Page 230 of Show Me

Jake calls Ruby. One ring. Two. Voicemail. He immediately calls again. Straight to voicemail.

Neither of us speaks. Ruby’s dad is in town. Lindsey isn’t home. And Ruby isn’t answering.

The relief I felt seconds ago turns into something cold and vicious. “Jake.”

“I know.”

He's already moving.

Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Two

Ruby

The gun never stops moving. Lindsey talks with her hands, which means the weapon swings in little arcs every time she gestures. Toward the sink. The counter. Me.

Never quite aimed. Never far from it.

“Sit up straight,” she snaps.

I adjust in the chair, wiping my damp palms against my jeans.

“You wouldn’t listen.” She paces again. “I told you to stay away from him.”

“I tried.”

Her head snaps toward me. “You didn’t try hard enough.”

She reaches into her purse and pulls out a prescription bottle. My stomach drops. The pills rattle as she shakes them.

“You know what’s great about these?” Her voice turns strangely conversational. “You’re going to do the dirty work for me.”

Cold washes through me.

She sets the bottle beside the sink, then slides a piece of paper and pen toward me.

“Write.”

I stare at the blank page. “What?”

“Your goodbye letter.”

My chest tightens. “Lindsey….”

The gun lifts.

“Don’t make this harder than it has to be.” She taps the paper with the barrel. “You were devastated. Heartbroken. Xavier ended things, and you couldn’t handle it.”

Every instinct screams at me to run. There’s nowhere to go. I pick up the pen.

Dear Bella and Emily,

The words look wrong. Good. They should. Bella and Emily know me. Maybe they'll realize something isn't right. Except that means finding the letter after….

No. I can't think about that.

My hand almost moves toward my stomach. I stop it. Don't let her know about the baby.

I’m sorry.