Page 54 of Playing to Win
“I like your voice,” I tell her when the song is over.
Ruby laughs, shaking her head. “You really are drunk.”
I frown. “Hey, I take offense to that.”
“I’m just okay.” She shrugs.
“You need to learn how to take a compliment, Red.”
She’s quiet for a moment, her fingers curled tightly around the steering wheel and when she finally murmurs, “Yeah, you’re probably right,” I realize something.
That took a lot for her to say.
Huh.
We’re at my apartment complex in a matter of minutes because I don’t live too far from downtown and I’m relatively close to campus. The majority of the football team lives in this complex, which makes it convenient for us to commute together to school, practice, or the bars.
“That’s my building,” I tell her, and Ruby pulls into an empty parking spot directly in front of it, putting the car in park and turning toward me with an expectant look on her pretty face.
“This was a fun night,” she chirps and I frown at her.
“Yeah,” I say slowly, reaching for the handle, my fingers curling around it but not opening the door.
“Is your car still downtown?”
“It is.” I nod.
“If you need help getting it tomorrow, just give me a call.” She smiles.
“But I don’t have your number.”
“Oh.” With a frown, she reaches for her phone and pulls up a new contact. “Give me yours.”
I tell her my number and she enters it into her phone, then sends me a quick text.
Hi.
“You’ve got this?” she asks hopefully.
“Got what?”
Ruby rolls her eyes. “You’re drunker than I thought.”
“And you’re trying to get out of going to my apartment,” I throw back at her, calling her on her shit.
Her face falls but only for a brief moment. She schools her expression and it shifts into neutral. No emotion showing. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”
I ignore her cautious tone and open the door. “Fine. I’ll just stumble to my apartment by myself, though who knows what might happen. I could trip and bump my head. Get a concussion.”
She makes a scoffing noise. “You will not.”
“You don’t know that for sure.” I climb out of the car and slam the door, fighting the disappointment that threatens to consume me as I make my way toward my front door.
I hear another car door slam and the sound of footsteps, then Ruby’s voice.
“Wait up, oh my God.”
I stop and turn, watching her approach as I wait. I shouldn’t have pulled that kind of shit but she’s the type who lets her doubts get in the way of a good time. I didn’t realize she was that kind of girl, but apparently, she is.
