Page 57 of Freeing Ruby

There are so many things I want to say.

I’m sorry I let you down.

I’ll never let it happen again.

But none of those words come out. Instead, I lose myself in her beautiful blue eyes. Time stands still. My heart slams into my ribs, and my chest constricts as I realize how close I came to losing her.

She’s not even mine, but I realize right then, in that moment and with absolute clarity, that I want her to be mine.

“Miguel.” Her voice is a breathy sigh, and she tightens her grip on my hands, as if she’s afraid I’ll release her.

She’s not pushing me away.

I lean forward and kiss her forehead. “Ruby.”

And still, she’s not pushing me away. In fact, her hands slide off mine and she reaches for me.

I pull back and stare into her eyes, which are glittering now with unshed tears. “I was so scared,” I admit.

“Please don’t quit,” she says, her voice shaky. “Don’t leave me. I can’t do this without you.”

“Quit? I’d never quit on you. Your father told me you didn’t want to see me.”

She shakes her head adamantly. “I never said that! He lied to you.”

Fury surges inside me. “He played us against each other.” My fingers slip into her hair. “I’ve been fighting to see you since you arrived at the hospital. Your father wouldn’t let them tell me anything about your condition, and he barred anyone else from seeing you. He wouldn’t even let Edward see you.”

She leans forward and rests her forehead on my shoulder. “Please take me home.” Her body shudders. “I can’t be here, Miguel. It’s not safe. And Pumpkin—”

I kiss the top of her head. “Don’t worry, honey. Pumpkin’s fine. I made sure of it.”

She smiles gratefully. “You did?”

“Of course I did.” I lean forward and kiss her lightly. “I’m already making plans to take you somewhere safe as soon as you’re released.”

“Where? What are you talking about?”

“Your apartment building isn’t secure, sweetheart. It’s not safe. At least not until we know who tried to poison you.”

“But I have to go back to my apartment. It’s the only place—”

I cup her face. “Ruby, do you trust me?”

Her eyes lock onto mine. “Yes,” she says without hesitation.

“Then trust that I have somewhere safe to take you.”

“Where?”

“Shane has offered us the use of a three-bedroom apartment in his building in the Gold Coast. That’s my building, too.”

She shakes her head. “The Gold Coast? I can’t afford that.”

“It’s free of charge, as long as we need it. This is a well-secured building. Layla and Jason live there, plus many more of my friends. You’ll be safe there.”

Her eyes widen again, filled with apprehension. “What about my things? What about Pumpkin? And my art supplies? I need to work.”

“I’ll have all of your belongings moved to the new apartment. It’ll feel just like home, I promise. It’ll be just like what you have now, only more space and a lot more secure.”

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