Page 18 of Kill For Me Kill For You
‘Yeah, don’t worry. I’m sorry,’ he said, and scratched his head. ‘I’m fucking this up, aren’t I?’
‘I don’t know what’s going on. Have I done something or said something that you didn’t like?’ asked Ruth.
He seemed to stop focusing on himself, reached out both hands and took Ruth’s palms in his.
‘Jesus, no. No, of course not. This isn’t about you. Well, it kind of is.’
‘You’re right,’ said Ruth nervously. ‘You really are fucking this up.’
They both smiled. Laughed awkwardly.
‘Did I ever tell you why I became a prosecutor?’
She shook her head.
‘I was the smallest kid in my high-school year. It was only in late teens that whatever messed up growth hormone in my body that hadn’t been functioning suddenly kicked into gear. Doesn’t matter. What matters is I was bullied in school pretty relentlessly.’
‘God, I’m sorry,’ said Ruth.
‘It affected me for a long time after school. That’s why I moved to the city, went to college here. I just couldn’t face my home town. Look, I’m not explaining myself very well. Whenever I put a bad guy away, particularly somebody who is violent – I get a little piece of me back. Does that make sense?’
Ruth paused for a second, then nodded, not fully understanding.
‘It’s like this: when you’re bullied, you don’t have any power. There’s nothing you can do about it. When I told my parents about what was happening, my dad just said I should man up – fight back. But I never did. I couldn’t.’
Ruth squeezed his hands.
‘I got a lot out of my job. It was cathartic, you know? Like I was finally fighting back.’
‘So why did you quit today? What’s going on?’
Before he spoke, Scott took a breath, released Ruth’s hands.
‘I quit because I had an interview last week at the second-largest law firm in the city and they’re offering me a position as a senior litigator. It’s five times what I make now.’
‘Holy shit, that’s amazing!’
‘Thank you. I wouldn’t have done it without you.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I want the best for you. That means I need a good salary. A signing bonus will help toward a deposit for a house in the city. For us. For our family.’
Scott got up from the table, stood to one side and went down on one knee. From his jacket, he brought out a small jewelry box, popped the lid and said, ‘Will you marry me?’
Ruth said yes. Right there. In front of the whole restaurant who then broke out into spontaneous applause. A real New York moment.
Scott had given up something important to him. Something that really mattered. And he’d done it all for her. Ruth had no doubts any more. This was her man.
He would make sure she was taken care of. That she was safe.
And Scott would never, ever leave her.
She knew it that day.
She knew it now, with the man in her arms, leaning over her hospital bed. She was lucky to have him. He would see her through this nightmare.
‘Mind if I have a minute?’ said a voice.
