Текст книги "Falling for the Wrong Guy"
Автор книги: Sara Hantz
сообщить о нарушении
Текущая страница: 1 (всего у книги 10 страниц)
She had no right to want him. And no way to resist…
Ruby Davis has a crush on her brother’s best friend. At least, he was his bestie until the big betrayal. Now Drew is off limits to everyone, especially Ruby. She can’t stand the way people treat him, or the way he feels about himself. It isn’t right. And those deep green eyes are calling to her.
Drew is scarred and damaged, and he has no business even looking at Ruby. But he can’t help himself. She’s beautiful, but he does his best to stay away. When they are assigned a school project, they become reluctant friends – even though they want so much more.
She’s torn between her feelings for Drew and loyalty to her brother. There’s no way they can ever be together…but love just might find a way.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Sara Hantz…
In the Blood
Will the Real Abi Saunders Please Stand Up
Discover more of Entangled Teen Crush’s books…
Ten Things Sloane Hates About Tru
Playing the Player
Finding Perfect
Aimee and the Heartthrob
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 by Sara Hantz. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.
Entangled Publishing, LLC
2614 South Timberline Road
Suite 109
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com.
Crush is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC.
Edited by Tracy Montoya
Cover design by Heather Howland
Cover art from iStock and Shutterstock
ISBN 978-1-63375-393-8
Manufactured in the United States of America
First Edition October 2015
Chapter One
Ruby Davis raced into class just a few seconds ahead of the first bell, feeling her loose ponytail swinging from side to side in time with her steps. She skidded to a stop and scanned the familiar room, the tables in their regimented layout, the paint peeling slightly on the walls. Her breakneck rush had been for nothing—most of the desks had been taken, apart from a couple less than two feet away from the teacher’s desk. Great.
She’d planned on arriving early for the first day of the new school year. But she’d slept right through both of the alarms she’d set. Tomorrow, she would definitely set three.
“Ruby, over here.” She saw her best friend Tiffany waving frantically with one hand and pointing to the seat next to her with the other. Oh, thank God.
A sigh of relief escaped Ruby’s lips, and she returned a grateful wave. She headed to where Tiffany sat, dropping her bag on the desk as she reached her.
“Thanks. I was beginning to panic that the only seat left would be in the front.” She sat down next to her friend and smoothed down her new midnight-blue American Eagle sweater, which she’d bought for the start of school with the money from her job. She took out her books and then leaned back in the chair, folding her arms across her chest and relaxing for the first time since she’d woken up more than half an hour late.
Ruby noticed everything Tiffany was wearing was new. Her dark skinny jeans were gorgeous, and Ruby would’ve loved a pair. Ditto on her filmy new tank, which practically screamed “Nordstrom designer rack.” Tiffany’s mom was always buying her clothes. Luckily for Ruby, she and Tiffany were the same size, and her best friend would always share anything she had. She’d saved Ruby from her low-income closet malfunctions on many occasions.
“So, a bunch of us are going out after dinner tonight. You up for it?” Tiffany said, looking over the top of Ruby’s head—likely keeping watch for their teacher.
“I don’t think so. I’ll have homework to do.” She braced herself for Tiff’s reaction.
“What?” Tiffany’s dainty features scrunched up into a frown, and she tilted her chin downward, causing her blond bangs to fall in front of her eyes.
“I’ll have homework to do,” Ruby repeated. “Sorry.” The corners of her mouth twitched, despite her trying hard to keep a straight face. Tiffany just looked so dejected, it was almost comical.
“I know what you said. I just didn’t think you meant it,” Tiffany said, sounding unhappy.
For Tiffany, studying had always come second to going out and having a good time. And until recently, Ruby had felt like that, too. But now things really had to change. “We’re juniors. I’ve got to look to the future. Which means studying for a scholarship so I can afford a good school.” Ruby elbowed Tiffany and smiled to soften her words. “Not all of us have our lives figured out. You love interior design and can apprentice at your mom’s design studio right after school. I, on the other hand, am going to be stuck slinging scrambled eggs and coffee forever if I don’t earn a scholarship.”
