Page 25 of Loving Her

Obediently, Ruby allowed herself to be led up the steps of the Grand Colony and deposited into a soft armchair out of the sightof incoming guests. Vaguely, she recognized the room she was in as the one she’d been carried into the night of her broken ankle and chortled to herself.

“What’s so funny?” Sasha appeared with a small plate piled high with snacks and a flute of apple juice.

“Nothing really. Prom memories, you know.” She accepted the offerings with gratitude. “You’re so good to me, Sash.”

She watched with interest as Sasha’s cheeks went rosy. “Well, you know, you’re my friend, I just like to help.”

“Thank you.” The first bite of prosciutto-wrapped melon was heaven. Ruby hoovered her way through the nibbles, sitting back with a sigh of relief when they were all gone. “Better. Much better. Sash, I just love you.”

She’d often told her friends she loved them, Sasha included. But for all that she thought of herself as some Great Observer type, she’d never watched any of them for a reaction before. Even if she had, however, she was pretty sure she would have noticed had any of the others had ever reacted the way Sasha did now.

Which was to flush tomato red, stammer out, “I’m thirsty,” and then flee into the reception hall, ignoring the startled glances she got from the receiving line.

Veryinteresting indeed.

“Hi again, more apple juice?” the friendly bartender asked, setting down the glass she was polishing.

“No, your best whiskey, and make it a double.” Sasha crossed her arms on the bar and dropped her head down into them with a groan.

Shortly, a glass scraped across the marble bartop by her head. “It’s an open bar, I made it a triple,” came the bartender’s voice. “You look like you needed it. Relationship trouble?”

“In a sense.” She straightened up and gulped down a third of the glass. “Just being in love with my best friend things.”

“Ah.” With a deft hand, the bartender topped up the glass of Lagavulin. “Been there. Drink up, then, I’m happy to keep you lubricated.” With a wink, she moved on to the wedding guests that were beginning to line up for their own beverages. Sasha shoved a ten-dollar bill into the tip jar, took her drink and crept away, needing a moment to herself.

Sash, I just love you.Her heart skipped two beats remembering Ruby’s sweet, slightly champagne-blurred voice. All of the Lounge family told each other they loved one another all the time, of course. But after this week, when it was just the two of them, when Sasha’s emotions were bubbling just beneath her skin—no, it felt different, or she was taking it differently. Either way, it was too much for right now. She downed another third of the smooth whiskey, barely noticing that it was really nice.

Ruby looked so beautiful today. And the wedding had been lovely, a fairytale that brought everyone to tears. Daniel and Angela loved each other so damn much… Sasha shot back the last third of her whiskey, uncaring that it really should be sipped. It burned down her throat and into her stomach.

She wanted so much what they had. And damn it, maybe Ruby hadn’t meant thatI love youin a romantic way, she knew better than to even think that for a second, but they had such a connection already, if she just got off her ass andsaid something, could that connection be more? What might happen if she could just be brave for once?

Maybe she’d find out tonight.

After a few more shots of liquid courage. Sasha headed back out for the bar. If she put a twenty in the tip jar, maybe she could get a couple of shots of top shelf vodka.

10

The speeches were deadly dull. Ruby had already delivered hers—it brought the house to tears, as she had expected, and she was proud of it—but now Kate was waxing poetically and at extreme length about Angela and their sisterhood and… frankly, it was lacking. She liked Kate, but she also wished Kate had asked her to lend a hand with editing. With a subtle lift of her hand, Ruby caught a waiter’s attention to refill her wine glass.

Across the room, she saw Sasha sitting with Rose, Jim, and Aunt Cecelia. Ruby wished they were sitting together. She was situated between Danny and Dom Junior at the main table, and as much as she loved her brothers, Danny was entirely besotted with his bride while Dom was more interested in talking fantasy football with Dante on his right. Bo-ring. She drained half her wine glass.

She could be thinking about where she’d be going next with Declan and Nicola’s story, which she hadn’t touched since she’d arrived in New York. Or she could be texting Nat for updates on Winston. But she missed her sweet little old man and was tipsy enough that pictures of him would make her cry. And if she wasgoing to think about any romance right now, it was whatever romance she might be able to have with Sasha.

Ruby picked up her wine glass and sipped, keeping her eyes on her friend. Her shy, sweet friend who had always been there for her, who made sure she ate and drank when she needed it, who supported Ruby’s writing wholeheartedly, who Ruby’s mother absolutely adored…

…who gave her kisses that thrilled her deep in her soul, who pulled her hair just right, who somehow knew exactly how to touch her to make her toes curl… what if everything Ruby had ever looked for had been right in front of her the whole time? Every little thing that Sasha had done to help and support her, what if each one of those had been Sasha saying,I love you?

Danny nudged her with his elbow. “Stare any harder and you’re gonna drill holes through her skull, Rubes.”

She shook her head and blinked. “Oh.”

He squinted and looked at her as if he was searching her face for answers. “Hey, that conversation we had really did shake you up, huh, Rubes?”

She could only laugh and swallow down more wine, shaking her head. Her baby brother sure was a clown with that understatement.

And he wouldn’t let up, either. “Rubes, come on, you had to know, didn’t you? On some level you had to know or you wouldn’t be with her, right?”

Ruby motioned for another refill and waited until her glass was full and she had her face all but buried in it before mumbling, “I’m not with her.”

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