Page 2 of Ruin

“I think I want to go there.”

He glances toward me and grins. “Yeah right. That’s not your crowd, Peach. Trust me.”

“You’ve been?”

“No, but I know it’s not your crowd.”

“How? How do you know?” I turn toward him.

“I just know.” He keeps staring at the horizon and I wonder for a second if maybe I’m crazy. Ruin never turns down one of my ideas. In fact, he’s really open to helping me make all my dreams come true.

“Okay… how do you know?”

He twists a rock in circles between his fingers as he glances toward me. “I don’t know, Peach. Those people are probably pretty experienced. That’s all.”

“I know. That’s why I want to go. I want to do something wild, and I want you to go with me.”

He laughs… hard. It’s so loud and rough that I’m a little embarrassed that I asked him to go in the first place.

Why is he being so weird about this?

“Hey,” he continues, laughing, “I love you. You know I do. I’ve loved you since you were a tiny peach, and you know I’d do anything for you, but Outlaw… he’d fucking murder me.” He sighs. “And if I’m being honest, I wouldn’t blame him for it. That would be a terrible idea.”

I sigh. “What’s with you today? Outlaw doesn’t need to know, and you’re my friend, too.”

He bumps my shoulder playfully. “Always, but there’s a limit on how far you can push a man. I’m pretty sure he’d snap in ways I couldn’t even imagine if I took his little sister to a sex club. I love you, but no.”

“Look, I get it. It’s a lot. I should ask someone else.”

“Or,” he groans, “don’t go. If you want adventure, I’ll take you ziplining or something.”

“Twelve-year-olds go ziplining. I’m twenty-three tomorrow. I want to live! I spend all day in the salon, doing the same boring haircuts over and over. Then I go home, feed the dog, watch TV, and put things on my online wish list that I’ll never buy. I’m bored. I want to feel alive!”

“How does watching other people have sex make you feel alive? Have you tried porn? Maybe that’s your first step.”

“I don’t want to watch.” I swallow hard and look away.

He gasps. “What does that mean?”

“I don’t know.” I reach out for his arm and tug it playfully. It worked when I was young and wanted ice cream. “Please?”

“Well, you have to tell me what you meant by not wanting to watch. It’s a place where people watch, so… there’s only one other option.”

“Look, I don’t know what it means. I just want to go and have fun. Whatever happens… happens.”

“Isn’t it going to be awkward? Us there together. I mean… we’d be watching people have sex together?”

I smile. “We’re adults, so… I don’t know. Is that weird?”

“Yeah, that’s weird. And again,” his eyes widen, “Outlaw will literally shoot me.”

“He would not. He’s… I’d explain it to him.”

“You can’t explain that away.” He shakes his head and looks down. God, he’s hot. The kind of hot that’s not made anymore. Rugged, rough, wild. His beard is long, he’s covered in tattoos, and he wears these big, chunky rings. It’s artsy and bizarre, and I love the vibe.

“I’ve always liked that ring,” I say, pointing to a skull on his pointer finger. “Why did you pick it?”

He stares down at the silver ring and twists it in circles. “Thanks. I got it at this antique mall out in Oklahoma. I was taking a ride out through the prairie, and it called to me. I like the stars on the skull. It reminded me of how short time is.”

---