This past summer, apart from when she’d been working, she had spent most of her time helping her mom take care of her disabled dad. Which pretty much sucked. Her dad wasn’t exactly a ray of sunshine, and although she loved him, she could only take his negativity in small doses without going crazy. Their miserable summer had made her more determined than ever to avoid being stuck in a dead-end job—or worse, on welfare like her parents.
Not that she blamed them for their circumstances. Her dad’s face and body had been badly burned in a horrific gas explosion at work when Ruby was young, and he hadn’t been well enough to hold a job since. In constant pain, he was so self-conscious about the scars which trailed down his body and had made one side of his face virtually unrecognisable that he hardly ever managed to leave the house. Ruby’s mom had given up her own career after his accident, and she’d devoted all of her time to him. Her mom worried that if he was left alone for too long, he might do something stupid. By “something stupid,” her mom meant… Actually, Ruby didn’t want to go there. All that needed saying was that they kept an eye on him most of the time. It was a twenty-four-seven task.
But doing well meant a lot more to Ruby than simply escaping the hard times. She wanted, more than anything, to earn enough money to pay for someone to come in and help, so her mom could then have more of a life. Ruby had hoped that her older brother, Blake, would contribute in the future, too, but it wasn’t something she could discuss with him at the moment, as he was far too absorbed in his own life. With good reason.
“What about me?” Tiffany asked, interrupting Ruby’s thoughts. Her bottom lip jutted out in an exaggerated pout. Which usually worked when she used it on the boys in their class, but Ruby was immune to it by now.
“You’re more than welcome to join me. We can have a study-in every weekend.” Ruby tried not to laugh at the look of horror on Tiffany’s face, but she couldn’t stop herself. Soon, her whole body had started to convulse, and she slammed her hand over her mouth to stop the sound of her trademark embarrassing snorts from travelling around the class.
“Stop it,” Tiffany said, giving Ruby a pretend slap around the head. “I thought you were serious.”
The snorts gradually subsided, and Ruby risked removing her hand from her mouth. “I am. Well, not about the study-in, but I am about studying hard.”
Tiffany’s pout turned into a look of genuine disappointment. “Who am I going to go out with? Ben’s having a party on Saturday, and I thought we’d be going together.” She rested her arm on her forehead and sighed in true melodramatic fashion. Ruby rolled her eyes in amusement.
Tiffany had been crushing on Ben, a senior, since she first caught sight of him, the day he moved to their school. The trouble was, he didn’t seem to know that she existed. Ruby could certainly empathize with her on that one. She’d been there, done that, and had the photos of her dateless self at school dances to prove it. Although considering that she’d now resolved to study, the lack of a love life was probably a good thing. And something she intended to stick to, whatever temptation came her way. If she was lucky enough to have any temptation, of course.
“I’m not going to be a total nerd. I’ll be okay to go out on the weekend with you. Apart from when I’m working at Echoes.” Ruby hoped this would satisfy Tiffany. They’d been friends for a long time and had never once fallen out. Well, not counting the time when in sixth grade they both liked the same boy. But seeing as he’d liked someone else entirely, they’d forgotten him and had gone back to being best friends in no time.
“You’re so lucky to be working there,” Tiffany said.
Ruby nodded in agreement. She couldn’t believe when she’d landed the waitstaff job only last week. She planned to take as many shifts as possible and save the money she earned for when she went to college.
“I know. And it beats cleaning at the hotel. If I never have to clean another toilet, it will be too soon, that’s for sure.” And that was an understatement. She’d spent the last two years working in the hotel’s housekeeping department and had hated every moment. But she’d had to stay, or she’d have had no money at all.
“Apart from your own, of course,” Tiffany said, pinching her nose between her thumb and finger and acting like there was an awful smell.
Ruby laughed. “And let’s not forget the tips are better at Echoes,” she added.
“So, does that mean you’ll definitely be coming with me to Ben’s party?” Tiffany’s deep blue eyes were wide with anticipation.
“Yes. Promise,” Ruby replied, making a tiny cross over her heart.
She hoped that they didn’t suddenly change her Saturday shift to a later one. At the moment, her boss had her scheduled from eight until four. She refused to worry about that now because it wasn’t like she could do anything about it.
“That’s okay then, as long as—holy crap,” Tiffany said, dropping the pencil she’d been holding with a clatter, her mouth open so wide, it looked like she was attempting a goldfish impression.
