Chapter 4
Ruby was going crazy.
She had no clue why Nicole was avoiding her. For the past week, she’d tried to talk to her—catching her in the halls, waiting for her at her locker, even lingering outside the cafeteria just in case. But every single time, Nicole either pretended not to hear her or made some excuse to leave.
Ruby didn’t know what she did wrong.
Maybe it was the hug. Maybe she shouldn’t have put her arm around Nicole’s waist like that. Maybe it was the fact that she was a lesbian—that wouldn’t be the first time someone pulled away after finding out.
Or maybe—and Ruby really didn’t want to believe this—Nicole just didn’t like her anymore.
That thought hurt the worst.
The first day Nicole stopped talking to her, Ruby had gone home and cried into her pillow like some kind of heartbroken idiot. She told herself she was done trying. If Nicole wanted to ignore her, fine. Whatever.
But here was the problem: Nicole was supposed to be her tutor, and Ruby had another math test coming up. If she failed, her mom was going to kill her.
So if she couldn’t get to Nicole directly, she’d go through someone else.
That’s how she found herself walking up to Bridgette’s locker.
“Bridgette.”
Bridgette flinched like she’d been caught committing a crime. She blinked up at Ruby, then looked around, like she was checking for possible exits.
“Uh… hi, Ruby?” she said, nervously pushing her glasses up her nose.
Ruby sighed. “Look, I just—Nicole won’t talk to me. I don’t know why. And I have a math test coming up, and she was supposed to help me. Can you… I don’t know, talk to her? Get her to stop avoiding me?”
Bridgette hesitated, shifting her books in her arms. “Uh… I mean, yeah, I could, but—”
Ruby’s eyes narrowed. “But what?”
Bridgette bit her lip. “Nicole’s kinda… going through something right now.”
Ruby’s stomach dropped. “Is she okay?”
Bridgette gave her a look. “I mean, she’s not dying, if that’s what you’re asking. But, uh…” She glanced around again, then lowered her voice. “She’s been freaking out about you.”
Ruby blinked. “What?”
Bridgette sighed. “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but Nicole’s, like… having a crisis about you.”
Ruby’s heart pounded. “A crisis?”
Bridgette waved a hand. “Yeah, like—she’s been all weird and moody, and I was this close to smacking her in the back of the head yesterday.”
Ruby almost smiled at that. “What did she say?”
Bridgette made a face. “Something about, ‘What if I like girls? What if I like Ruby?’ And I was just sitting there like, ‘Yeah, duh.’”
Ruby’s breath caught.
“She likes me?”
Bridgette scoffed. “Girl, I don’t know. I think so. She sure as hell doesn’t shut up about you. But she’s also freaking out about it because, y’know, denial or whatever.”
Ruby exhaled, rubbing a hand down her face. “Jesus.”
Bridgette shut her locker. “Look, if you want my advice? Just talk to her. She’s an idiot, but she’s a nice idiot. She just needs a push.”
Ruby nodded slowly.
A push.
She could do that.
Ruby spent the rest of the day working up the nerve to talk to Nicole.
She didn’t know what she was expecting—maybe that Nicole would keep avoiding her, maybe that she’d blow her off completely. Maybe that it would turn into some awkward, awful conversation that Ruby would replay in her head for the next ten years.
But she couldn’t let it go. Bridgette’s words kept circling in her mind: She’s freaking out about you.
And now Ruby’s heart wouldn’t stop pounding.
So after school, she found Nicole at her locker.
Nicole had her back turned, stuffing books into her bag, and Ruby hesitated for just a second before stepping closer.
“Nicole.”
Nicole froze.
For a long moment, she didn’t move, didn’t turn around, like maybe if she ignored Ruby hard enough, she’d disappear.
But Ruby wasn’t going anywhere.
“Nicole,” she said again, softer this time.
Finally, Nicole exhaled and turned around. She looked tense, like she was bracing for something.
“Hey,” Nicole said, her voice stiff.
Ruby crossed her arms. “So. Are you ever gonna tell me why you’ve been acting like I don’t exist, or am I supposed to just guess?”
Nicole flinched, guilt flashing across her face. “I—I wasn’t—”
“Yes, you were.” Ruby cut her off, shaking her head. “Seriously, what the hell, Nic? You were fine one second, and then—nothing. I thought we were friends.”
Nicole swallowed hard. “We are,” she said quickly.
