Page 66 of One of Six

Meanwhile, Ridge shoots out of bed and starts pacing in all his naked glory, muttering about Galen. He's very beautiful naked, not that I'll ever admit that to Essex.

Essex tosses him a pair of shorts. "My girl doesn't need to see that shit."

"Don't worry Essex, yours is bigger." I giggle and Ridge flips me off.

"I'm sorry, Ridge. I really am," I say, kind of embarrassed.

"Well, at least one of you knows my name," Ridge mumbles.

Feeling sorry for the man, I get annoyed with Violet. I walk over and kiss him on the cheek. "Go back to sleep." I turn to my friend and point to the door.

"Ridge," she says softly, waiting for him to look at her. When he does, she says, "I'm sorry. I knew it was you when I climbed into your bed. You have a tattoo on your neck and a small scar on your shoulder. Your eyelashes are longer than Galen's." Violet sighs and looks sad. "You held me close," she pauses, tears floating on her lashes, "and called me Dolly." Her shoulders slump as she leaves the room.

I glance at Ridge, and he looks destroyed by her confession.

"Okay then. Night, Ridge."

27

BEATRICE

Violetand I crash on my bed as soon as we sneak into the house. But I can't sleep. Neither can Violet. I don't know where to start with my friend. I know she likes to tease, which she did back in high school, but this with Ridge is... different."

"What was it like?" she asks softly. "I bet he was good to you."

I stare at the ceiling and smile. "He was amazing, Violet. He turned me into jelly."

"I'm glad you have someone like that. I've seen the way he looks at you. It melts my heart."

I turn on my side and face her. "What's wrong with you? Calling Ridge, Galen really hurt him."

"I know." Tears well up in her eyes. "He hurt me when he said her name. In the end, I couldn't leave with him thinking I’d confused them, you know? That's why I admitted that I knew it was him. Oh, Bea, my heart skips a beat and I get butterflies in my stomach when I'm around him. He only knows I exist when I'm teasing him." She sighs. "I want him to see me as a woman, Bea."

"Oh, I wish you had told me. Maybe I could have helped."

She wipes her eyes and says, "I blew it, whether I ever had a chance or not. He's twenty-one and I'm eighteen. It's only three years, but it might as well be thirty.”

I want to feel sorry for her and tell her not to give up hope, but would that be the best advice? Ridge likes his variety. I knew that even before I met the Redd brothers. "I never expected it to be like this. I'm in love with Essex, Violet. I want that for you too, and I'm going to help you get what you want.”

"I need to focus on someone who isn't Ridge Redd." She smiles. "How about Boone or Atilio? They're cute."

I groan. "Please don't flirt with them."

"I'll try to be good, but it's hard when I'm sure they really like it."

Rolling onto my back, I sigh heavily and ask my friend, "What do you think about what David said?"

Taking a deep breath, Violet says slowly, "Honestly, David's always been nice to me and my parents. I mean, not social or anything, just in passing or when he's called over to the house on occasion. I have seen him with Judge and Richard, and then he looks right through me. It's like he doesn't want anyone to stop and talk to him while he's with them." She wrinkles her nose. "Does that make sense?"

"So, you believe him? That he's helping Ed?"

"Well, Ed is an FBI agent, right? So, there is obviously some truth to what David said."

"David and Richard got into a fight that night. I was really scared after the gunshot, and with the two of them fighting."

Violet stares at me with her mouth half open. She snaps it shut. "That's the first time you've ever admitted what really happened. Mom thought it was your dad, but my dad told her never to repeat it. He was furious. So, it's true?"

“Everyone knows who killed her. They're too afraid to say anything."

---