“What?” Ruby swiveled around to catch sight of whatever it was that had blindsided Tiffany so completely.
And within seconds, she saw for herself. Her heart pounded against her rib cage, and she struggled to breathe.
It was Drew Scott.
Who Ruby used to have the hugest crush on. Ever.
Drew. Scott.
She tried not to stare, but her eyes were drawn to him. His face was much thinner than before but still just as striking, with his angular jaw and dimpled chin. And his dark hair was longer than it used to be, so it curled below his ears and onto the back of his dark blue hoodie.
Catching sight of the thick red scars on his neck, Ruby swallowed hard. The pain he must have gone through didn’t bear thinking about. She looked around the room and saw that everyone else was staring at him. Her heart reached out to him.
Until she remembered exactly what he had done, and then she didn’t know what to think.
It was nearly a year ago that she’d come home from work to find her brother sobbing his heart out on the couch, with her mom trying desperately to console him. His girlfriend, Reese, had been killed in a fire at her house. Her parents had gone away for the weekend, leaving her alone. Except it turned out that she hadn’t been alone. Drew, Blake’s best friend, had been with her. As in been with her.
Which was why Drew was now her brother’s ex-best friend.
“Look,” the guy in the desk behind Ruby whispered. “Drew Scott. Check out the scars on his neck.”
“Talk about karma in its extreme,” a girl replied.
Ruby fought the urge to turn around and glare at them. She already felt torn between her loyalty toward Blake and sympathy for Drew’s obvious suffering—both physical and emotional. Many of their classmates weren’t even bothering to hide their revulsion, openly throwing curious or even hateful glances his way and gossiping in low voices. It made her sick to the stomach that people could be so openly cruel.
It all reminded her of the day her dad came home from the hospital after his accident. She’d only been five, but the memory had stuck with her—one of her earliest ones. The shock of seeing him had been so bad that she had screamed and screamed until he’d actually left the room. Her mom had told her it had taken a long time before Ruby could even look at him. Even though she’d been too young to understand her actions, she still felt guilty about how much she must have hurt him.
“Are you okay?” The feel of Tiffany’s hand resting on her arm forced Ruby’s attention from Drew and the memories of her childhood.
“Yeah. Sure,” Ruby replied, feeling suddenly light-headed. Probably because she hadn’t taken a breath since catching sight of him. “I just didn’t expect to see Drew here.”
“What’s he doing in our class?” Tiffany asked. Others in the room were likely wondering the same thing, since Drew had been a year ahead of them.
“I guess he has to repeat his junior year since he missed most of it,” Ruby suggested. “I wonder why he didn’t just take classes at home? I know that’s what I’d do.”
“I don’t know. Then again, you know what his family is like.”
Ruby nodded in agreement. Drew’s friendship with her brother meant she’d heard bits and pieces about his crap home life through the years, which she’d only ever vaguely mentioned to Tiffany in the past.
“More to the point, what the hell is Blake gonna do when he finds out Drew’s back?” Ruby bit down on her bottom lip as she pondered that thought.
Drew stiffened as he walked into the doorway of his English class. The murmur of the numerous conversations taking place almost felt like physical blows, and he instinctively skidded to a stop, the urge to turn and run almost getting the better of him. It wouldn’t be long before those conversations centered on him, once people grew aware of his presence. But he got it together and forced himself to move forward once more.
He walked unnoticed past a group of guys talking football. Some girls applying lip gloss. Another set poring over a magazine. A few overachievers who already had their books out. It seemed like nothing had changed since he was last in class.
Except it had.
Everything had changed.
And then a sudden silence fell over the room as everyone seemed to notice him at once. Then the inevitable whispers started up. Glancing around the room, Drew felt shocked by how damn bad it felt to have all eyes on him, even though he’d prepared himself for it. The intensity of their collective gaze almost knocked him over.
Yeah, that’s right. Stare at the gross, disfigured burned guy. Stare at the thickened, red, raw skin on his arms and neck. Give him pitying looks until he turns away. And then you can screw up your face like you’re about to vomit. He’s had nearly a year of it, so you won’t break him.
Or would you?
That was anyone’s guess.