“Then talk to me,” Ruby said, exasperated. “Because I’ve been losing my mind trying to figure out what I did wrong.”
Nicole was quiet for a long moment, staring down at the floor.
Then, almost too softly, she muttered, “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Ruby frowned. “Then why—”
Nicole suddenly looked up, her face scrunched like she was forcing the words out.
“I think I like girls.”
The hallway around them blurred for a second.
Ruby blinked. “What?”
Nicole’s whole body was tense, her hands clenched at her sides. “I—I don’t know for sure, okay? I just—” She exhaled sharply, looking frustrated with herself. “You were being all… you, and I felt weird, and I freaked out.”
Ruby stared.
Her brain was stuck on you were being all you.
“What does that mean?” she asked slowly.
Nicole groaned and rubbed her face. “I don’t know! You’re just—you flirt all the time, and you call me princesa, and you smile at me like that, and it makes me feel—” She stopped, cutting herself off.
Ruby’s stomach did something weird.
Something fluttery.
She swallowed.
Nicole was looking at her, eyes wide, cheeks pink, like she’d just admitted some deep, dark secret.
And Ruby—Ruby suddenly couldn’t breathe right.
Because all this time, she’d thought Nicole didn’t like her. That she was just another person who didn’t want to be around a lesbian.
But now Nicole was standing here, telling her she might like girls—telling her that Ruby was the reason she was freaking out.
And Ruby didn’t know what to do with that.
So she did what she always did when she felt something too big to deal with.
She made a joke.
“Well,” she said, forcing a smirk. “I do have that effect on people.”
Nicole groaned again. “Ruby—”
“I’m just saying,” Ruby cut in, tilting her head, “if you are into girls, you could do a lot worse than me.”
Nicole let out a strangled noise, half frustrated, half something else.
And Ruby—Ruby felt her stomach flip at the look on Nicole’s face.
Oh.
Oh, shit.
Ruby suddenly realized she didn’t just like messing with Nicole.
She liked Nicole.
Nicole still looked embarrassed, and maybe a little freaked out, so Ruby did what she did best—pretended like her heart wasn’t hammering in her chest.
“So,” Ruby said, shifting her weight. “Since you definitely still owe me a study session, and you’re clearly done avoiding me now… you wanna come over?”
Nicole hesitated. “Right now?”
“Yes, right now,” Ruby said, rolling her eyes. “Unless you’re planning to leave me to fail this test out of gay panic.”
Nicole made a face. “Don’t call it that.”
Ruby smirked. “But that’s what it is.”
Nicole groaned. “Fine. I’ll come over.”
And just like that, Ruby got another hour of Nicole’s time.
~
She tried to focus on math. She really did.
But it was impossible when Nicole was sitting on her bed, looking all serious and focused, biting her lip as she explained some equation that Ruby definitely wasn’t paying attention to.
Ruby was paying attention to her.
Her hands. Her mouth. The way she pushed her hair behind her ear when it got in her face.
And once Ruby noticed, she couldn’t stop noticing.
Nicole must have caught her staring at some point, because she paused mid-sentence and gave Ruby a weird look.
“What?” she asked.
Ruby blinked. “What?”
Nicole narrowed her eyes. “You’re not listening to me.”
Ruby grinned, trying to act normal. “I totally am.”
Nicole raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? Then what did I just say?”
Ruby opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Nicole groaned. “Ruby!”
“I was distracted!” Ruby defended.
“By what?” Nicole demanded.
Ruby hesitated.
She could lie. She should lie.
Instead, she blurted, “You.”
Nicole’s mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out.
Ruby swallowed. “I mean—”
Nicole stared at her.
Ruby stared back.
The room felt too quiet.
Then Nicole’s gaze flickered down—to Ruby’s mouth.
Ruby sucked in a breath.
And then, before she could second-guess it, before she could think too hard—
She leaned in.
And Nicole—Nicole met her halfway.
The second their lips touched, something inside Ruby flipped.
Nicole’s hands tightened slightly where they rested on Ruby’s bed. Ruby could feel her breath, could taste her peppermint lip balm, and god, why had she never thought about kissing her before?
Nicole kissed back, soft at first, then firmer, like she was testing something.
And then she pulled back.
Ruby opened her eyes.
Nicole was staring at her, wide-eyed, lips slightly parted.
And then, barely above a whisper, she muttered, “Yeah. Definitely like girls
Nicole barely gave Ruby time to process what she had just said before she kissed her again.
