I'm suprised
That you've never been told before
That you're lovely, and you're perfect
And that somebody wants you.
Ruby opened her eyes the next morning to find Zac right beside her on her small twin bed.
After blinking a few times so she could wake up, she ran her fingertip gently over his
eyelid. “Good morning,” she said in a soft sing-song voice.
Zac slowly opened his eyes and smiled when he saw her. “Hey you,” he sleepily
greeted. “Happy Birthday.”
“Thank you,” she said running her hand down his arm and locking her fingers
between his. There was a knock at the door that interrupted them.
“Mmgh,” Zac groaned and rolled over.
Ruby picked Zac’s t-shirt off the floor and put it on while she got out of bed. She
ran her fingers through her hair and opened the door.
“Hey, sorry,” Natasha said. “I forgot my key. And can I borrow your
conditioner? I’m out.”
“Sure,” Ruby nodded and made her way back to the bed.
“Hey Zac,” Natasha said when she saw him shirtless in Ruby’s bed.
“Hey.”
“Sorry, I’ll be out in a sec,” she said fishing for her key in her backpack. “So what
are you guys doing today?”
“Sweetie, what are we doing today?” Ruby looked back at her boyfriend.
“Picnic in Central Park,” he said.
“Aww, how cute,” Natasha smiled picking out Ruby’s conditioner from her shelf.
“I know. I’m the best,” he announced rolling over onto his stomach.
****************************
“Can you believe I’m 20?” Ruby asked laying on her back on the blanket under a
tree in Central Park. It was a perfect April day and Ruby was wearing a small green
vintage track and field t-shirt with her dark jeans. And Zac had on jeans and an untucked
white polo shirt.
“I know. You’re all old and stuff,” Zac teased bringing his knees up and hanging
his arms across them after he took his shoes off.
“Are you gonna leave me for a younger woman?”
“Never. Are you gonna leave me for an older guy?” Zac asked.
“Nah. You’re too good to me,” she told him.
“So do you want your present now?” He asked.
“Yeah,” she said sitting up. “But you didn’t have to get me anything. You flying
all the way out here is all I wanted.”
“Well too bad, cause I got you stuff,” he said placing the FAO Schwartz bag in
front of her.
“Did you get me a monkey?” She smiled looking in the bag. “Aww, thank you,”
she said pulling out the stuffed animal from the day before. She leaned in and kissed Zac
on the cheek. “You’re so nice.”
“There’s more,” he told her.
“No there’s not,” she raised her eyebrows. “Stop spending money on me.”
“Look on his tail,” he laughed.
She picked up the monkey’s tail and saw something shining from beneath the fur.
She slid it off and it was a small square ruby set in a silver band that matched the other
jewelry he had given her.
“Oh my God,” she said examining the sparkling red stone in the sunlight. “You
didn’t have to buy this for me.”
“I know,” he said taking it from her and sliding it on her ring finger.
“It fits,” she looked up at him.
“I know,” he smiled.
“How did you? I mean... where did you get the money?”
“Shh..” he interrupted. “Just tell me you love it.”
“I love it - really. Thank you,” she said and leaned forward to kiss him. “But you
can’t buy me anymore jewelry. Promise?”
“Okay,” he smiled and pulled her body in between his legs. “I won’t buy you any
more jewelry until I ask you to marry me.”
The suddenness of those words gave Ruby butterflies in her stomach. “When are
you gonna do that?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “Maybe today, maybe ten years from now,” he said
tightening his arms around her waist.
She looked down at the ring on her finger as she placed her hands over Zac’s.
“You don’t wanna marry me.”
Zac laughed. “Why not?”
“Why?” She asked back.
“I’ll give you a million reasons why,” he said resting his chin on top of her head.
“The way you listen to me, the way you laugh so hard you don’t make any sound,” he
listed kissing down the side of her face between every reason. “The way you sing in the
car. I love when I wake up first and get to watch you sleeping. I love how talented you
are, how you eat peanut butter with a spoon, the way you gets those wrinkles between
your eyebrows when you’re pissed off, how you can say the alphabet backwards, the way
you chew on your bottom lip when your drawing. Do I need to go on?” He looked down
at her.
“Yes, please do,” she smiled.
“How you can take your bra off under your shirt,” he added.
She laughed. “A lot of girls can do that.”
“Hey, a lot of girls can give head, but not like you,” he said having to finish off
with a joke.
She smacked his leg and laughed at him. “Well I appreciate it. I love you,” she
looked up at him.
“I love you too.”
“That was some list you had there,” she said.
“Those were just off the top of my head. You know you wanna tell me why you
love me,” he smiled.
“Hm, let’s see,” she said curling up against his chest. “I love the callouses on your
fingers from playing guitar, I love the way you look in a pair of khakis, I love the way
your eyes sparkle when you get embarassed.” He smiled and looked down. “See?” She
said pointing up at him as his brown eyes sparkled. “I love the way your body feels
against mine when you fall asleep next to me, I love staying up talking to you until we’re
too tired to form sentences. I love how you are with your family. I love the way your
bottom lip tastes,” she said placing her forehead against his.
“Mm, I like that one,” he said before giving her a kiss. She reached up and ran her
hand down the back of his head as he gently pushed her on her back and crawled on top of
her.
She pulled away slightly and opened her eyes. “Thank you,” she said quietly.
“For what?”
“For being here. For loving me,” she told him before placing a kiss on his chin.
chapter 16