He still didn’t know whether returning to school had been the right thing to do. He’d destroyed two lives—you didn’t just go back to normal after that. Three, if you counted his own. But he couldn’t stay at home. Not with his parents. In his worst moments, he doubted that they’d have even noticed if he hadn’t survived the fire, since they were so wrapped up in themselves and their drinking. Unlike Reese’s parents, who must have been devastated at the thought of never seeing her again. Blake would never see her again, either. And it was all Drew’s fault.
Drew felt his face grow clammy as he got sucked into his memories. He’d relived the experience over and over during the past year, while he was in and out of hospital, and during the last few months at home. How he’d tried to rescue Reese from her bedroom but the flames had knocked him back. It ripped his guts out every time he remembered. He hated that he’d agreed when Reese suggested lighting candles all around her bedroom. He hated that he had given in to her insistence that he go to the store and get them some Ben & Jerry’s. And once he’d agreed, why the hell hadn’t he blown the candles out before leaving? He knew how drowsy she was. He hadn’t thought that it would matter. But it did matter. It mattered then. It mattered now. And it would matter forever.
He would never forgive himself for what had happened. He had betrayed everyone. And for that he deserved to pay for the rest of his life.
A sudden coldness washed over him, as out of the corner of his eye he noticed Ruby. Blake’s sister. It hadn’t even entered his mind that now he had to repeat junior year, he would be taking some of the same classes as her. She probably hated him as much as Blake did. Fleetingly, their eyes locked, and her shock at his appearance was unmistakable. He averted his gaze and hurried toward an empty desk near the window at the front of the class, wondering how long it would take to get used to seeing the shock and horror in her eyes.
Chapter Two
The bell rang for lunch, and Drew breathed a sigh of relief. He’d managed to survive his first morning. He still felt like the school freak, but at least the stares had lessened as people got used to him being there. He was glad that Reese had gone to a different school because he didn’t think he’d have been able to cope with facing her friends as well. It was bad enough knowing that Blake and Ruby were around.
He remained in his seat until almost everyone had left the class, keeping his head down and pretending to read. It was kind of a game—if he didn’t look at anyone else, they didn’t exist. When the last person had shuffled out of the science lab, he picked up his books and headed out of the double doors at the back. He felt hungry, so he was tempted to go to the cafeteria for lunch, although that would be Cold Stare Central. His other option was to find a park bench where he could be alone. A quick scan of the trail of students heading toward the cafeteria helped him make up his mind. Park bench it was.
It wasn’t like he’d intended to find his old friends and ask to hang out with them. They hadn’t called or come by since the fire. Not one of them had been in touch, making it clear they had all sided with Blake. And why wouldn’t they? Blake had always been a popular guy. Drew would’ve acted the same way if he had been in their situation.
It didn’t take a genius to work out that the next two years were going to be hell. Which at least meant that he would get better grades, because what else did he have to do but work, work, work? Except he didn’t care. He was only at school because it sucked being at home. He headed toward the parking lot, his stomach rumbling.
He turned his head at the sound of a car door slamming, and his stomach plummeted to the ground as he caught sight of Blake, who was leaning against a large oak tree about ten yards away, completely oblivious to the fact that Drew was standing nearby. Every muscle in Drew’s body tensed.
It was the first time he’d seen Blake up close since just before the fire. Blake hadn’t come to the hospital when Drew had been recovering from his multiple burn surgeries, and his silence had made it clear that they were no longer friends. The one time when they’d run into each other in town, Blake walked away before they could cross paths. Drew had tried writing an apology letter—an actual letter, not a text or email—but every attempt had sounded too pathetic to finish. What could he say? “Sorry I killed your girlfriend after she cheated on you with me?”
But now they were in the same fishbowl of a school, and walking away would just postpone the inevitable.
What he really wanted to do was turn around and bolt, but he forced himself to change direction and head over to where Blake stood.
An apology couldn’t bring Reese back, but at least Drew could get it over with. Maybe Blake would punch him, and they’d both feel better afterward. And Blake was alone, which meant Drew could get that first confrontation over without an audience.
“Blake,” he called once he was within a few yards of him.
Blake glanced up and his eyes widened, shock etched across his face. Why? He had to have known that Drew was back, given the fact that the school had an excellent rumor mill.