This time, it wasn’t hesitant.
It was like something had snapped in both of them—like all the tension, all the weirdness from the past week had finally boiled over. Nicole’s hands found Ruby’s shoulders, then her hair, and Ruby tilted her head to deepen the kiss.
And holy shit.
Nicole had kissed people before, but not like this.
Not with this heat, this urgency.
Ruby’s hands were on her waist now, pulling her in closer, and Nicole let her. She didn’t care that this was so not what she thought would happen when she came over to help Ruby study.
She didn’t care that she should probably be processing what this meant for her.
All she cared about was the way Ruby was kissing her like she wanted her—like she had wanted this for a while.
Nicole’s back hit the mattress as Ruby leaned over her, their legs tangling together. Nicole let out a shaky breath between kisses, gripping onto the front of Ruby’s hoodie to keep her close.
And that’s when—
“Ay Dios mío.”
Nicole jerked away from Ruby so fast she nearly rolled off the bed.
Ruby whipped around.
Elena was standing in the doorway, arms crossed, a knowing look on her face.
Nicole felt her soul leave her body.
Ruby, on the other hand, groaned and dropped her face into her hands.
“Mami, seriously?”
Elena sighed dramatically, shaking her head. “I knew it. I knew it.”
Nicole, still trying to breathe, squeaked out, “Knew what?”
Elena just smiled at her sweetly. “Dinner’s ready, mi vida. You two should come downstairs before it gets cold.”
Nicole wasn’t sure if her face could get redder, but she was pretty sure she was about to find out.
Ruby groaned again as Elena left the doorway.
Nicole stared at the ceiling.
Ruby flopped down beside her.
“I’m never eating dinner again,” Ruby mumbled into her hands.
Nicole swallowed. “She didn’t seem…mad?”
Ruby peeked at her through her fingers. “She’s been waiting for this to happen, apparently.”
Nicole let out a strangled laugh.
Somehow, she got through dinner without completely dying of mortification.
Brandon, of course, kept smirking at her, like he knew, but thankfully, he didn’t say anything.
Carlos mostly ignored the situation, though when Ruby nearly knocked over her drink at one point, he just sighed and muttered something about teenagers.
Elena, however, was far too pleased.
And then, right as Nicole was getting ready to head back upstairs with Ruby, Elena said, in the most casual voice ever:
“Door stays open now, girls.”
Nicole choked on air.
Ruby looked like she wanted the earth to swallow her whole.
Elena just smiled and kept eating.
~
As soon as they got back up to Ruby’s room, the air was thick with tension.
Nicole sat on the bed, trying to focus as she flipped through her notebook, but her hands were shaking slightly, and Ruby noticed. Of course she noticed.
Ruby cleared her throat. “So, um… math.”
Nicole let out a breath, her eyes flicking up to meet Ruby’s. “Right. Math.”
Neither of them moved.
Ruby’s fingers twitched at her sides. She wanted to move. She wanted to reach out, to pull Nicole back in, to feel her against her again—
Nicole exhaled sharply and tore her eyes away. “Okay, um, let’s go over the practice problems.”
Ruby groaned dramatically, throwing herself onto the bed. “Can’t we just—”
“No.” Nicole snapped her notebook shut and shot Ruby a look. “You need to pass this test.”
Ruby sighed and sat up. “Fine. But what do I get if I get them right?”
Nicole hesitated.
And Ruby saw the moment an idea crossed her mind.
Nicole flipped open the notebook again, glancing at Ruby from beneath her lashes. “Every time you get a question right…” She swallowed. “I’ll kiss you.”
Ruby froze.
Her mouth went dry. Her brain short-circuited. Did Nicole just—
Nicole’s expression was unreadable. “Deal?”
Ruby’s heart nearly beat out of her chest. “Yeah,” she croaked. “Deal.”
Nicole tapped her pencil against the page. “Okay, then. What’s the quadratic formula?”
Ruby racked her brain, her heart racing. She knew this. She definitely knew this. She’d gone over it a hundred times.
She opened her mouth, nearly panicked, and somehow managed to get the words out.
Nicole smiled. “Correct.”
And then she leaned in and kissed her.
It was soft, just a press of lips, but it was enough to set Ruby’s skin on fire.
Nicole pulled back, looking smug. “Next question.”
Ruby’s breath caught in her throat.
She had never studied this hard in her life.
As soon as they finished the last problem, Ruby tossed her pencil aside and smirked at Nicole. “Well? I got it right.”
