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“Let me guess, argument gone bad? No, wait, a demonstration of your erotic asphyxiation technique?”
Ruby’s voice pierces through the wrong thoughts I was just having. Lena slaps a hand over her heart and we both step back from one another, probably looking guilty as hell. Not that we’re doing anything wrong. We’re just walking to the library.
“Wow, Ruby, you need to work on your hello.” I grin at her like she didn’t just find me eye fucking Lena in the middle of the street.
Ruby’s narrowed eyes shift between me and Lena. There’s a canvas bag dangling from her arm, a loaf of fresh bread poking out the top.
“Am I interrupting something?” Ruby raises her brows, her grin full of evil glee.
“Nope. Just walking Lena to work.” Which makes me realize Ruby’s walking around by herself. “Why are you alone?”
Ruby taps her finger to her lip as if contemplating my question. “I’m pretty sure I’m standing here with you and Lena. I wouldn’t call you two a bunch of nobodies.”
“Not what I meant, and you know it.”
“Oh, you mean that horror movie plan you guys came up with? Where none of us are allowed to go anywhere alone on the island?”
Lena’s trying to hide a smile, but I don’t have the patience for Ruby’s smartass mouth today.
“Yes.”
Ruby drops the smug smile, and her mouth flattens into a straight line. Her purple hair is up in two high buns on the top of her head, and she looks a little like an early aughts rave girl.
“Here’s the thing, Archer Alexander Warren,” Ruby says, whipping out my full name. “You’re walking Lena to work, and then what? Heading off all on your own to go manscape or whatever.” I chuckle because I can’t help myself.
“I don’t have to manscape. I’m naturally beautiful.”
“Okay. Fine. I know. Whatever. The problem with your solution to go nowhere alone is that you boys are traipsing all over the island by yourselves. Are you not in just as much jeopardy as the rest of us?”
I open my mouth to defend our logic, but she has a point. She grins when my mouth closes, looking like she’s won something. “You’re right. How about this, after I drop Lena off—”
“—I don’t need you to walk me home, Archer.”
“Not what I was going to say, Rubes.”
Lena laughs under her breath, her arm brushing against mine as she listens to our back and forth.
“After I drop Lena off, you can walk me home. You might be badass enough to walk these streets alone, but I’m not.”
Laughter chimes from my side. Ruby studies my face for a second before nodding.
“I’ll keep you both safe. My bag has hairspray and scissors.”
“Are you going to style someone’s hair if they attack us?” Lena jokes as we start walking toward the library.
“Hairspray to the eyes kills like a mofo. And I’ll just stab a bitch with the scissors.” Ruby throws her head back and cackles.
I catch Lena’s gaze over the top of Ruby’s head, and we exchange an unspoken acknowledgment of the moment earlier. I don’t know what it was. I don’t know what the fuck to do about it, but something has changed between us. It’s been changing for a while, and I’m not sure how much longer I’m going to be able to fight the need I have to touch her.
