Chapter 20

"Yeah," I took the call and walked away from Ruby. I had almost kissed those soft, supple looking lips. Almost. Until Feliciano ruined it by calling at that exact fucking moment.

"Look man, I got the picture down from the Pennsylvania Journal, but not from the other website. It had all these walls that I couldn't hack. Sorry bro..."

I groaned through the phone. Running a hand over my face, I sighed. "Alright. But keep trying. That picture can't be on there or else Ruby will find it and kill me for not telling her."

"Okay lovebird." He said.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing! Got to go get the picture down, bye!" Feliciano said and hung up. That bastard.

I turned around to go talk to Ruby but she wasn't there. I looked around but I couldn't see her. Ruby was nowhere to be found.

Okay, so I admit, I put a tracker on her phone so I could make sure she was okay and didn't get kidnapped. Don't blame me! I had to, I-I care about her.

I pulled out my phone and clicked the app showing me where Ruby was. A hospital?

I shrugged and looked for Ruby's purse at the table. Oh yeah, she took it with her after I totally ignored her for a phone call. Damn it.

I hauled the nearest cab and climbed in. I told him to take me to the hospital and I paid him.

When I walked in, I didn't expect to see so many people in the waiting room. It was at least eleven thirty by now.

I looked at me phone and saw that she was in a hospital room. What was she doing in there? Was she hurt? Instantly, I became worried.

But when I walked in, the last thing I was expecting to see was Ruby singing and playing the guitar for a group of cancer kids.

Ruby's eyes met mine and my breath caught in my throat. She looked so stunning in her dress and singing a song to kids.

I knew she was shocked to see me, and I heard her falter the tiniest of a second, but she kept on going.

When I heard her voice singing, it was like listening to a calm wave of the ocean, or a bird chirping happily in a forest.

She sounded like home.

I felt this tingle in my arms and chest, but tried my best to ignore it. I never broke eye contact with her as she sang, and I felt myself grinning like Cheshire the cat.

When her song ended, the whole room erupted with clapping.

"Give it up for Chelsea Tarez!" the nurse shouted and the clapping got louder.

I shot Ruby a confused expression and she just shrugged.

When I met Ruby outside in the hall, I smiled down at her. "I didn't know you could sing."

"You don't know a lot of things about me, Ryder."

"Tell me something I don't know." I said.

"I like to eat caramel apples when I get nervous." She replied easily.

I chuckled. "Really?" I said incredulously.

She slapped my arm. "Your turn."

"For what?"

"To tell me something about yourself."

I pretended to be deep in thought. "I'm incredibly good looking."

She rolled her eyes. "Something I don't already know."

"You didn't disagree." I teased.

"Answer the damn question, Daniels."

I sighed. "Well, I had a pet fly."

"A pet fly?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yup. It would fly around the house all day and when it died, I gave it a funeral. Flowers and everything."

"What was his name?" she asked.

"Tim."

"Ah. Very nice."

We laughed along with each other and I called the limo driver to come pick us up by the hospital.

"I've only cried twice in my life." She said.

"That's bullshit."

She shrugged. "Well, at least I like to think that."

The limo pulled up in front of us and I opened the door for her. She thanked me and my eyes traveled down to her long legs and butt while she climbed in. I'm a guy, deal with it.

I shut the door and sat down in the seat across from her. "What are you scared of?" Ruby asked.

I thought. "I don't know if I should tell you this...you could always use it against me..."

"Please," she begged, clasping her hands together.

"Fine." I gave in. "I'm scared of ostriches."

Ruby was silent for a moment and then just burst into laughter. "Ostriches? I was hoping for something manlier like the Mafia or something."

"Ha ha, laugh all you want."

"Now I just need to find out where I can find a local Ostrich Shop." She teased while giggling.

"Shut up. Tell me what you're scared of." I said.

She went silent and thought for a few seconds. "Love."

I frowned. Not what I was expecting. "Love? Why?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. It just seems like I'll get my heart broken and never love again."

"Well you'll never know until you give it a try." I said.

"Look who sounds like Dr. Phil tonight." She joked. "But no, I don't really believe in it either. I mean, if it was real, why do parents get divorced and hearts broken?"

I thought. "But without love, you wouldn't be here, and yeah, your parents divorced, but without that, I wouldn't have such a great person to hang out with..." I said without thinking.

She grinned. "You're pretty awesome Ryder."

"You know it."