Nicole’s breath hitched. She knew what that meant.
She hesitated for only a second before leaning in, her lips brushing against Ruby’s. But this time, Ruby wasn’t content with just a soft kiss.
Ruby’s hands slid into Nicole’s hair, pulling her closer, and Nicole let out a quiet sound as Ruby deepened the kiss.
It was intoxicating—warmth and desperation tangled together as their lips moved in sync. Ruby felt the way Nicole tensed at first, but then she melted into her, her hands gripping onto Ruby’s waist like she didn’t want to let go.
Nicole let out a shaky breath as Ruby shifted, pressing her back against the pillows. Ruby hovered over her, their legs tangling together as she kissed down Nicole’s jaw, trailing lower, and—
Nicole stiffened.
Ruby froze instantly, pulling back just enough to see Nicole’s face.
Nicole’s lips were red and slightly swollen, her pupils blown wide, but there was hesitation in her eyes—nervousness.
Ruby swallowed. “Too much?” Her voice was hoarse.
Nicole exhaled, her fingers twitching where they rested against Ruby’s arms. “I just—” She looked away. “I don’t think I’m ready for… more. Not yet.”
Ruby studied her, then nodded, slowly pulling back. “That’s okay.”
Nicole’s eyes flicked back to hers, surprised. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Ruby murmured, her fingers brushing against Nicole’s. “We don’t have to rush anything.”
Nicole let out a breath, relaxing slightly.
Ruby smirked, leaning down to press one last kiss to her lips. “Besides,” she whispered, grinning against Nicole’s mouth, “this means I get to keep making you flustered until you are ready.”
Nicole groaned, shoving her face into a pillow. “You suck.”
Ruby just laughed, rolling onto her back beside her. Maybe they weren’t rushing into anything. Maybe Nicole needed time.
But that was okay.
Because Ruby had no intention of going anywhere.
~
Eventually Nicole left much to Ruby’s disdain and Ruby was left with her room smelling like Nicole’s cherry perfume and her heart beating out of her chest.
“Mija, can I talk to you?” Elena said, leaning against the doorway to Ruby’s room
Oh shit.
“Uh yeah yeah mama of course” she said and tried to not let her mother know she was freaking out.
Ruby sat on her bed, she could still smell Nicole on her sheets.
“So…you and Nicole” Elena started, and Ruby fought the urge to jump out of her window. “Are you two, dating?” She asked, raising an eyebrow at her daughter, who was now as red as her hair.
Ruby groaned, flopping back onto her bed dramatically. “Mamá, seriously?”
Elena sighed, stepping further into the room. “Mija, I’m happy for you. I really am.” She sat on the edge of Ruby’s bed, her expression soft but firm. “But you’re eighteen. And in love.”
Ruby sat up, crossing her arms. “I never said I was in love.”
Elena gave her a knowing look.
Ruby looked away, muttering, “It’s only been, like, a day.”
Elena chuckled. “Uh-huh.” She smoothed out an imaginary wrinkle on Ruby’s comforter. “Look, I just want you to be careful, okay? Nicole is still figuring things out. That’s not always easy.”
Ruby bit her lip, nodding. She knew that. Hell, she felt that. The hesitation in Nicole’s touch, the way she melted and then tensed up all over again—it wasn’t like Ruby hadn’t noticed.
“I know,” Ruby said quietly. “I don’t wanna pressure her or anything.”
Elena smiled, tucking a strand of Ruby’s hair behind her ear like she had when Ruby was a little girl. “Then you’re already doing better than most.”
Ruby huffed, rolling her eyes again but leaning into the touch just a little. “You’re still annoying.”
“And you’re still my daughter,” Elena teased, standing up. “Which means no shutting the door. And absolutely no spending the night.”
Ruby groaned. “Mamá, it’s not like I’m gonna get her pregnant.”
Elena turned and gave her a sharp look. “Ruby.”
“Fine, fine! No sleepovers, door open, blah blah blah.” Ruby flopped onto her bed dramatically, draping an arm over her face.
Elena just shook her head, smiling as she walked toward the door. “Goodnight, mija.”
“Yeah, yeah. Buenas noches.”
But as soon as her mom was gone, Ruby exhaled, staring up at the ceiling.
Her room still smelled like Nicole’s cherry perfume.
And Ruby couldn’t stop smiling.
~
The next day at school, Ruby was nervous.
