He laughed, but I felt dead inside. I just kissed someone other than Chase. I was a horrible fucking person. No. I was actually a horrible person for enjoying it.
“Stop,” he pleaded. “Don’t go to that place in your head, Ruby. It’s going to make you spiral.”
“It’s too late for that, Cap. I’m already there, and this rabbit hole is deep.”
“Then we’ll escape it together, Ruby. Just don’t let it drag you down.” But I felt like I was drowning. Drowning in my grief and my sorrow. Ruined by a pain and suffering so insufferable I could barely breathe.
“Let’s get out of Rising Star,” he suggested.
“It’s raining.”
The man I’ve come to know as Archer stepped forward. “Take my car. Cap’s right. You need to get out of Rising Star.”
“But what about your club’s rules? Won’t your Prez be mad that you left town?”
“Possibly, but it’s better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission. You need this, Ruby. Being here is suffocating you. There are too many memories here, it’s triggering you.”
The girl from the strip club came sauntering outside, smirking as she watched the shit show unfold. I caught her whispering to her friend, and both of them giggled.
Cap noticed my line of vision and moved in front of them. “Eyes up here, Ruby. Fuck them. They just like to stir up trouble.”
“It’s working,” I murmured, shifting uncomfortably.
“Well, let’s make it not work by removing you from the situation. Come on, Archer’s car is over here.”
He motioned to a nice-looking Charger parked just outside the club. It had a sleek black exterior and chrome wheels.
Cap smiled deviously. “I always wanted to drive this thing.”
“You break it, and I break you, Cap!” Archer shouted at me.
He waved him off, opening the door for me. “I got this, Archer, thanks for the ride.”
Once I was settled in my seat, Cap shut the door, racing over to the driver’s seat. He gave me a wicked grin. “Do you like Greek food?”
“Um, I’ve never had it before.”
“Well, I know of this great Greek restaurant in Abilene. They make the best Gyros. You up for an adventure?”
I shrugged. “Sure, I guess so.”
Cap couldn’t stop smiling as the car roared to life, and he took off out of the parking lot, a screaming Archer yelling at him with a raised fist.
“Was that necessary?” I asked, gripping the oh shit handle, flashbacks hitting me hard.
“Oh crap, sorry. I was just messing with Archer. I’m so sorry, Ruby. I totally wasn’t thinking.”
Relaxing in the seat, I let the handle go, but kept nibbling on my bottom lip with worry. “It’s okay. I’m probably just overreacting.”
The rain hit the car with thick drops, turning quickly into a downpour we could barely see out of.
“Maybe leaving town is not such a good idea,” Cap stated.
I took his hand, giving it a squeeze. “It’s okay, Cap. If you want to turn around, we can.”
But just as he was about to turn the car around, the rain magically stopped, opening it up for a perfect ride the rest of the way. “Gotta love that Texas weather,” he griped. “Always changing.”
When we reached Abilene, he pulled up to a strip mall where a little Greek restaurant named Niko’s was situated. It looked like more of a hole in the wall than a five-star restaurant.It wasn’t very big, and I wasn’t convinced from its outward appearance that I would enjoy it, but Cap took my hand, guiding me inside.
