Framed (6 page)

The food was served buffet style, with the tiny peninsula in the kitchen completely covered in stoneware and plates piled high with homemade Italian pastas and sauces and salads. The deserts had a counter all their own.

I was seated at the dining room table and force-fed until I nearly exploded. Carmen was convinced that I was too thin and that somebody wasn't taking very good care of me. Matty explained that I lived on my own in New Hampshire while his sister scooped a second cannoli onto my plate.

“That's not entirely true,” I argued, bits of pastry crumbling out of the corners of my mouth. “I do have a roommate.” I bent over my plate to inelegantly deposit them there instead of my lap. The family roared with laughter.

“I think it's safe to say that she's not Italian, Ma,” Rosa, his oldest sister, said.

“Was it my lack of pastry couth, or my ragingly pale skin that gave me away?”

“Both,” the family yelled, before laughing even harder. Once his mother calmed down enough to talk, she asked who this roommate was and why she wasn't feeding me.

I didn't think anything of telling them about Cooper. The quick dying off of laughter made me think I should have.

“You live with a boy?” his mother asked, clutching the cross that hung around her neck.

“Ma!” Matty chastised. “It's not what you think.”

“No, no it really isn't. Cooper moved to the area and needed a place to stay. I thought it might be safer to have a man in my house since I do live downtown,” I added, hoping it would help take the edge off the tension I'd created. “There has been a series of women killed around my town lately. It gives me peace of mind.”

“You don't have to explain yourself,” Matty said, leaning in close to me. “You and Cooper aren't like that.” I wasn't sure if he was affirming or asking.

“Ruby,” his father said, addressing me slowly. “I think a girl can never be too careful these days. If that's what you need to do to be safe, then I think it's fine. Besides, if your parents are okay with it, then who am I to look down on it?”

I visibly tensed at his sentiment.

“Geez, Dad. You're
so
not helping things,” Matty groaned, putting his hand on my back.

“It's OK, Matty. He didn't know,” I said, looking Matty in the eyes before turning to his father. “My parents were killed just over a year ago. They don't know anything about my living situation now. I was living with them when they died.”

“Poor girl,” his mother cried. “I'm so sorry. How did they die?”

I looked around quickly to see that the children were all in the adjoining family room watching TV and sleeping on the couches. I didn't want to say anything if it were possible for them to overhear.

“They were murdered,” I said somberly. His mother looked at me, her eyes locked on mine over the table, threatening to spill the tears that were backing up. “I was there when it happened. I survived the attack.”

Carmen shot up from her chair and rounded the table, headed straight for me. She scooped me up from my chair into the most comforting embrace. She sobbed on my shoulder as I stood there numb. I didn't want to cry in front of people I hardly knew.

“I'm okay, really,” I said, trying to encourage her to let me go. I wanted to sprint out the front door and never come back. Embarrassment did that to me.

“This family knows about loss too, Ruby. You have family here whenever you need it.” The memory of Matty telling me about his dead brother came back to me suddenly, making her reaction seem far more understandable.

“Thank you, Carmen,” I said, smiling. “But I should probably go before I bring this night down any more than I already have. Thank you all for having me. I had a great time.”

“Nonsense!” yelled one of the brother-in-laws, emerging from the kitchen. I hadn't even seen him leave the table. “It's nothing a couple more bottles of wine can't fix.”

More laughter erupted from the crowd as glasses were raised and filled sequentially. The routine kept going until six more bottles were emptied and midnight crept in. I drank my troubles away with Matty's family, forgetting that I'd eventually have to drive myself home. Stumbling down the hall to the bathroom to pee for the eight hundredth time, Matty followed right behind me, chaperoning me the whole way. He was all too aware of my reputation for clumsiness and was likely trying to stave off any more disasters that evening. As I fumbled for the light switch in the room, he just smiled and flipped it on from the panel in the hall.

“Not sure how I missed that one,” I said innocently.

“I've got a pretty good idea,” he said, smiling. “Hey, I need to show you something really quick.”

“OK, but you've only got about one minute before I pee my pants.”

“That's all I need,” he said, grabbing my hand to escort me down the hall. It really did speed up the process rather than let me bounce between the hallway walls. He took me two doorways past the washroom to a boy's room decorated with trophies, posters, and all the other expected accoutrements. I looked at him questioningly, not really understanding why that was the moment to take a trip down memory lane.

“You can stay in here tonight. There's no way you're going home in this condition,” he said wearing a serious face. I looked at the twin bed and wondered exactly where he was planning on sleeping. With that message written all over my face, he provided the answer without verbal prompting. “I'll be staying in my brother's old room. It's about time we started using it again.”

“Is your mom gonna freak out?” I asked, remembering her earlier crucifix rubbing.

“I doubt it since she was the one that suggested it,” he replied. “I know it went south for a bit there, but they really like you, and my parents would never let
anyone
leave their home drunk. Dad was hit by a drunk driver when I was a kid. Everything turned out fine, but they don't mess around with that kind of thing now, know what I mean?”

“Okay,” I said, nodding like an idiot. “Can I pee now?”