She had no idea what to expect. Was Nicole going to pretend nothing had happened? Was she going to freak out and backtrack? Or was she—Ruby hardly dared to hope—going to actually acknowledge what they were now?
Ruby didn’t want to push. She wanted to wrap her arms around Nicole, kiss her in the middle of the hallway, and claim her in front of everyone—but she knew better. This had to be Nicole’s choice.
So she waited.
When she spotted Nicole at her locker, shoving books inside, Ruby took a deep breath and walked over.
“Hey,” she said. The word came out smoother—maybe even a little more flirty—than she intended.
Nicole tensed for half a second, but then she turned to Ruby, rolling her eyes like she wasn’t completely flustered.
“Hey,” Nicole said, voice even. She glanced around, like she was making sure no one was watching.
Ruby swallowed. “So, um… are we—?”
Nicole shut her locker and cut her off. “We don’t have to make this a thing right now.”
Oof. That stung a little.
But before Ruby could say anything, Nicole sighed, shifting on her feet.
“I just—people talk in this school. I don’t—” She hesitated, and Ruby saw the nerves flicker across her face before she quickly buried them.
Ruby nodded, forcing an easy smirk. “Yeah, I get it. No big deal.”
Nicole’s eyes darted to Ruby’s, searching for something—maybe trying to see if she was actually upset. And maybe she was. A little.
Nicole shifted again, looking almost guilty now. Then, suddenly—hesitantly—she reached out.
And laced her fingers with Ruby’s.
Ruby froze.
It was quick, a nervous kind of thing, like Nicole was testing it, like she was seeing how it felt.
Ruby barely breathed.
Nicole’s palm was warm against hers, and Ruby was so startled she almost yanked her hand away on instinct. But Nicole squeezed, barely, like she was grounding herself, like she was making sure Ruby wasn’t going to let go.
And Ruby wouldn’t.
She squeezed back, looking at Nicole, half-expecting her to panic and pull away.
But she didn’t.
She just took a deep breath, squared her shoulders like she was preparing for battle, and—very pointedly—didn’t let go as they started walking down the hallway together.
Ruby tried to act normal.
Tried to ignore the way people definitely noticed.
Tried not to think about the way her heart was practically doing flips inside her chest.
Yeah.
High school rumors were definitely about to start flying.
Ruby really, really tried to let it go.
She wasn’t the type to care what people whispered in hallways, especially when it wasn’t about her. She’d been through this rodeo before—people talked, people gossiped, and then eventually they got bored and moved on.
But when she heard Nicole’s name, she slowed her steps.
She was walking past the gym when she spotted them—two cheerleaders leaning against the wall, scrolling through their phones while tossing snide little comments back and forth.
“Did you see her holding hands with her?” one of them scoffed. “Like, I knew something was off with Nicole, but Ruby Moreno? Are you kidding me?”
Ruby clenched her jaw and forced herself to keep walking.
Not her business.
Nicole didn’t want people talking. Ruby getting in the middle of it wasn’t going to help.
She was halfway down the hall when she heard the next part.
“I mean, she always gave dyke vibes but damn, I thought she at least had taste—”
Ruby didn’t think. She was already turning around before her brain could catch up with her feet.
She stormed back toward them, shoving through the crowd like a heat-seeking missile.
“Qué dijiste?” Ruby’s voice came out sharp, her accent slipping heavier than usual.
The two girls looked up, eyes widening for half a second before they caught themselves.
“Oh, look who it is,” the first girl sneered. “Right on cue.”
Ruby crossed her arms, making sure to flex so her muscles were visible, making sure they saw the tattoos on her arm. “Say that shit again.”
The second girl rolled her eyes. “What, that your little girlfriend is a fucking lesbo?”
It took everything in Ruby not to swing. She didn’t get kicked out of her last school just to go down swinging in this one.
Instead, she stepped forward, right into their space, and smiled. Sweetly.
“You know what’s funny?” Ruby said, voice light but deadly. “I don’t actually remember Nicole ever mentioning either of your names.”
The first girl bristled.
“Like, ever,” Ruby continued, tilting her head. “I’m starting to think you guys are just obsessed with her for no reason.”
The second girl scoffed. “You think you’re so scary?”
Ruby’s smile widened. “No, I know I am.”
The two girls hesitated. And Ruby saw it—the flicker of doubt.
She leaned in just a little closer, lowering her voice.
“You ever say that shit about Nicole again?” Ruby said, slow and deliberate. “And I promise you, I won’t be so nice about it next time.”
