“Help you find the light in your world again.”
Chapter Two
Light? Yeah right.
For the last six months, the only thing I’ve known was a darkness so bleak, it dragged me down and swallowed the world around me into nothingness. I closed my eyes, exhausted and spent. Whoever this guy was, he saved me. I wasn’t certain if I wanted to thank him or curse him, but neither was an option at the moment. My throat burned from throwing up, and my body felt heavy and too weak to do anything about it at the moment.
I just relaxed into him, and let his warmth seep into my skin.
“Come on, Mrs. Tyler.” He cleared his throat and tried to get me to focus. “You need to get up. We need to get you to the hospital.”
“NO!” I shouted, pushing away from the comfort of his arms, ignoring the fact that I was sitting in the mess I made of the floor. “I’m not going to a hospital.”
“Easy,” he said, standing up to hold out a hand. “Ruby, you can’t stay here alone, darlin’. If you won’t go to the hospital, do you have a friend or family member I can take you to, so they can help look after you?”
I shook my head vehemently, and my stomach started to roll with the motion. I bent over, dry heaving again, the room spinning as dizziness set in. “I have nobody,” I gasped out. “Not anymore.”
Bitter resentment filled me as I lifted my head to look at this Nicholas person who invaded my home, interrupted my plans, and saved my wretched life.
Insane eyes the color of deep, rich chocolate stared back at me with intent concern, perfectly framing his golden skin that only glorified his exotic good looks. A warm blush crept over my cheeks as my eyes traced over every chiseled inch of his fantastic jawline, discreetly covered by a rich, thick black beard that matched the tiny short Mohawk on his head. He was covered in tattoos from head to toe. I could even see a few peeking out from spots on his head where his hair wasn't as long. But the best part of him was his smile, so genuine and caring. The deep dimples that pressed into his cheeks had my heart stammering inside my chest. He was fucking gorgeous, and the goddamn muscles that covered this man were sexy as sin.
“Why are you here?” I asked him, both annoyed by my attraction to him and intrigued at the same time. It felt like I was betraying Chase if I stared at him for even a second more, so I looked away, focusing on a spot on the wall that was chipped and peeling. Chase would’ve fixed that if he were still here. Now it’s on me to do. The paint’s in the garage… I just haven’t had the willpower to do anything—even breathing has become exhausting.
There was a long pause before he spoke, almost like he was hesitant to answer.
“I was informed that you were struggling emotionally and may be in need of my services,” he finally answered. “Looks like he was right.”
“He?” I honestly didn't need him to give me a name. I already knew.Reggie. He was my rich as fuck boss who has been questioning my mental stability lately. He had to be theheNicholas was referring to.
“Your boss.”
I fucking knew it.
“Ugh, that asshole needs to learn how to stay out of my fucking business. Instead, he sends his hot, studly, covered in sexy tattoos, Fairy God Pecker here tosavemy life.” I rolled my eyes; I couldn't help myself.
“Displaced anger is natural in times like this, Ruby. He was just trying to help.”
“So, what exactly do you do besides break into people's homes and stick your dirty fingers down their throats?”
He chuckled. “Well, I'm the owner and founder of a non-profit called The Guiding Light. Our organization receives tips from loved ones and friends about others they think might be struggling emotionally, physically, or mentally. We specialize in suicide prevention, but also work with those battling addictions.”
“And here you are… PREVENTING me from leaving this goddamn sorry excuse for a world. Why? Why not just let me be to finish what I started?”
He stared at me strangely, almost like he was asking himself the same question inside of his head.
“About a year ago, I lost my best friend when he took a gun, put it in his mouth, and pulled the trigger. I never knew he was struggling, even though all the signs were there. He became aloof and withdrew from the world. He stopped caring about his appearance and drank all his problems away. He was suffering from depression—a bad depression. He felt alone, forgotten, and like he didn't belong here. Instead of seeking help, he felt the best course of action was to leave this earth completely. I was the one who found him, and I never forgave myself for not being there for him when he needed me. I vowed from that point on, to help any person that needed me and was struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide. Sometimes people don't want my help, sometimes they do. There are times where I showup and barely make it in time to save them, like now, then there are other times I show up and I'm too late. Something inside me tells me you're worth saving, Ruby. And now that I'm here, I'm going to do everything in my power to help you.”
I swatted away his still outstretched hand, and not-so-gracefully climbed to my feet. The blood rushed to my head from moving too quickly, and he caught me when I swayed. “I didn’t ask you to save me. There’s no point.”
“You can’t mean that, Ruby.”
I laughed sarcastically, ignoring the burn in my throat. “But I do. My husband’s gone. He was all I had holding me to this world. The total of people that gave a shit about me died when he did.”
“I give a shit about you, darlin’.”
Laughing again, I said, “You don’t even know me.”
“I know you’re hurting, and you feel like you’ve lost your reason for living, but you haven’t, Ruby. You just have to find a new reason to wake up each morning—a new purpose. Your husband wouldn’t want this for you. He wouldn’t want you to end your life to be with him again. He would want you to live.”
