Page 53 of Strictly Friends
‘Are you sure? Then tell me why you never wanted to marry me, because I lost count of the number of times I asked you. Please don’t tell me it’s because you think marriage is just a piece of paper because we both know that’s not what you believe. You always loved that your mum and dad were so happily married, and I saw how emotional you would get at your friends’ weddings. So, why didn’t you wantusto get married?’
Caught off guard, Ruby stepped back. ‘I-I don’t know,’ she stammered. ‘It was— We were happy as we were and everything was happening so fast, and after Jake...’
She tailed off and Kenny laughed, but there was no humour in his voice. ‘If you loved me, like you claim, tell me whyanytime something upset you, the first person you turned to was Griffin. When I tried to get you to share your problems, you’d go quiet on me and then spend hours talking on the phone withhim. Be honest. When you found out you were pregnant with Jake, who did you tell first, me or Griffin?’
Blindsided by the question, Ruby simply stared at him. There was no need to reply as they both knew the answer, but she tried anyway.
‘Griffin and I were best mates long before I met you, and we share everything –at least, I thought we did,’ she added bitterly. ’I told you a hundred and one times there was nothing romantic between us, and that the only time we—’
‘Ah, yes, the famous bad kiss story. Look, you can tell yourself all the stories you like about how you are friends who’ve never fancied each other, but no-one buys it. Griffin gets through women like hot meals because he can’t have the one woman he really wants, and you – well, maybe you’re so scared of losing him if you join the crowd that you won’t face the truth.’
Ruby’s hand flew up, but Kenny caught her wrist before it made contact with his face. Outraged, she glared at him, her heart pounding so fast with fury that she could scarcely breathe. Then she shook her hand free and turned away from him, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment while she tried to calm her racing pulse. Kenny’s harsh words had struck a nerve and she had reacted blindly, but she was nonetheless appalled at losing control. Attacking him wouldn’t change anything that had happened or deflect the real questions facing her. Was Kenny right, and had she been lying to herself all this time about her feelings for Griffin? And if Griffin felt the same, why had he never once hinted at it before the kiss on the beach?
She turned back to Kenny. ‘I shouldn’t have done that, but what you said was out of order.’
Kenny nodded. ‘I’m sorry. Look, you asked me for the truth and I’m trying to be honest with you. That’s why I went to see Griffin the day I left. I told him I couldn’t take coming second with you any longer and, even though it hurt like hell to leave Jake, it was killing me to watch my woman in love with another man.’
‘Kenny, I swear I had no idea—’
He cut her off mid-sentence. ‘I know that now, Rubes, but just because you refused to see what’s obvious to everyone else didn’t make it any easier. I told Griffin I was bowing out and that he should explain to you why I was leaving. I don’t know why he didn’t, but I suppose it was never going to be easy for him to confess that I left because I knew you loved him more. The first day you came to the marina, I assumed the two of you were together and, quite honestly, I’m shocked he hasn’t made a move on you all this time.’
Ruby felt the heat rush into her cheeks and looked away. There was no point now confessing what had happened with Griffin.
‘So that’s it, Ruby. That’s the truth.’
‘But why didn’t you talk tome?’ she demanded. ‘Why didn’t you give me a choice instead of just deciding we were finished?’
A loud clap of thunder struck and rumbled across the rapidly darkening skies. Turning her anger at herself for being so blind back on to Kenny, Ruby’s voice rose above the howl of the strengthening wind.
‘D’you know what, Kenny? Everything you’ve said is just abullshitexcuse for behaving like a crappy human being! I deserved way more respect than you thinking it was okay to basically give me away to another man like I had no say in the matter!’
Suddenly, it was all too much, and Ruby couldn’t even pretend to hide her pain. ‘If you even suspected that I-I loved Griffin, why didn’t you fight for me?’
‘I didfight for you – forus, but there’s no point fighting fate. At the end of the day, we can’t help who we love, right?’
‘You didn’t fight very hard if you could walk away from your little boy without a backward glance,’ she retorted bitterly. She felt a few drops of rain on her arm and went back to the lounger to pick up her discarded bottle of water. About to head back to the house, she turned to face Kenny.
‘What you did to me and to Jake was utterly selfish and wrong. I don’t know why you’d expect me to even forgive you, never mind consider getting back together.’
Kenny flinched as if she had struck him, but his gaze didn’t waver. ‘Putting my emotions firstwasselfish, but it’s also past time you were honest with yourself. Refusing to acknowledge your feelings for Griffin made it impossible for you to see what it did to me. It’s time you and Griffin—’
‘Thereisno me and Griffin,’ Ruby said coldly.
She might as well not have spoken as Kenny continued. ‘You and Griffin – this thing of yours, this game or whatever it is, it’s hurting innocent bystanders. Do the world a favour and sort yourselves out, once and for all.’
37
Ruby dumped the bag filled with gifts on the bedroom floor and switched on the ceiling fan above her bed. Following two days of grey skies and heavy rain, the sun was back in all its shining glory. Slipping off her shoes, she lay on top of the covers, relishing the cool air after the hours out in the scorching heat. Two sleepless nights, compounded by an afternoon spent with Jake shopping downtown, had left Ruby exhausted and light-headed.
With only a couple of days left on Sorrel Island, she had bought gifts for Auntie Pearl, Fi, and a few other friends, as well as a colourful brooch for MissIda. To Jake’s disgust, Ruby also bought a box of coconut candies for MrHinton and, less controversially, a t-shirt emblazoned with ‘ISorrel Island’ for Nick, as thanks for his work on MissIda’s website.
‘Mum?’ Jake bounded on to her bed, showing no sign of fatigue.
‘Hmm?’ Too drained to speak and enjoying the cool air circling over her, Ruby kept her eyes closed.
‘Can I go with Uncle Griffin to Ocean House? I want to give Drew the present I got him.’
Ruby’s eyes flew open, and it took a few moments to get her voice under control. ‘I’m not sure, Jake. He might have left already.’
