other like that, but I can’t shake the feeling that something happened last night, something I should have done better at protecting Ember from.
I sigh and push open my bedroom door, and at that very second, my phone pings.I snatch it up from my desk and tap on the message with shaking fingers.
Can we talk?
I type my reply so fast that my phone can’t keep up and all the words come out wrong, and I have to start again at the beginning.
Of course.When and where?
I count the seconds until James answers, holding my breath as my phone gives another quiet ping.
Right now, if I can come over?I can head over in a minute.
I hesitate a moment.I’ve never invited James into our house before.Introducing him to my parents would be a huge step.
But deep down, I can sense that I’m ready.I can be around him without crumbling now.And the fact that he wants to talk to me proves that, despite everything that happened yesterday, he feels the same way.
So I reply:
OK.
Then I go back downstairs, phone in hand.Mum and Dad are in the living room now.Dad’s engrossed in his Kindle book again and Mum’s going through the week’s post.Cautiously, I walk over to them and clear my throat.
“Is it OK if James comes round in a bit?”I ask.
Mum pauses with the letter opener still in her hand and glances at Dad in surprise.I can still hear her words about a “lovesick beetle” in my head, and it’s an effort not to look away from their concerned expressions.
“We only want the best for you, love,” Dad starts slowly.“And we couldn’t help noticing the bad way you were in for the whole of December.”
“That wasn’t my Ruby,” Mum says quietly.“I really don’t want you meeting up with that boy again.”
I open my mouth and shut it again.
My parents have never forbidden me to do anything.Probably because there’s never been much to forbid.My whole life has always revolved around my family and my academic ambitions.Something fires up inside me.I think it’s a mixture of confusion and irritation that they’d say that.
“James is…” I can’t find the words.I have no idea how to explain to my parents what happened between him and me.
Maybe there’s some way I can get through to them how much he means to me.And that my heart will always cling to him.But I need time.After all, I don’t know what’s about to happen.
“Please just trust me,” I say in the end, looking pleadingly at them.
The two of them exchange glances again.
Mum sighs.“Ruby, you’re eighteen.We can’t exactly ban you from seeing him.But if this boy is coming here, we’d like the chance to get to know him.”
I nod.Meanwhile, I’m wondering whether Mum’s done her research into James and the Beauforts online.That had never occurred to me before, but it wouldn’t surprise me if that is why she’s dubious—after all, I know what you can read about him on there.
“He’s not a vegetarian, is he?”Dad asks suddenly, looking inquiringly up at me.
