What the fuck? I fumbled a hand over the light switch, clicking it on, and took in the situation as Ruby stifled a gasp. Was the cause my apartment, or the woman curled up on my couch?
“What are you doing here?” I demanded.
Payton blinked against the sudden light and looked sheepish as she threw the blanket off her lap. She stood, pressed a button on the remote, and an image froze on my flat screen. “Dominic’s in Helsinki until Tuesday, and our internet went out as I was binging on Stranger Things. I didn’t think you’d mind if I came over since you didn’t answer any of my texts.”
“What texts?” I dug out my phone. Shit, there they were. I must have missed them during dinner, too distracted by Ruby and our discussion. “Oh. It was loud at the restaurant.”
The women eyed each other with interest as I led Ruby inside and the door shut behind us. Payton had a pleasant smile, trying to play it cool, but she seemed thrilled at my progress on the New Year’s resolution. “Since my brother’s not going to introduce me, I’m—”
“Payton,” Ruby said. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Ruby.”
Payton’s gaze swung to me, curious. “You used to know a girl named Ruby.”
“Yes,” I said. “This is her.”
My sister’s curiosity was replaced with surprise. As we’d become closer over the last year, I’d mentioned my past relationship with Ruby, and Payton had seized on it. Although I didn’t confess how exactly things ended, she knew it hadn’t been good.
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” Payton’s voice was even, but gone was her typical warmth. Which knocked me back a little. I’d never seen my sister protective of me. She moved toward us, then swung to her right, where my washer and dryer shared a little room with my coat closet. “I’ll grab my coat and let you two get to the fucking.”
“Oh, God,” Ruby whispered so quietly, I barely heard it. Her face was pure mortification.
“She didn’t say it to embarrass you, I promise. That’s just how she is.”
Payton reappeared, cinching the belt closed on her long coat. “Have fun.” Her gaze locked onto mine. “Call me tomorrow? We can grab lunch.”
It sounded far more like an order than a request, but I let it slide with a nod. She wanted details on what was happening between Ruby and me, and her sisterly concern was kind of nice. Her attention moved to Ruby, critical and evaluating, but Ruby was either unaware, or taking it in stride.
“Should I leave the door open?” my sister teased.
“You’ll have to ask your brother,” Ruby fired back. “It was his suggestion.”
Something dangerously close to respect flashed in Payton’s eyes. My sister could be an intimidating woman, but Ruby held her ground.
“Closed would be fine,” I said. “Hope your internet’s working when you get home.”
She waved the comment off. “I’ll swing by Evie and Logan’s place and see what they’re up to. Now that they have the baby, they never go anywhere.”
She was avoiding going home to an empty apartment. “Aw, did the big bad TV show scare you?”
Her face said she’d been busted. “Watching it in the dark was a bad idea,” she muttered. Then she nodded goodbye and left.
My sister’s presence had completely derailed my plans and I struggled with how
to get back on track. Ruby peered up at me, her expression echoing my thoughts. I helped her out of her coat, and went into the laundry room to hang both of ours up, leaving her to wander further into my place.
She stood in my living room, surveying the cobalt blue couch Payton had been occupying.
“It’s a bit much, huh?” I asked. The room was whites, chrome, and grays, with the large couch a gigantic punch of color. It wasn’t what I would have picked, but I could live with it. “The place came furnished.”
“Oh.” She surveyed the room.
The space was modern and clean, and had been renovated just prior to my move in date. I wasn’t sure about the couch, but the rest of the apartment was cool and somewhat sexy. The view of the Chicago River snaking below wasn’t bad either. Under the orange-yellow hue of city lights, one of the bridges was rising to allow a boat to pass beneath.
“Your sister’s really pretty.” Her voice was hushed. “I thought you weren’t close with her.”
“We weren’t. When I moved back, I started hanging out with her and her husband.”
“That’s nice.”