Page 60 of Break Me Like a Promise (Oak Valley)

Ruby shook her head, processing what he said. If he had an offer, that meant he applied and interviewed. But he never said anything about that. “I—I’m confused. How did… Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you? I’m telling you now.”

This fucker was genuinely confused.

Frustration and anger seeped through her body. “No shit, Colton. But why didn’t you tell me about the application? Or the interview? Because clearly you had to interview for it, and if it’s your idol he must be pretty big. Which also — now, forgive me if I’m wrong but after listening to you talk about this shit for years — probably includes a kitchen interview.”

She couldn’t stop herself from gradually entering the Yelling Phase of arguing, but as soon as she said ‘kitchen interview’, it dawned on her. Her mouth dropped.

“That’s where you were this week, wasn’t it? When you disappeared for two days?”

He looked ashamed.

“Answer me.”

“Yeah. It was.” His admission was whispered. “I didn’t say anything because I didn’t think I’d get it, and I didn’t want it to be a thing before it needed to be. But I did get it, and they originally gave me a week to sort it out but they left me a voicemail saying they needed to know by tomorrow.”

Unbelievable. Ruby scoffed, chuckled, wanted to throw something and scream how much she hated him. She took a deep breath and tried to keep things calm. But as soon as she opened her mouth, that all went out the window.

“Great, so just pretend we’re friends but then also fuck me, and then drop this huge bombshell? You’ve known about this for days, Colton. And you’re telling me now? Because they changed their timeline? Were you ever going to tell me, or where you just going to ghost since you clearly had no problem doing it for the interview?”

“Ruby, I love you but we were seeing where things were going. This is exactly why I didn’t want to tell you about the interview—” he waved his hands between them. “— This. We don’t owe each other anything, and I thought I was making the right decision.”

“‘We don’t owe each other anything?’ Colton, we’re only having this—” she mocked his hand wave, not having the bandwidth to address his paltry excuse of an ‘I love you’ and incredulous that he had the audacity to say what he said. “— because you hid things from me. You were dishonest, and you were dishonest about something that impacts me.”

His jaw clenched, arms crossed over his chest making him seem bigger. An ego boost, and Ruby shook her head.

“We were supposed to see where things could go, that’s all. We knew this might happen.”

“That doesn’t address the dishonesty, Colton. Why would you be dishonest?” Goddamn, her eyes tearing. “With me, of all people. Why would you do that?”

He softened, hurt lining his face before he looked at the ground and turned away. “I didn’t think I’d get it, Ruby. Why would they want me, an ex-professional athlete with a fucked up knee and back, who’s known for his anger issues? I applied because… why not? I wasn’t doing anything else but working a job I loathe in a town I needed to escape. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just… didn’t think I’d be good enough. But I was, for them. But I’m not for my dad and I know I’m not for you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Ruby.”

“You have to go, Colt. You have to take the job.” Fuck the tears. Fuck that she felt lied to and used, even if she knew the truth behind his words. But that didn’t mean she deserved the level of disrespect he showed her, and if there was one thing Ruby had learned by dating fuck-boys in the city, it was how to let them go.

“I also think it best if you leave.”

“Ruby — “

“Let me rephrase, Colton. You need to leave. Now. You were dishonest with me, and that is very disrespectful. So get out of my house. Please.” She tacked on the ‘please’ because it was Colton who stood before her. Her first love, her only love. After all these years, he finally had a chance to follow his dream. He went about it the wrong way and made her feel like shit. But she wasn’t going to stand between it and him. So she walked to the front door and grabbed his coat, standing with it hanging out of her hand until he slowly walked from the kitchen to join her. Ruby held it out but didn’t look at him, and he didn’t reach for it.

“Ruby, please.”

“Please what, Colton?” She turned to him, tired of the bullshit. “What do you want? For me to not be mad at you? Are you kidding? You fucked this up. You want your dream job? Great — go get it, it’s literally waiting for you. I know you say we don’t owe each other anything, but given our history, I thought you would’ve at least been honest with me. Thanks for helping me with the bus and coming to IKEA with me, I wish you luck in your new venture.” She shoved the coat into his chest.

“You wish me luck in my new venture? Ruby, seriously? What the fuck is that?”

“Colton.” Ruby stepped closer to him, wanting to breath him in one last time. “We had one chance to see if what we had back then could work now. I thought ten years might be enough time. But clearly, this doesn’t work. And given our history, I think it best if we don’t stay in touch.”

She left out the part of how much it hurt, being near him and not having him. How much it hurt that what they had maybe could’ve worked, if he hadn’t lied. How much she still loved him, even after all these years. Maybe he would always be The One That Got Away, and she would find a way to make peace with that.

“One chance? I didn’t know I was working with such a finite timeframe. Ruby, life is long and it’s weird and I don’t want to put any caps on who I love or for how long. But fine. If you want me gone, I’m gone. But know that I do love you. I did love you, all these years.” Colton snatched the coat from her and opened the door, stepping onto the porch before looking back. “I wish you luck in your new venture, Ruby. Sounds like your marketing business is going to change Oak Valley for the better. I know you changed me.”

And then he was gone. The slam of his car door and the gunning engine of his car barreling down the driveway was the last Ruby heard from him, and her heart ached with something she’d never felt before.

The finality of it all was overwhelming, and while in her heart she knew Colton would never do anything to purposefully hurt her, she knew she couldn’t continue with a precedent of dishonesty.

But she also knew that if she couldn’t get over Colton Taylor the first time, there was no way in hell she’d get over him this time.

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