I stroked her gorgeous hair. “I know, baby.”
“I want to talk to Shayna.”
“She may not even be on the resort anymore. She probably wanted to get the hell out of here.”
“You’re right. But still, I’m going to check in the morning. Maybe she’ll be willing to talk to me.”
“All right. I’ll go with you if you want. But why? Why is this affecting you so deeply?”
“Because, Ryan, my father… God knows how many other girls and boys he has hurt in his lifetime. I feel for every single one of them. And even though my father probably has nothing to do with Juliet and Lisa, I feel for them too.”
“You can’t save them all, Ruby.”
“God, how well I know that. But I want to talk to Shayna.”
“There’s nothing we can do about that until morning.”
She looked around. “I suppose I should get back to Melanie and Jade’s party. Why aren’t you with the men?”
I laughed. “It broke up pretty early. Those two are so ridiculously in love that they weren’t in the mood for heavy drinking and strippers.”
Just then, Melanie, Jade, and Marj came out of the dance club.
“The
re you are. Ruby, are you okay?” Marjorie asked.
“I’m fine.”
“I’m sorry I pressed you to dance with that guy.”
“It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known he was such a lech. It was my decision.”
“We’re pretty wiped out,” Jade said. “Plus Mel and I have to look gorgeous tomorrow for the wedding. We’re going to head back.”
“Okay,” Ruby said. “I’ll come along.”
I touched her forearm. “Would you stay out here a little while longer? With me?” God, I sounded like a lovesick schoolboy. Ridiculous.
“I don’t know…”
“Stay out if you want. You’ll look great tomorrow no matter what.” Marj laughed. “When we get back, I want you to take me to your gym. Show me how to get that body of yours. I’m holding you to it.”
“And I’ve told you. There’s nothing wrong with your body,” Ruby said, smiling.
Marj was my sister. Somehow, I never thought of her as having a body. Although I was getting more uncomfortable by the minute every time she and Bryce were in the same room together. He’d been giving my sister some very unbrotherly looks.
Ruby turned to me then, and I saw something in her blue eyes that I hadn’t before. I couldn’t put a name to what I was seeing, but I liked it. I liked it a lot.
“I think…I would like to stay.”
Marjorie smiled then and arched her eyebrows. “Okay. See you guys in the morning.”
“Bye,” Melanie and Jade both said.
Ruby smiled shyly. “What do you want to do?”
I smiled. “Whatever you want.”