5

CHAPTER 5

RUBY’S POV

After dropping such a huge blow on both Clarissa and Dax, a beat of silence followed and the air stilled as we all just stood there.

Dax looked both bewildered and relieved at the same time and I couldn’t help but wonder why he would be relieved to know that Sally wasn’t my daughter. Not like he wanted anything to do with me. He called me a fake eight years ago.

“That’s right Dax, Sally is my daughter. Now what do you want?” Clarissa asked him icily as she began to play along and I almost smiled but I held myself back and waited for him to reply. Clearing his throat, he tucked his hand into his pockets and looked only at me.

“I want to talk to you, Ruby.” He replied and I rolled my eyes.

What exactly did he have to talk about with me? To insult me again about being fake and probably tell me that I was the reason why Michael died too? I wasn’t giving him the chance to look down on me again. I was over him, I was doing perfectly fine without him in my life, and Sally was very happy without a father figure in her life so he wasn’t needed.

“So can I come in? I don’t think it would be appropriate to stand out here and talk” his voice filtered through my thoughts and I heard Clarissa snicker from behind me.

“You didn’t think it was inappropriate when she got thrown out years ago because of you,” she said loud enough for him to hear from where he stood before me and I saw him swallow at her snide remark. She obviously hit a nerve and I made a mental note to thank her for that later on.

“I told you back in New York that I didn’t want to talk to you, so don’t think that following me all the way here to Denmark will change my mind. I’m not speaking to you, Dax. Get that and leave me alone” I told him and he sighed before running his fingers through his hair.

For the first time since he showed up on my front porch, I noticed the lines of exhaustion that marred his face. He was beginning to have eye bags too and I wondered if he didn’t sleep after he left the club the previous night.

Immediately I realized I was worrying about him, I gave myself a mental slap to bring me back to reality because I wasn’t ready to go down that lane again. He hurt me and was meant to be in the past.

“Ruby, please. This is really important and I just need to get it off my chest. I need to speak to you. Please” he pleaded with a shaky voice that showed how desperate he was while emphasizing the word, ‘need’.

For a moment, I paused and just stared at him. Dax Kellen just said please to me twice in the same sentence which was very rare for him. He was a very proud asshole that liked to have things his way so I was surprised to know he could go as far as beg me just to talk to him.

Swallowing this time, I blinked while trying to arrange my thoughts and I let out a long sigh. I couldn’t believe I was eventually going to give in… he was just very hard to say no to.

I looked out to the street and neighbors were beginning to filter out of their houses. I knew the street would soon be busy for the day and they would all be curious to know who the man on my porch so early in the morning was.

Living in a suburb where any news could travel so fast could be like that so I knew I had to get Dax out of there immediately but I also couldn’t let him into my house. Not with all the pictures of me and Sally hanging on the walls. He was going to figure out I lied in seconds if he saw them.

So I glared at him, angry at myself that I was going to give him even a morsel of my time to listen to whatever he had to say and he stared back at me with hopeful eyes.

It felt so weird to have him in front of me after eight long years and the event unfolding reminded me of a time we had a fight when we dated. This was exactly how he apologized and I took him back immediately because I was stupid enough to think he was genuinely sorry. Too bad I didn’t realize I was the only one in love.

“Fine! I’ll listen to whatever you have to say but you’re not coming into my house. You’re not welcome” I said to him and I noticed a bit of the hope in his eyes die. He’d better be thanking the heavens I was even going to listen to him.

“Give me a few minutes to get dressed. We’re going to talk in a nearby cafe” I told him and Clarissa caught my hand when I turned around to retreat into the house. I looked at her and I saw she was worried for me. She obviously didn’t want me to get hurt again.

Smiling at her, I slowly pulled her hand away and nodded at her to let her know I was fine.

“Don’t worry, love. I can handle it” I said to her and she nodded before she glared at Dax and shut the door in his face.

Five minutes later, I was dressed in a pair of brown sweatpants and sweatshirt and I had my hair up in a ponytail. I didn’t want to overdress to give him the wrong idea so I opted for the most basic thing to wear and that was it.

I made my way out of my room and went to join him on the porch where he stood and waited for me while having a smoke and I scrunched my face up in disapproval at the new habit he had picked. He never smoked when we dated.

“No smoking on my porch. A child is living here” I made sure to let him know and he nodded before putting out the cigarette and dumping it into the trash can at the edge of the porch. Then he turned to face me and I watched him run his eyes over me before he looked back at me.

