Page 99 of Falling

“And if you tell a fucking soul about this, deal’s off. These ugly birds are going up in fucking flames, and you’ll still be stuck marrying me. Your parents signed papers. It’s done.”

I wrap my arms around myself, watching as his car peels out. When I’m sure he’s gone, I turn back to look around the yard. While Junior’s been here, all the emus have gone into the barn. I don’t think that’s ever happened before. What has he done to them that they’d already know to stay out of his way?

They’re not as stupid as he thinks they are.

What am I going to do?

The tears start flooding again.

“Ruby?”

I turn and Callum is there, Dolly next to him. She scuttles over faster than him, but he’s right behind her, both of them checking on me.

I pet Dolly and look up at Callum, unsure of where to even begin. I end up putting my head against his chest and sobbing.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

THE BREAKING

CALLUM

“Breathe, Sunshine. I’m here. Breathe, my Ruby.”

I’ve held her and I’ve given her space and I’ve wiped her tears and asked her what I can do, but when she starts panicking, I’ve never felt more at a loss.

“You need to go,” she finally says.

“What?”

I can’t have heard that right. I wait for her to say something else, but she repeats thosesame words.

“You need to go, Callum.” And then she sticks the knife in. “I can’t be married to you.”

Her voice crumbles and she bends until her hands are on her knees as she tries to catch her breath. Emus trickle out of the barn and surround her. Some look at me warily, others are so concerned about Ruby that they don’t pay me much attention.

It’d be a sweet moment if she wasn’t in the process of breaking my heart.

“What happened?”

I want to demand to know why she doesn’t want me, why she married me if she could change her mind so fast, but she’s clearly distraught.

Get over yourself and figure out how to help her.

Every once in a while, Granddad’s voice comes into my head and knocks some sense into me. It’s rare, and it’s only happened a couple times since he died. He was a no-nonsense, take-charge kind of guy. Loved his family fiercely, but he could also be cutthroat if my brothers and I were acting like idiots. He wasn’t perfect, but Grinny was his whole world, and I know he’d be shaking me into action right now.

I move toward her like there’s a fire under my feet and put my hand on her back.

“You’re cold. Let’s get you someplace warm. Is it better in the barn?”

She nods, her eyes vacant when she straightens.

I lead us to the barn and when we’re inside, I look around and walk us to a bench, tugging her arm just enough for her to sit. She’s exhausted and her eyes and lips are puffy like she’s been crying for a long time. Whatever has happened, it’s obvious that she’s devastated about it.

“Can you talk about it?” I ask.

She swallows, her fingers twisting around each other. But she doesn’t say anything. Minutes tick by and it’s just her agonized eyes and the now occasional tears that slide down her cheeks.

“Ruby, you’re scaring me,” I say softly.

---