“You can come in,” he said. “Oliver wouldn’t want you to stay out in the cold.”
With Gideon’s hand at her back, she followed him in the casino. She didn’t know how he did it, but he got to the elevator without bumping into anyone. The place was so crowded. It was making her nervous even being there. The ride in the elevator didn’t help to slow her nerves.
You can do this.
He’s just a guy.
A guy who is determined to make you want him so much.
She took a deep breath, and the elevator came to a stop, and they walked off together.
Gideon whistled as they made their way toward the main office. He knocked, and seconds later entered.
“Am I interrupting anything?” Gideon asked.
She stayed in the doorway, looking in to find Landon, Charlotte, Jacob, and Oliver. The moment Oliver saw her, the scowl turned into a smile.
“Ruby.”
“Hey, you said to meet you here.”
“I found her staring at the casino. It’s amazing how you blend in. A Santos never blends in,” Gideon said.
“It’s why I’ve lived so long. My brother taught me how to stay invisible.” The pain was still there, but it wasn’t as overpowering. There were other thoughts, fears, concerns on her mind.
Lionel would want her to focus.
Oliver moved to stand behind her. “You don’t need me anymore about this. I’m going to head out, do my rounds.”
“With Ruby?” Charlotte asked.
“I want to go with him.”
“You do know what they do?” Charlotte looked completely taken aback.
“Yes, I do. I’m not the kind of woman who can sit around at home, and right now, I need to do something to keep my mind off of the pressing issues.”
“Pressing issues?” Maddox asked.
“Just something a friend of mine warned about. It’s nothing.”
“We’re going to need to talk about what you want to do with your house, and your trust fund,” Maddox said.
She shook her head. “Right now, I really don’t want to think about it. I’d appreciate it if you just left it for now.”
“You could be living there though. It’s yours, Ruby. Your legacy.”
Ruby couldn’t help but laugh. “With all due respect, that place has like ten rooms in it. It’s too big, and I’ll spend more time cleaning it. I hate cleaning.”
“We could hire someone for you.”
“No. I’m not, I don’t trust easily. Be happy that I’m still here with you guys because this is not normal for me. I’ve had ten years of being alone. It’s the way I like it.”
She turned her back to him and left the main office.
“You don’t have to be alone anymore,” Oliver said.
“Do you want me to move out of your apartment?” she asked.