“What?” Blake puffed out his chest and straightened.
Drew had seen him like that before. Blake wasn’t an aggressive guy, but he wouldn’t be pushed around. And that stance was how he reacted to people who tried. Drew had just never been on the receiving end of it before.
Drew couldn’t get over how different Blake seemed. Not just angry, but fundamentally different. Noticeably thinner. But it was more than that. His whole demeanor was dark. In all the years they had known each other, Drew had never seen him depressed—the guy was always in a good mood, always looking on the bright side.
Not anymore.
He didn’t know this Blake. And this Blake obviously hated him.
“Can we talk? Somewhere quiet?” Drew asked, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. They’d been friends for so long, yet now it felt like their history had been eradicated. All the things that they had done, the football games, the summer camps, the girls—it was as if none of it had ever happened.
And whose fault was that?
“No. Say what you’ve got to say here.” Blake folded his arms across his chest and glared at him.
Drew glanced around to see if anyone was standing close by listening. But thankfully no one was. He had no desire to be the center of attention, especially in this situation. “I just need a minute,” he said, trying to sound calm and in control but suspecting he sounded anything but.
Blake didn’t respond, but stared stonily ahead, barely acknowledging that Drew was speaking.
“Reese and I. It happened by accident. It wasn’t something we’d planned.” As if that made it any better. He felt a layer of sweat form on his forehead, and he swiped it away with the back of his hand. He wanted to say more. He wanted to tell Blake that he hadn’t meant to hurt him, that his friendship meant too much to him. And it always would. But how could he? Guys didn’t talk like that to each other.
Blake opened his mouth slightly like he was going to speak, but then closed it. He stared at Drew, his usually wide eyes narrowed and piercing.
“We didn’t want to hurt you,” Drew continued, grasping for the right words. “We didn’t plan for it to happen. We were two friends who’d had a couple of beers and got together—” His voice faltered. “I think about it every day. It kills me that I couldn’t get to Reese before she died, it—”
He clenched and unclenched his fists at his sides. Talking about it still broke him up, and he guessed it always would.
“You bastard,” Blake snapped, jolting Drew back to the present.
“What can I do? Tell me. I know I can’t make it up to you, but if you need me to do anything, just say. Anything,” Drew pleaded. But what was the point? Blake was never going to make it easy for him.
“For a start, why don’t you fuck off out of my face?” Blake pushed Drew so hard that he stumbled and only just managed to stop himself from falling. Then, he walked away, tossing a final look of loathing in Drew’s direction.
“Hey, Dee,” Ruby said to her boss, walking from the café’s kitchen to take her place behind the counter.
Today was her second shift at Echoes, and she hoped she didn’t make as many mistakes as the last time. The worst, and most embarrassing, being when clearing plates from the tables she’d tripped and splashed cream onto the shoes of an old guy sitting in one of the booths. He was okay about it. His wife, not so much.
“Thank God you’re here,” Dee said. “Paula’s just gone off sick, so I’m on my own out here. And I’m desperate for the bathroom. Can you take that guy’s order over there?” She hopped from one leg to the other and then made a run for it.
Scanning the specials menu on the wall at the back of the counter, Ruby turned toward the customer Dee had pointed out, and her stomach dipped.
Drew Scott.
For the second time today, he’d almost given her heart failure.
She didn’t think he’d noticed her, as he was sitting in a booth staring into his coffee. For a moment, she debated whether to go over and speak and then decided to pretend not to notice him. Being friends with him again would feel too much like a betrayal of her brother. She’d just tell Dee she’d forgotten to take his order and hope her boss didn’t lose patience. She picked up a cloth and attempted to speed-walk past Drew to clear some empty tables.
“Another latte, please,” Drew said as she passed. The sound of his voice stopped her in her tracks. Crap. It was the squeak of her tennis shoes on the café’s cheap hardwood floor that must have made him look up. He visibly stiffened when he saw it was her standing there.
Ruby felt her face grow hot, and the urge to throw her towel in the air and hide almost got the better of her. She wondered if she’d ever grow out of her annoying blushing habit. She’d caught herself doing it in a mirror once, and it wasn’t a good look.
