Page 156 of What are the Risks
“Are you okay, hon?” Nancy asked.
She and Mum were back to their puzzle. If it wasn’t for their changes of clothes, I’d question whether Nancy had even gone home last night.
As tempting as it was to stay with them – gossiping, drinking tea and slotting pieces – I didn’t want to kill my productivity.
“Sure am. I’m cleaning out my room.”
Ignoring the curious look Mum and Nancy shared, I dashed back upstairs and got to work.
Two hours and two and a half Taylor Swift albums later, I had three trash bags full of donations.
My bedroom looked incredible bare, like it was void of all personality. That sounded like the perfect excuse for a Target run. What better way to distract myself than by spending money on things I didn’t need?
After loading the donations in my trunk, my phone vibrated against the dashboard, right as I was buckling my seat belt.
Noah: I saw your car was back. Can we talk?
As tempted as I was to leave Noah on read, we were overdue to clear the air. I started to reply, telling him I’d meet him after Target, but quickly decided to rip the Band-Aid off and deal with him first.
Target could be my treat afterwards.
Ruby: Coffee shop. Ten minutes.
Noah: See you soon.
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
I had nobody to impress here
Ruby
My first instinct when I saw Noah was to run and hide. That’s usually what most people did when bumping into their ex. But after reminding myself that I was there to see him, I took an encouraging breath and walked over to the table he was at.
Spotting me, his expression shifted, a soft smile pulling at his lips.
He was wearing a sweater I recognised, and his hair was combed the way it always had been, yet there was something unfamiliar about him – like he was somebody I used to know.
I had no idea how I looked like right now. I hadn’t bothered changing or fixing my hair after my marathon clean out. I had nobody to impress here.
“Hey,” he said, sliding a drink my way. “I ordered your usual.”
“Thanks.”
Once I sat, the silence that followed was painfully awkward. Unlike when we were dating, quiet gaps in conversation felt uncomfortably loud now.
Sensing it too, Noah cleared his throat. “How have you been?”
“Fine.” I sipped my coffee. “You?”
“Honestly? Still pretty terrible.”
A part of me crumbled hearing that. Knowing Noah wasn’t doing well – and that I couldn’t help him in the way he wanted – sucked.I’d cared about him since I was sixteen, and even after everything he’d done, I didn’t want him feeling this way.
“How’s your, ugh, nose?”
As far I could tell from the opposite side of the table, it seemed okay. Swelling and bruising generally disappeared within one to two weeks, with the broken bone taking a few weeks longer than that.
I’m sure Noah’s dad would’ve had a doctor realign everything as well. He wouldn’t want a crooked nose stealing attention from his son’s dentist-approved teeth.
