“Can I use your bathroom,” she asks, frowning at the T-shirt. “I don’t um…undressing.” Ruby hugs the towel to her chest.
“Oh. Yeah. Sure. Over there.” I indicate the direction she needs.
Ruby disappears and I slump onto the sofa. The nightmare I was on the edge of is replicating itself in front of me and I don’t know how to deal with this.
The girl who reappears in my Guns N’ Roses T-shirt isn’t the Ruby I know. She’s quiet and wary. Bare legged and skinny, the fabric hangs off her slight frame and because Ruby’s tall, the t-shirt isn’t as modest as it could be. As I take in the sight of this broken, frightened girl I ache, confused by the strength of my need to comfort her.
“Did he hurt you?” This is a bloody stupid question considering the state of her face.
“I’m okay.”
“I didn’t ask that. I asked if he hurt you.”
She closes her eyes and inhales, before opening an eye again. “I was going to ask if you had anything to drink.”
“Not in this house. Best I can offer is something to warm you up.”
Listen to me, I sound like Bryn.‘I’ll make you a nice drink and we can chat about how your boyfriend just assaulted you’.
“Water’s fine.”
“Are you hurt?”
“Water’s fine.” She perches herself on my white leather sofa, sitting forward with her elbows on her knees.
In the kitchen, I resist slamming cupboard doors and becoming pulled back to the anger over men who assault women. I’ve been an asshole, done some shit stuff around women, but apart from that fucked up incident with Dylan I barely remember, I’ve never come close to assaulting one.
From the doorway, I watch Ruby, her rigid figure and unmoving eyes are those of someone elsewhere. I’ve fantasised about this woman, but now all I see is a lost soul.
“Ruby.” I approach and hold the glass out.
Bruises circle the wrist of the hand she takes the glass with and anger flashes into my mind, ramped up when I see the darkening marks on her neck.
“What the fuck did he do?” I say, stronger than I intended.
“I can’t go back.”
“You should’ve left a long time ago.”
“I don’t know where to go. I don’t have anywhere. Last time Dan was the place I could go.”
I swallow. “Last time?”
“I could share with Jax and the guys, but Dan will find me.”
Ruby isn’t listening; she’s locked in her place of safety where nobody else is allowed right now, talking through her thoughts. I touch her hand and Ruby jerks it away, eyes growing as she looks at me.
“Do you want me to leave you alone?” I ask.
“Can I stay?”
There’s no way I’ll have a reasonable conversation with her, not until she rejoins the world. “I said yes.”
“Here?” Ruby pushes herself against the sofa arm.
This fragile girl pushes into my past and drags up things I don’t want to think about—not just Liv, but before. Bruised and crap knows what else, she came to me.Me.
This isn’t fucking good.