“Sure,” she said too brightly, forcing a smile and acting like he was just another customer and not someone she already knew very well. She scooped up his used mug and walked purposefully back to the counter, where she took a clean one from underneath and paid great attention to making his coffee properly, hoping that she didn’t screw it up so he wouldn’t call her back to make it again.
“Thanks,” Drew said when she took it back to him.
He locked eyes with her for a few seconds longer than she’d normally have expected, and her breath caught in the back of her throat. Then he frowned slightly. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I know it can’t be easy for you seeing me back at school, with Blake and all—”
Ruby felt a tug in her heart. For all her loyalty to Blake, and she really did hate how upset he was by what had happened, she couldn’t help herself feeling something toward Drew. She knew how awful it must have been for him as he tried to cope with people’s reaction to the angry, puckered burn scars that snaked up from the collar of his shirt to cover the left side of his jaw. She’d seen it with her dad. On the rare occasion that he went out, the staring and grimacing broke her heart—and drove him right back inside again.
“It’s difficult.” Ruby bit down on her bottom lip. “But it’s not that I don’t get how hard it is for you, being—”
“A monster,” Drew muttered.
“No. Not at all. That’s not what I meant,” she said as horror flooded through her and her face undoubtedly turned tomato red. “I understand, that’s all.” God, she felt like such an idiot.
“Really?” Drew asked, his voice sharp with anger. “You with your pretty, unblemished, perfect skin and body. You understand?”
She swallowed hard. Things were getting worse by the minute. Even so, some part of her brain registered that Drew Scott had just called her pretty. Which was so beyond warped. “That’s unfair,” she snapped. “You know what happened to my dad, Drew. You know what my family has been through. I do understand.”
“So now you pity me. Well, I don’t need it.” He looked away, staring into the depths of his latte. “Your dad’s situation is totally different. For starters, he didn’t deserve what happened to him.” Drew clenched his coffee mug so hard, she was surprised it didn’t shatter.
“No one deserves it,” she said softly, stepping closer to him.
The tension practically vibrated from his lean, muscular body. “In your opinion,” he said. When she didn’t immediately respond, he lifted his gaze to hers once more.
She hadn’t meant to take so long to answer. It was just…his eyes. She had always been fascinated by them—they were such a beautiful, intense green that it seemed like he was wearing colored contacts. She loved them.
“In anyone’s opinion,” she said. “No one would think you deserved what happened to you.”
For the first time since he’d come into Echoes, his expression softened, just for a second, back to that of the carefree boy she’d once known.
Blake would so kill her for this.
“Miss?” In the distance she heard someone call. “Miss?”
She turned to see a customer trying to get her attention. Before Drew could say anything else, she gave him a small smile and bolted, grateful for the distraction.
The guy who had called her slumped against the counter, swaying from side to side in a strange manner, instead of just taking a seat at one of the empty stools. It didn’t take a genius to realize that he’d had too much to drink, and as she got up close, the overpowering liquor smell confirmed as much.
“Yes, sir?” Ruby asked, walking around to put the counter between them. She plastered a fake smile across her face while wondering whether she should serve him or not. Dee would have known, except she still hadn’t returned from the bathroom. Ruby suspected she’d also gone outside for a smoke.
“Cappusshhhhhno,” he mumbled, leaning across the counter and leering obviously at her breasts.
Ruby slapped a palm over the vee neckline of her black, button-down uniform shirt, her heart thumping in her ears.
“Awww, thass not nice. Come ’ere,” the drunk slurred, making an almost cartoonish swipe at her. She didn’t think he was serious about trying to grab her, but she closed her fingers around the handle of a coffeepot, ready to throw the scalding liquid in his direction if he started to get violent.
She hadn’t even noticed Drew get up until he was standing directly in front of her. “Hey bud,” he said casually. “Why don’t you go outside and walk it off?”
He took hold of the drunken guy’s arm and pulled him toward the front exit. The man initially tried to resist, but Drew was too strong for him. Ruby couldn’t hear what Drew said, but the guy soon started nodding and looked repentant, his head bent.
“Sorry,” the guy muttered over his shoulder. He then turned and headed to the door before Ruby had time to respond.
Shocked into silence by the abrupt turn of events, Ruby watched him leave. She turned to thank Drew, only she found he was almost back at his booth. She shot around the counter and went over to him.
