Page 117 of Spark

“Desperately.”

“Kendrick, I noticed you so damned much, I couldn’t even look at you, or I knew a gushing river of drool would come out of my mouth and give me away. Especially when you came out in that towel. I was a goner.”

“That’s exactly what Savage said! He said you notcatcalling me when I was in that towel was proof you wanted to fuck me.”

“Wow, you’ve talked to Savage quite a bit about all this, huh?”

“You have no idea.”

We both giggle.

“I was obsessed,” I admit, tracing her belly button with my fingertip. “So, what finally did it? What lit the spark for you to finally see me as something more than a friend for the first time?”

Ruby bites her lip.

“Come on, baby. I’ve told you my timeline. Now, tell me yours. Was it when we kissed at my birthday party? At Reed’s party? Fess up.”

Ruby blushes. “It happened a little bit sooner than all that, I’d say.”

A thought occurs to me. “Wait, were all Cooper’s lyrics about me true?”

Ruby nods slowly. “I’m only assuming about the ‘you said his name twice’ thing, though. I honestly don’t remember moaning out your name over and over again in my sleep like he said I did. Although, come to think of it, I’m sure he was right about that, since I was definitely having a sex dream about you.”

“Holy shit. Really?”

“I denied it when he accused me. But he was right.” She smiles wickedly. “I was. A really good one.”

I’m blown away, dizzy with excitement. “So you never told Cooper you wanted to fuck me?”

“How could I tell him that when I didn’t even realize it myself? Yes, I was having sex dreams about you, but I convinced myself they didn’t mean anything. Or maybe they were just symbolic of our close bond, I don’t know. I twisted myself into pretzels to explain it away.”

“But Cooper could see the truth.”

“Apparently so. I told him he was delusional and crazy. Because, honestly, I thought he was. But looking back, he was right to feel jealous of you.”

I snort. “Poor Cooper. No wonder he wrote that song.”

“Poor Cooper?”

“You gaslit him, babe.”

“What?”

“I’m sure he was out of his head with jealousy. He could see what you couldn’t, and you kept telling him he was delusional and crazy. That’s textbook gaslighting.”

She swats my shoulder. “Whose side are you on?”

“Yours. Always and forever.” I kiss her forehead. “But you have to admit you kinda did mindfuck him.”

“Not on purpose. And enough with the poor guy stuff. I didn’t understand my feelings for you, Kendrick. Our friendship was complicated. And he was a total and complete dick to me.”

“That’s for damned sure. So, yeah, fuck him. He dated you for, what, three months and got a blockbuster song out of it—one that’s going to buy him and all his bandmates condos, at least. Maybe even houses, if they get lucky and get a follow-up hit.”

“Right?”

“I think Cooper would probably say getting gaslit by you was well worth it in the end.”

Ruby cracks up. “He already told me that, basically.”

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