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The three of them study me curiously, like I’m on exhibit at the local zoo, like some kind of animal, and they’re both interested and terrified of what I might do.
“She told us what happened,” Davis informs me.
My brow furrows because there’s no telling what she said. It could literally be anything.
Ashley rolls one sleeve on her pajama top and pushes it above her elbow.
Davis sighs sorrowfully. “She showed us the scratches on her arms.”
“You attacked me,” she says. “I mean… I know you were upset, but it’s no excuse. Violence is never an excuse.”
My eyes widen, and a lump the size of a grapefruit forms in my throat. I’ve seen a lot of things. Nothing like this. “She’s lying.”
“You got my best friend arrested,” Johnny tells me. “Not to mention, almost killed.”
“First of all, someone was following me. They were ramming my car. I could have been killed. Cole showing up very well might’ve saved my life.”
“I don’t know, Ruth…” Davis chimes in. “Don’t you think it’s possible you’re overreacting?”
“What? You mean like last time? When my car got shot up?”
“This seems different.”
“Different how?”
Davis raises his brow. “My guess? It was probably just kids messing with you. Teenagers with nothing better to do…”
“Right,” I say with an eye roll. “And I’ve got oceanfront property in Arizona.”
Then I turn to Johnny. “And about Cole—if you cared about either of us, you would have shown up.”
“I was at work.”
“You’re literally a first responder.”
“You can’t expect someone to always come to your rescue, Ruth. It’s not like it would’ve made any difference. The damage was already done. It has been done for a long time.”
Davis and Johnny and Ashley, they’re coming at me from all sides. I’m running out of fight, so I turn away. I need a second to think. Outside, the sun is starting to peek through the trees. Already, the steady drone of a lawn mower hums in the distance. The sound reminds me of something, something I hadn’t thought of. “I can’t leave now.”
They all wait for me to say whatever it is I’m going to say next. I stall for maximum effect. “If I left now, I’d miss the engagement party.”
“But after,” Davis replies, his tone hopeful. “You’ll go somewhere after? Just a little vacation.”
“Sure, why not.” I shrug. “A road trip sounds fun.”
“Good,” Ashley says, rubbing her forearm. “You really need it.”
I flip on the faucet and glance over my shoulder. “And who knows? Maybe I’ll even come home with a new fiancé.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Ruth
There’s good news and there’s bad news. And some middle of the road kind in between. The way I see it, I have a few options. There’s a lot up in the air. But the good news is, I have a deep sense of knowing what it is I have to do.
The first thing: after I make sure breakfast is handled for guests, I need to catch a few hours of sleep.
This is the easy part. I set my alarm, close my eyes, and fall into a fitful sleep. When my alarm goes off a little before noon, I wake with cotton mouth and a foggy mind.
