Page 61 of Fletch

“Working.”

I show her over to the couch, and she sits. I sit opposite her. “So, what brings you here?”

“She said you didn’t want to know me.”

I frown. “Huh?”

Her eyes widen. “Oh god, she did tell you, right? She said she told you.” She buries her face in her hands. “Shit. Now, I look crazy.”

“You’re Gemma’s sister,” I say slowly. “Right?” She looks up and shakes her head. My fuzzy brain takes a few beats to catch up as I stare her down. “But you’re not . . . you can’t be . . .”

“Your daughter,” she says quietly. “I’m your daughter.”

The whiskey is making my head spin, and with this news on top, I need to lie down. I lean back on the couch and stare at the ceiling. Fuck.

“I know it’s a shock. I’m shocked too, but right now, we’re kind of in the same boat, so I thought we could at least talk.”

“Yeah, I don’t really do that kind of talking shit,” I mumble.

“Well, listen instead,” she says, suddenly sounding unsure. “I love Gemma. She’s always been the best big sister. She’s my safe place when my parents . . .” her voice trails off. “When Mark and Sarah were being dicks.”

“Language,” I mutter absentmindedly.

She gives a small laugh. “You sound just like Gem. My point is, I’m heartbroken she lied, and I suspect you are too, but she thought it was for the best. That’s what everyone around her told her, and she believed them. Mark is an awful man. He treats us both like an inconvenience. But now I know the truth, I’m kind of relieved.”

“Good for you.”

“And you should be too.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because now you know the truth, you can get to know me and see I’m not so bad.”

I instantly feel guilty and sit up slightly so I can look at her. She looks like Gemma. They have the same dark hair and blue eyes. “It’s not because I think you’re bad,” I mutter.

“Then what is it?”

“I just . . . I don’t want kids.”

“Tough,” she says with a shrug. “I’m already here.”

“I won’t be a good dad,” I tell her honestly. “I don’t even know how to do that sort of thing.”

She rolls her eyes. “And I probably won’t be a good daughter some of the time. We can learn together.”

“Fuck, you’re stubborn just like me.”

“Can’t we just give it a try? Together?”

We stare at one another for a solid minute. There’s a million thoughts going through my mind, and then the door opens and Gemma storms in. “Ruby,” she hisses, “what are you doing here?”

“I came to talk to Fletch,” she says, standing. “But I’m done.”

“I asked you to leave it,” Gemma snaps. She turns her sad eyes on me, and I almost crack. “I’m so sorry about this. We’ll leave.”

“It’s fine,” I say. “She can stick around for a bit.”

Ruby smiles wide. “We have a deal?” I nod, and she laughs. “Good.”

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