Page 12 of Loving Her

“Is it real?” she’d breathed, gazing into his dark eyes under the light of a small lantern. “Would it be a real marriage?”

“Aye, real enough, lass, real enough in the eyes of God and the law…”

And so, they’d entered the cottage, where Auld Alisdair had been sat waiting for them, looked as if he’d been sat there for hundreds of years. Shakily, Nicola watched the grizzled hermit now as he wrapped a rough strip of tartan cloth around their joined hands. “I, Alisdair of Klininver, join ye two as one under the eye of God?—”

The door burst open. “Nicola!” James Abercrombie’s voice boomed around the dusty, ivy-covered peat walls of the cottage.

“Father!” Panicked, she looked between Declan and Alisdair. Had they completed the ceremony? Was it too late for her father to interrupt them?

“I can’t believe I bought you a book, but you’re writing?” Sasha craned her neck to peer at Ruby’s laptop screen.

“I have a routine for these flights home,” Ruby said, pulling off her headphones and elbowing her companion gently in the ribs. “Two hours of work, then lunch and an hour nap, then reading the rest of the way as a reward. Don’t interrupt me, I’m on a roll.”

“But it’s almost been two hours anyway, and look.” Sasha pointed into the aisle, where the flight attendants were drawing up with their food and beverage carts. “Lunch.”

Ruby looked at her phone, where the alarm she had set was showing that it would be going off in a minute. She canceled it and closed her laptop. “Oh.”

Sasha flashed her a quick grin and turned towards the flight attendant. “A ginger ale for me and a Diet Coke for my partner, please.”

“Vegetarian or roasted chicken sandwich?” the flight attendant asked.

“One of each, we’ll share.” As she turned to Ruby, Sasha pushed her curls back from her face, a gesture Ruby was familiar with as one of Sash’s nervous tics. Sure enough, the hair push was followed quickly by an apologetic grin. “I thought we could split them. If that’s all right?”

“It’s fine, Sash. Thank you.” Ruby busied herself with putting away her laptop and headphones, deep in thought.

She liked to think of herself as an independent person. As in, to the point of ferocity independent. It was why she’d moved so far across the country to go to college, why she’d chosen to stay instead of going back to New York. So normally, she’d bristle at anyone ordering for her.

But there was something comforting and correct if it was Sasha doing it. Partly it was that she trusted Sasha’s food judgment implicitly, and they’d been friends long enough that she knew Sasha knew what she’d like.

Today, though, Sasha wasn’t only ordering for her. She’d done it specifically so they could share their lunches. And she’d looked out for Ruby, without even knowing it was time for Ruby to stop writing and eat. In Ruby’s bag, there was a copy of a new Casey McQuiston novel and half a pack of Twizzlers that Sasha had bought for her.

She felt protected. Looked after. No one she’d dated previously had ever done that. Certainly, Awful Antonia, as Esme had dubbed her, had done exactly the opposite of making Ruby feel safe and loved. With Sasha over the last couple of months, as they crafted their fairytale love story, Ruby had felt nothing but content and comfortable any time she was with Sasha, even during the motorcycle incident that still made her blush.

If it’s not like this, I don’t want it,it's an act,Ruby thought, and was surprised at how strongly she felt it. This ersatz love affair with Sasha was shaping up to be the blueprint for exactlywhat she wanted in a relationship. To feel like a loved and cherished partner, worth protecting, with someone who knew Ruby inside and out and had no intention of using any of it against her.

“Rubes?” Sasha tapped her on the shoulder and held out a sandwich package with the two sandwich halves. “I split them up. And here, I mixed the crackers and pretzels too.”

“Oh! Thanks.” Ruby couldn’t keep herself from smiling like she’d just been given the best Christmas gift. It was so silly, it was just some subpar airline sandwiches and snacks, but somehow it felt special because Sasha had made decisions with Ruby in mind.ForRuby. For both of them, together, as a partnership.

Yes, this is what I want when I find The One, Ruby decided as she munched on her faintly soggy egg salad sandwich.I want it to be just like this, with whoever it is.

“There.” Sasha dropped her beat up wheeled duffel bag next to Ruby’s feet and glanced around the baggage carousel. “I see your bag. I’ve got it.”

Without another word, Sasha jogged alongside the carousel to pick up Ruby’s shiny purple hard-sided suitcase. She needed one last moment to herself after that plane ride and before they met up with Ruby’s family. To collect herself after Ruby had napped, head on Sasha’s shoulder, her spicy floral perfume and fresh citrusy shampoo filling Sasha’s nostrils and making it impossible for Sasha to nap herself.

As Ruby had slept, Sasha had allowed herself to pick up Ruby’s hand and hold it. To her surprise, Ruby slept like alogon an airplane.

Things were too real already. Meeting Ruby’s family was just going to mix her up even more, she was sure. Being in Ruby’s childhood home…

A thought occurred to Sasha and stopped her in her tracks just as she pulled Ruby’s bag off of the belt. Icy cold water flooded her veins.

“Sash?” Ruby called.

That snapped her out of her freeze. Wrapping her fingers more tightly around the handle of Ruby’s case, Sasha turned around and all but sprinted back and skidded to a stop. Ruby’s eyes were huge blue pools of surprise. “Sash? What the hell?”

“Bed,” Sasha rasped out. “Sleep. We never talked about sleeping arrangements at your mom’s house! Are we going to have to share a bed?” She wasn’t sure she could handle that for an entire week. Pressed up next to Ruby in a little bed, feeling her soft skin and smelling her fresh post-shower scent every night… no, that might undo Sasha entirely. She swallowed hard.

To her shock, Ruby tossed her head back and laughed. “Why are you freaking out?” she asked, her eyes gleaming with mirth. “My mother isCatholic, Sash. We’re not married. No way is she putting us in the same room. You’ll probably be on a pullout down in the basement rec room.” She looped her arm through Sasha’s and dragged her towards the airport exit. “Bonus, you get your own bathroom, my dad and brothers spent a whole summer putting an entire en suite and a kitchenette down there. Sure, it was so they could watch Giants games on the big screen and have snacks and bathroom access without missing more than two minutes of the action, but it sure does come in clutch when we have guests coming.” She paused. “Youmayhave to share the room with a few of the kiddies. Or aunties. But everyone gets their own bed.”

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