Page 67 of Break Me Like a Promise (Oak Valley)

“That’s part of the point. And not just for the bus.”

“Not just the bus?”

Her mom laughed, causing her to have a small coughing fit. Ruby passed her the water on her nightstand, and she drank before continuing. “Oh, no. Honey, you left your life in New York City and moved into your childhood home. You re-dated your high school sweetheart and — while I don’t really know what happened — he’s not here today but you’re still standing. You and I both know nothing would’ve kept him from helping today, especially with those fine Dougherty boys hanging around, which means it must’ve ended. But you’re… okay. Even if you’re sad, or hurt, you’re okay. And I see what a beautiful, mature, ambitious woman you’ve become, something I didn’t really have the chance to experience when you lived away. So yes, I’m proud of you, Ruby Delacey.”

Ruby let the tears fall. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had told her they were proud of her, and it was extra special coming from her mom. It’d been the two of them for as long as she could remember, and they weren’t just mother-daughter. They were friends.

But her mom was right — she had done all those things. She pushed and stretched herself, she learned and grew and she’d never felt stronger or more capable than she did in that moment. She really could do anything she wanted, and she finally proved to herself she didn’t need to do everything alone. She’d found the balance, and she’d found herself.

She leaned over and hugged her mom, careful not to squeeze too tight but still leaning into the type of hug only a mom could give.

“Go back to your party, I’m sure one of Olive’s brothers would like to take you out.

Ruby laughed. “I’m not touching Olive’s brothers, it’s too messy.”

“If you say so, but life’s too short not to make out with a hottie,” Beryl said shrugging. “Youth is wasted on the young.”

Ruby shook her head, trying to ignore the pang that came with thinking of making out with a hottie other than Colton. But she’d gotten through it before, she could do it again. “I hope you enjoy the pizza, just text me if there’s anything else I can get you.”

She closed the door behind her and joined the raucous group in the basement, taking another look at the group. The solar guys were a touch too old for Ruby, two of them married. The brothers…

They weren’t Colton.

It was as simple as that, and Ruby wondered how long it’d be before she could look at a guy and not think of that asshole.

56

The last week was nothing short of hell, and Colton found himself waking every morning wanting to die and coming back to the apartment feeling like he already had.

And it had nothing to do with Katie’s constant reminders about the Valentine’s Day Festival, now just days away, or how he hired a gravel company to smooth over Ruby’s driveway and had heard nothing back. Not that he had expected to, not really. He thought it might have helped in smoothing things over, but he could only read her non-response as it hadn’t done anything.

Although he could picture her getting pissed off, and that made him chuckle.

Colton hopped in the shower. Or, better yet, nearly dragged himself in and after a solid forty-five minutes, back out and onto his bed. He was in a state of his knee always hurting, his back twinging when he moved too fast. They were baking so many items at such a high speed, Colton forgot what it was like to love it.

But this was supposed to be his dream job, his new start.

His phone lit upon his nightstand, Katie’s name on the screen. He answered it and mumbled a hello.

“Well, hello to you too, Mr. Sunshine,” she laughed. “I take it the Hermes bag man is putting you to work?”

Colton didn’t have the energy to laugh at her stupid joke, instead just sighing.

Katie dropped the playfulness from her voice. “Dude, what’s going on?”

“Dude, I’m exhausted.”

He heard her breathing on the other side, and what sounded like she was chewing her nail.

“Colton, you know it’s okay if you’re dream job ends up… not being your dream job, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I mean, life is long, right? So who said you have to pick one thing and stick to it? You’re allowed to try new things and have them not work out. You’re allowed to… fail.”

He stared at the phone from his bed, head smashed into the pillow he ordered after his first day at work.

“Katie, I’ve been failing all my life.”

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