Page 5 of Dare to Dance
Kody scratched his head. “I sense you’re not telling me everything. Do you think if you see her again, she might stir up old feelings?”
I pressed on the gas pedal. “What? No. But every time I see Chloe, I’m reminded of how much of a dick I was to Ruby. She kept calling me after we left the academy. The messages she left sounded like she needed my help. I should’ve at least responded to her, but the pregnancy scare and her telling me she loved me kind of freaked me out. I really just want to apologize.”
A weathered, worn yellow house came into view on our right. I wheeled into a spot across the street.
“Seems to me that no one lives there,” Kody said.
Compared to the meticulous manicured lawns of the surrounding homes, Ruby’s home gave off an ominous vibe in the daylight. The grass was overgrown. The bushes lining both sides of the tiny porch needed a trim, and the black shutters were chipping.
I opened my door. “You want to wait here?”
“I’ll stretch my legs.”
As Kody and I strode up to the house, a Jetta zipped into the driveway next door. The bass of the music pounded as the driver screeched to a stop. Once the engine died, a young girl hopped out, dressed in workout gear. She caught sight of us as she hitched her sport bag over her shoulder.
“We have a looker,” I whispered.
“If you two are here to rob that house, it’s empty.” The teenage girl raised her voice as she tucked her shiny black hair behind her ears.
“Do we look like thieves?” Kody asked.
She sashayed her curvy hips through the weeds. “Kind of.” She giggled. “I’m Tasha.”
Okay, maybe we did. Kody and I were both dressed in jeans, boots, hooded sweatshirts, and knit caps. Normal attire for us.
“I’m Kross,” I said. “This is Kody. I’m looking for Ruby Lewis.”
She eyed Kody for a beat before settling her gaze on me. “I’m sorry I can’t help you. Shortly after the cops arrested her father four years ago, Ruby and her mom left.”
I wracked my brain, trying to remember what her father did for living, but I wasn’t sure Ruby had told me. I’d only met him once at one of her ballet recitals.
“Why did he go to jail?” Kody asked.
She lifted a shoulder. “Dealing drugs.”
Kody and I exchanged a what-the-fuck look.
Ruby’s messages toward the end had sounded desperate.“Kross, why won’t you call me back? I thought we were friends. I need you. I need to talk to you.”
“Any idea where Ruby might be?” I asked.
“Sorry, I don’t.” Her gaze lingered on Kody, who eyed me with a look that said he wanted to get out of there.
“Thanks for the info.” I started for my truck, feeling more like a dick. Ruby had wanted my help, and all I’d done was hit ignore on my phone.
Kody caught up to me. “Kross, did you know her old man dealt drugs?”
“No idea. Our family had our own problems back then. And Ruby didn’t talk too much about her parents. All I knew was her mom didn’t work.”
“Kross,” the girl called. “Are you Kross Maxwell?”
I pivoted on my heel in the middle of the street then angled my head.
She jogged across the lawn and stood on the curb. “Are you the father?”
My mouth fell open. “Come again?”
She looked back at Ruby’s house then at me. “Ruby was pregnant when they left.”
