Like it was the end of the world.
And, to me, it was.
38
Sebastian
I LIVED BY SCIENCE, math, numbers—always chasing clarity. But I didn’t need any of that to know I loved Ruby Locke. I’d always led with my brain. But Ruby ... she drove my body wild and tore my goddamn heart. And the other way around.
None of it was in the plan. She took me to depths I didn’t know existed and highs that felt like they were defying gravity. There was something terrifying about wanting something so much, feeling something so fierce, that I couldn’t quantify.
I understood why she was scared. If she felt even a fraction of what I was feeling, I couldn’t blame her for wanting to run. The weight of it—the weight of needing someone so damn much—was crushing.
Especially for someone like Ruby. She wasn’t like anyone else I knew. She was a fortress—strong, beautiful, and untouchable. Like any castle, she was surrounded by walls, moats, and dragons—all designed to keep anyone from breaking through. And love was an unpredictable force she had no control over and fought to keep out.
Anyone who’s ever tried to breach a fortress—even in game—knows that the hardest part is breaking through all the layers of defense that protect its innermost core.
I didn’t know if it was only her past that made her this way, or something deeper. I’d had my own share of shit growing up. But I had a feeling her mother played a part, too. I’d heard enough from her and about her, though Ruby didn’t like talking about her parents much.
So I didn’t know the full extent of the wound that kept Ruby away from feelings and relationships, but I hoped she’d risk it with me.
What Ididknow was that I didn’t need a damn precedent to want this with her. Just like that summer before college, when we were each other’s firsts. If she needed a precedent for love, I wanted to be it.
And maybe, just like back then, it would have to come from her. I couldn’t caveman her into this. I could, but not if I wanted it to last. This, us, couldn’t work unless she made the choice herself—unlesssheslayed the dragon keeping her heart behind walls.
As carefree as she could seem at times, Ruby didn’t run this inn without that sharp mind of hers. She was deliberate, always thinking before acting. Sometimes, she needed to step back and observe and analyze. In that way, she was just like me.
I got into my car and waved at Dave. He came over and leaned on my window.
“Signed the permit. Ruby has it. Keep to the plan, okay? Give her the best service. I’ll be in Houston, but she’ll keep me updated.”
“She’s right. You’re her Superman,” Dave said with a scoff.
I raised an eyebrow, a tight twist in my chest. “Superman?”
Dave shrugged, his tone light. “She said so, not me.”
I was so thrown off by his words that I almost laughed. The last thing I felt like was her hero, especially after what had just happened.
Dave continued, “Don’t worry, we always do our best. But the guys will miss having an extra pair of hands around, and I could use picking your brain.”
“You can call me,” I muttered, still trying to brush off the weight of Ruby’s choice of words, but it lingered.
He smiled, tapped the car roof twice, and I pulled away.
I didn’t expect Ruby to come running after me like some dramatic airport scene in a movie. That wasn’t her style.
With Ruby, I was sure of one thing—whatever happened next, it would be on her terms, Ruby-style.
39
Ruby
THE BEACH.
The ocean.
I needed air—something to borrow from the cool blue of the water to calm the hot iron stake in my chest.
