white Ford, which used to be his pride and joy. He would spend hours cleaning and polishing it. And God help anyone who made a mess or tried to eat something in there. Now he’d lost all interest in it, and the car was just like most other people’s—full of trash.
“Oh.” Blake shrugged.
She’d been going over in her head what to say to Blake about her plans for the day. As much as she didn’t want to upset him, she also didn’t want him going crazy at her every time he saw her with Drew. Not that it would happen very often, she supposed. Since their time outside Reese’s house, Drew hadn’t spoken to her once and had managed to steer clear of her, even when their science group met. And to be honest, she hadn’t gone out of her way to be in his personal space either. It was almost a relief not to be treading on eggshells and worrying about what to say in case it upset him. Almost. Yet, despite that, she still found that he invaded her thoughts all day and night.
She shook herself back to her conversation with her brother. “So don’t go off on me if you see me hanging out with Drew,” she continued. “The way you were the other day in the library was so embarrassing.”
Crap. She hadn’t meant to say embarrassing, even though it was true. But she knew that Blake wouldn’t understand because he’d interpret her embarrassment as meaning that she cared more about what Drew thought than she did about what had happened. When in fact it wasn’t that straightforward.
“You’re kidding, right?” Blake turned his head and glared at her for long enough that she put a hand on the wheel to make sure he didn’t drive into something. He brushed her away and returned his focus to the road. “All you got from what happened in the library was that I’d embarrassed you?” He swung the car into a vacant lot and rammed on the brakes, causing Ruby to lurch forward as they came to a halt.
Poor Blake—she had to remember just how much he was suffering in all of this. His high-school sweetheart had died, his best friend had betrayed him, and now his sister was all buddy-buddy with that ex-best friend, long before Blake himself was ready to even think about forgiveness. This must be gutting him.
One day she might actually learn to think before she spoke.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to say embarrassed.” She patted him awkwardly on the arm. Blake wasn’t much of a hugger—he’d be more likely to throw you over his shoulder and toss you into a pond as a way of showing his affection. He took after their dad—or at least, how their dad used to be. Now their father seemed permanently stuck on bitter and angry. “I understand why you’re mad. But I didn’t ask to be in Drew’s group, you know. And now that I am, it’s something we all have to deal with until the project is over. It’s only for a very short time.”
She couldn’t help that a wave of traitor-like sadness washed over her as she realized that once the project ended, she’d have no reason to speak to Drew. She pushed the feeling aside. Blake was right here . She couldn’t even begin to go down that road. Not now.
Not ever.
“Do what you have to. I don’t care.” He opened the car door and ducked outside, then slammed it shut with way more force than necessary. When she grabbed her backpack and got out, he stood strumming his fingers on the roof. But just as she started to feel relief that he’d waited for her—as if he couldn’t be too mad if he wanted to walk to class with her—he locked the car and strode off, leaving her behind.
She stood glued to the spot watching her brother walk away, anger emanating from him with each long stride he took. She wished there was something she could do to take away all that hurt and bitterness. To give him back just a little of the happy-go-lucky optimism he used to have.
“Ruby.”
She turned and saw Tiffany heading toward her. Thank God. She seriously didn’t know how she’d manage without
“Oh.” Blake shrugged.
She’d been going over in her head what to say to Blake about her plans for the day. As much as she didn’t want to upset him, she also didn’t want him going crazy at her every time he saw her with Drew. Not that it would happen very often, she supposed. Since their time outside Reese’s house, Drew hadn’t spoken to her once and had managed to steer clear of her, even when their science group met. And to be honest, she hadn’t gone out of her way to be in his personal space either. It was almost a relief not to be treading on eggshells and worrying about what to say in case it upset him. Almost. Yet, despite that, she still found that he invaded her thoughts all day and night.
She shook herself back to her conversation with her brother. “So don’t go off on me if you see me hanging out with Drew,” she continued. “The way you were the other day in the library was so embarrassing.”
Crap. She hadn’t meant to say embarrassing, even though it was true. But she knew that Blake wouldn’t understand because he’d interpret her embarrassment as meaning that she cared more about what Drew thought than she did about what had happened. When in fact it wasn’t that straightforward.
“You’re kidding, right?” Blake turned his head and glared at her for long enough that she put a hand on the wheel to make sure he didn’t drive into something. He brushed her away and returned his focus to the road. “All you got from what happened in the library was that I’d embarrassed you?” He swung the car into a vacant lot and rammed on the brakes, causing Ruby to lurch forward as they came to a halt.
Poor Blake—she had to remember just how much he was suffering in all of this. His high-school sweetheart had died, his best friend had betrayed him, and now his sister was all buddy-buddy with that ex-best friend, long before Blake himself was ready to even think about forgiveness. This must be gutting him.
One day she might actually learn to think before she spoke.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to say embarrassed.” She patted him awkwardly on the arm. Blake wasn’t much of a hugger—he’d be more likely to throw you over his shoulder and toss you into a pond as a way of showing his affection. He took after their dad—or at least, how their dad used to be. Now their father seemed permanently stuck on bitter and angry. “I understand why you’re mad. But I didn’t ask to be in Drew’s group, you know. And now that I am, it’s something we all have to deal with until the project is over. It’s only for a very short time.”
She couldn’t help that a wave of traitor-like sadness washed over her as she realized that once the project ended, she’d have no reason to speak to Drew. She pushed the feeling aside. Blake was right here . She couldn’t even begin to go down that road. Not now.
Not ever.
“Do what you have to. I don’t care.” He opened the car door and ducked outside, then slammed it shut with way more force than necessary. When she grabbed her backpack and got out, he stood strumming his fingers on the roof. But just as she started to feel relief that he’d waited for her—as if he couldn’t be too mad if he wanted to walk to class with her—he locked the car and strode off, leaving her behind.
She stood glued to the spot watching her brother walk away, anger emanating from him with each long stride he took. She wished there was something she could do to take away all that hurt and bitterness. To give him back just a little of the happy-go-lucky optimism he used to have.
“Ruby.”
She turned and saw Tiffany heading toward her. Thank God. She seriously didn’t know how she’d manage without
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