The first girl swallowed. The second girl looked like she wanted to say something else but ultimately just scoffed and looked away.
Ruby lingered for another second, making sure they really got the message, then turned and walked away.
Her hands were still shaking with leftover adrenaline by the time she made it around the corner.
She was so dead if Nicole found out about this.
~
Nicole knew something was off the second she walked into practice.
No one said anything.
No “Hey, Nic,” no casual gossip, not even a snide remark. Just silence.
Which was weird.
At first, she thought maybe she was overthinking it. Maybe everyone was just focused, or maybe she’d done something she wasn’t aware of. But as practice dragged on, the tension became impossible to ignore.
She’d call for a pass—ignored.
She’d make a joke—no one laughed.
Even Bridgette was giving her these cautious little side-eyes like she wanted to say something but couldn’t.
Nicole wasn’t stupid. She’d been on this team long enough to recognize when something was up. And if they weren’t going to tell her, she’d just find out herself.
So after practice, she stayed back. Pretended to be fixing the laces on her sneakers while the rest of the girls changed, waiting for the right moment.
And then—
“I cannot believe she had the audacity to threaten us.”
Nicole froze.
She didn’t have to look to know who was talking. Chloe and Dana. The same two girls who had made plenty of comments behind her back before.
“She actually got in my face,” Dana scoffed. “Like, hello? Take a joke.”
“I told you she was crazy,” Chloe muttered.
Nicole’s stomach dropped. She knew exactly who they were talking about.
“She’s just embarrassing herself,” Dana added. “And, like, if Nicole really is into girls? She could at least try to do better.”
Chloe snickered. “Right? Imagine throwing away your rep just to date Ruby Moreno.”
Nicole stood up so fast her vision blurred.
She was furious.
Not just at them—at Ruby.
Ruby knew Nicole wanted to keep things quiet. She knew Nicole didn’t want people talking.
And what did she do? She marched up to Chloe and Dana and made a whole damn scene.
Nicole grabbed her bag and stormed out of the locker room before she could say something she’d regret.
She needed to find Ruby. Right now.
Nicole stormed through the empty school halls, fully aware of how ridiculous she looked—fuming in a damn cheer uniform—but she didn’t care. She needed to find Ruby.
When she stepped outside, the cold hit her immediately, sending a shiver down her spine. Her eyes scanned the near-empty parking lot until they landed on Ruby, effortlessly cool as always, skating in lazy circles, headphones in, hoodie unzipped halfway.
And Nicole really tried to ignore the tightness in her chest when she realized Ruby had been waiting for her to get out of practice.
Damn it, this was going to be harder than she thought.
She marched over, tapping Ruby’s shoulder.
Ruby turned, grinning, dimples and all—until she registered the look on Nicole’s face.
“Uh, hi?” Ruby said, dragging out the word like she wasn’t sure what reaction she was supposed to have.
Nicole didn’t waste time. “Hi? Can you explain to me why I specifically told you I wanted to keep this quiet, and then I hear you basically threatened Chloe and Dana?” She crossed her arms, half out of frustration and half because she was freezing.
Ruby sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “Nicole, I… I was just looking out for you.” She hesitated. “They were saying some really bad shit, and I just—” She exhaled sharply, kicking at the gravel. “I couldn’t take it.”
Nicole let out a long breath, some of her anger deflating at the guilty look on Ruby’s face.
“I don’t need you to fight my battles for me,” she said, softer this time.
“I know, baby.”
The words slipped out so naturally that it took Ruby a second to realize what she’d said.
Nicole raised an eyebrow, lips curving into a smirk. “Baby?”
Ruby groaned. “Shut up.” Her ears were turning pink.
“No, I like it,” Nicole teased, smiling now.
“Well, good.” Ruby huffed, clearly trying to play it cool. Then her eyes flicked over Nicole’s uniform, and she frowned. “You’re shivering.”
Before Nicole could insist she was fine, Ruby was already unzipping her hoodie and handing it over.
Nicole blinked, momentarily distracted by the sight of Ruby’s tattooed arms. She still couldn’t believe Ruby had tattoos.
“…Thanks,” she muttered, pulling the hoodie on, trying not to shiver again—this time at the warmth and the scent of Ruby’s cologne, something woodsy and very unfair.
“So… you still mad at me?” Ruby asked, arms slipping easily around Nicole’s waist.