“You’re wearing that to a cafe with me?” he asked and I immediately felt offended. So I folded my hands over my chest and fixed him a piercing, angry gaze.

“Why? Are you ashamed to walk with a fake trying to be rich who is also dressed in her sleepwear?” I asked him and he looked speechless.

“You know that wasn’t what I meant, Ruby” he tried to defend himself when he found his voice and I snorted which was something I would never do when we dated. I was changed and so was he judging by his new habit of smoking.

“Wasn’t that what you said? Not like I’m accusing you of something you never did” I fired at him and he opened his mouth to speak but held himself back and closed his eyes. He remained that way for three seconds before he exhaled and opened his eyes. All I did was watch him.

“Can we go to the cafe now?” he asked, changing the topic entirely and I eyed him from head to toe before turning on my heels and walking down the steps that led up to the porch.

“Follow me” I called out to him and he did.

Soon, we arrived at a cafe and I made a beeline for my favorite table that was by the window.

I sat down and he did the same then we both just stared at each other without uttering a word until a waitress came to take our orders and she smiled at me briefly before giving Dax a curious and flirty smile since he was obviously ‘oh so hot and handsome’.

We all knew each other in this little suburb of ours and Dax was a new face so she would definitely be curious about how I knew him.

They all knew I didn’t care what anybody thought so I had nothing to explain to anyone.

I ordered a cup of coffee because I didn’t want to eat any pastry with Dax sitting right opposite me. It wasn’t a date and we were just there to talk. It seemed he took the cue because he also ordered a cup of coffee and once the flirty waitress was gone, we were back to staring at each other which I didn’t like so I broke the spell.

“You said you wanted to talk. So talk” I urged him to get it over with and the flirty waitress returned with our coffee at that moment.

“One for you and one for the handsome mister,” she said sweetly to Dax and I rolled my eyes at her obvious attempt to get his attention.

“Are you pissed that she was flirting with me?” Dax asked me once she was gone and I scoffed. He must be thinking so highly of himself.

“Why would I be pissed? You can go ahead and fuck her if you want and I won’t care. Now, tell me what you have to say that is so important” I retorted and he took a moment to watch me. To avoid his gaze, I took a sip of my coffee but I could still feel his gaze on me.

“I want you back, Ruby” he blurted and I choked on my coffee.

Quickly, I pulled the mug away from my mouth while coughing to relieve myself and shot him a horrified look. What the hell did he just say to me? He had to be pulling a prank on me because that was the only explanation. How could he?… Absolutely not, this wasn’t happening.

“What. Did. You. Just. Say?” I asked him to be sure I heard him right the first time and he didn’t stir or break eye contact with me.

“I’m still in love with you and I want you back, Ruby. Come back to me” he repeated what he said and I began to shake my head furiously while waving my hands in the air. This was a joke, a huge joke he was pulling on me and nothing else.

“You’re joking, right? Tell me this is a joke” I asked wide-eyed.

“I’m serious, Ruby. I still love you… I need you back in my life” he insisted and with my lips apart in a terrified awe, I slowly stood up from my chair while trying to hold the storm that was slowly trying to break through my calm semblance.

I didn’t want to do this, one more word and I would lose my cool so it was better to just walk away.

“Hey! Ruby. We aren’t done talking, where are you going?” he called after me as he followed suit and I hastened my steps to get away from him as fast as I could. My eyes were beginning to sting and I knew the calm I was trying so hard to maintain wasn’t strong enough to hold the storm back. I wish I had worn my hoodie instead, now I was going to look like a mess with tears running down my face in the street.

Suddenly, a strong grip caught me by my arm and spun me around right there on the sidewalk. A tear trickled down my face as my eyes met with Dax’s and his hard gaze morphed into confusion and then guilt before I quickly wiped the tear away. But he saw me being weak already.

“What? Did you think I would just run into your arms after eight years because you now want me back? That is never happening and fuck you, Dax” I yelled at him, ignoring the fact that people passed by and using a curse word earned disapproving looks from them but I didn’t care.

“Ruby, just listen to me, it wasn’t my choice to let you go then. I’m trying to make it up to you now” he said and I was so enraged by how he sounded like he was doing me a favor by wanting me back. The nerve of the proud narcissistic asshole.

“Well, I don’t want you back. Go back to New York, Dax. we were done eight years ago and it’s not changing now” I told him and turned to leave but then I stopped and faced him.

“And don’t you dare follow me” I warned while pointing a finger. When he didn’t reply, I dragged in a shaky breath and walked away.

What the hell just happened? Dax Kellen wanted me back? And what did he mean when he said he had no choice?