“A little,” Nicole admitted, but she was already looking up at Ruby, getting lost in those brown eyes.
“So I guess I can’t ask you for a ride home?” Ruby smirked.
Nicole rolled her eyes, but there was no real annoyance behind it. “I can give you a ride home.”
Ruby grinned, pressing a quick, soft kiss to Nicole’s lips before grabbing her skateboard and heading for the car.
The drive to Ruby’s house was quiet, but not uncomfortable. The hum of the engine filled the silence, and Ruby tapped her fingers against the center console absentmindedly.
Nicole could feel Ruby looking at her.
“Stop staring,” Nicole muttered, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter.
Ruby snorted. “I’m not staring.”
Nicole shot her a look. Ruby was definitely staring.
“I’m just admiring,” Ruby amended, grinning. “You’re cute when you’re all flustered.”
Nicole groaned. “I hate you.”
Ruby laughed. “Nah, you love me.”
Nicole rolled her eyes dramatically, but she was smiling.
Yeah. This was so not what she had expected. But she wasn’t complaining.
Nicole tapped her fingers against the steering wheel as they pulled up to a red light, side-eyeing Ruby. “So, real question—why don’t you have your license?”
Ruby, who had been lounging in her seat like she didn’t have a care in the world, let out a dramatic sigh. “Ugh, this again?”
“Yes, this again.” Nicole smirked. “You’re eighteen, Ruby. You ride a skateboard everywhere like a delinquent. What’s stopping you from just taking the damn test?”
Ruby groaned, dragging a hand down her face. “Look, I tried, okay? But the instructor hated me.”
Nicole raised an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah? What’d you do?”
Ruby huffed. “I may have almost hit a stop sign.”
Nicole’s jaw dropped. “How do you almost hit a stop sign? It doesn’t even move.”
“It was in my blind spot!”
“IT’S A STOP SIGN.”
Ruby burst into laughter, and Nicole shook her head, fighting her own smile. “You’re ridiculous,” she muttered.
“I prefer ‘charmingly flawed,’” Ruby said, grinning as Nicole turned onto her street.
Nicole rolled her eyes but didn’t argue.
Finally, she pulled up to Ruby’s house, shifting into park. But neither of them moved to get out.
For a moment, the only sound was the quiet hum of the engine. Then, Ruby leaned in, her voice softer now. “Thanks for the ride, baby.”
Nicole’s breath hitched. Oh.
Ruby had definitely just called her that on purpose.
“Don’t push your luck,” Nicole mumbled, but it was weak, her gaze flickering to Ruby’s lips.
Ruby smirked. “Why not? You gonna punish me?”
Nicole didn’t answer. She just grabbed Ruby’s hoodie and pulled her in.
The kiss was hot and unhurried, Ruby’s fingers slipping into Nicole’s hair while Nicole’s hands found their way to Ruby’s jacket, fisting the fabric like she didn’t want to let go.
Ruby groaned softly, tilting her head to deepen the kiss, and Nicole swore she could feel it in her spine. She barely registered Ruby shifting closer, her fingers now tracing the curve of Nicole’s jaw, her thumb brushing against Nicole’s cheek like she was memorizing her.
Nicole pulled away just enough to catch her breath, forehead resting against Ruby’s. “You’re such an asshole,” she muttered, but there was no heat in it.
Ruby grinned. “And yet, here you are, making out with me in your car.”
Nicole rolled her eyes but kissed her again anyway, slow and deep, like she was trying to drown in the feeling of Ruby.
When she finally pulled away, her heart was pounding. The words were on the tip of her tongue before she could stop them.
“I lo—”
She cut herself off so fast.
Ruby blinked at her, lips kiss-swollen, eyebrows raising slightly. “What?”
Nicole’s brain short-circuited.
“Uh—” Think, Nicole, think.
She cleared her throat. “I—I love that you’re finally getting out of my car.”
Ruby narrowed her eyes.
“…Nice save,” she said dryly, but there was an unmistakable warmth in her gaze.
Nicole refused to acknowledge the way her hands were still shaking on the wheel.
“Go inside, loser,” she muttered, looking away.
Ruby chuckled, leaning in one last time to press a lingering kiss to Nicole’s jaw before finally pulling back.
“Night, babe.”
And with that, she was gone, skateboard in hand, leaving Nicole sitting there, gripping the steering wheel like it was the only thing keeping her from spiraling.
She groaned, dropping her head against it.
Oh, she was so screwed.