“I think my mom would prefer that you do it in the bathroom. Let's get you in there, Tipsy.”

“Oh, my friend, I think we are well beyond tipsy at this point. I'm really hoping I don't puke in your bed tonight.”

“Wouldn't be the first time that happened,” he said, with an evil grin.

“Ha! Matty: the high school rebel. It just doesn't suit.”

“I think you'd be surprised, Ruby. We all have demons and dark sides. Some are just better at keeping tabs on them than others.”

“Some don't keep tabs on them at all,” I said, sounding a little more desperate and bitter than I'd intended.

“Well, here's your stop,” he said, parking me in front of the bathroom door. “You gonna be okay in there?”

“Yes, Matty,” I said, slapping my hands down on both of his shoulders. “I have done this before.”

“All right then. Have at it,” he replied, returning to the dining room. “Just yell if you need a hand. And if you're going to pass out, make sure you lock the door. If Jimmy finds you, you'll wish you had.”

His laughter trailed off as he rounded the corner, blending in with the banter coming from the other room. As I propped my head up in my hands, leaning my elbows on my knees, I peed another bottle of wine away. While I sat there, I realized that I never really had a family—not like his. I had parents, but that just wasn't the same thing. I wondered if one day it was possible to have a piece of what the Carmilos had created for themselves, then I laughed out loud until I choked on the bitterness of it. How would I accomplish that? Would I marry some normal human? Adopt some children for fear of recreating what I was? Try to hide from a world of werewolves and other things associated with my kind? Sean would never let that happen, nor would Cooper for that matter.

It was inescapable.

My life had been predetermined. My eyes welled with tears of mourning that I eventually shed for a life I never knew I wanted, then realized I could never have. I clenched my fists so hard my nails drew blood from my palms. The pain stung through my arms—it felt sweet and familiar.

Pain I knew.

Pain loved me.

Perhaps it was a marriage between pain and I that would fill the void in my life.

To have and to hold till death do us part.

4

“Hello?” I rasped groggily into the phone Matty had thrust in my face. He said the thing wouldn't quit ringing, so he decided to bring it to me. It was a restricted number calling—not a good way to start the day.

“Where are you, and why the
fuck
aren't you answering your phone?” Sean growled. I yanked the phone from my ear, my hungover mind swirling. “And don't you
dare
lie to me. You're in deep shit up to your eyeballs—you'd better hope I can dig you out of this mess.”

Matty stood in the doorway mouthing “who is it” at me incessantly.

“Sean,” I whispered, covering the mouthpiece of the phone, even though I knew it wouldn't make any difference.

“Who are you talking to?” he asked, clearly perturbed.

“I'm at Matty's parents' house. I stayed the night.” My reply was met with silence at first before a barely audible grumble rolled out of his chest. “You asked. You said not to lie, so there it is.”

“I'll be there in ten minutes. Be outside.”

He hung up before the slew of swears I started to spew actually made it out. I flung the bedding off of me and proceeded to rake my fingers through my mess of curls before getting down on hands and knees to track down my shoes.

“Where are you going?” Matty asked as I buried myself waist deep underneath the bed. I tossed a ballet flat out toward him before replying.

“Sean is coming to get me,” I said, the bed muffling the hostility in my reply. “I have to go.”

When I emerged with the other shoe, I slipped them on and made my way past Matty to the hallway bathroom, locking the door behind me. I squirted toothpaste onto my finger and attempted to wipe away the nasty film that coated everything in my mouth. As I spat it out in the sink, Matty knocked on the door. It bordered on pounding.

“Ruby,” he started, trying to cage the anger in his voice. “Why do you have to leave just because he wants you to?”

“It's complicated, Matty,” I explained, emerging from the bathroom along with the sound of the toilet flushing. “Unfortunately.”

“It seems like it's always complicated with the men you're around,” he sneered, letting the bitterness he felt bleed into his expression. “I'm worried about you, Ruby. Cooper, Sean...I don't trust them—not with you.”

“They're harmless, sort of,” I offered. “Please don't worry. It's really not how you think it is.”

“Isn't that what all abused women say?” he muttered under his breath as he turned to walk away.

“Matty!” I called after him, grabbing his arm to turn him to face me. “Do I look abused to you? I'm fine if I say I'm fine, okay? I know I can't make you understand that, but I wish I could. I had a great time last night with your family, and I love that we're friends, but there are things about me that won't ever make sense to you...
can't
make sense to you. If you're not able to handle that, then I need to know now. Last night your mom made me an offer that I don't want to refuse, but if you're not on board with who I am and how I live my life, then I'm going to have to. Please don't make me.”

I knew I was hitting below the belt, but I needed to make my point. He looked wounded; it made him look much younger than he was. He lowered his gaze slightly and took both my hands in his.

“You're my friend, Ruby. I'm not willing to lose that,” he said softly, standing close to me in the tight confines of the hall. “But know this, if either of them ever hurts you...” He couldn't finish his sentence, but the squeezing of his grip let me know what he was thinking. He emanated rage at the thought of it.

“I know, Matty,” I said, giving him a little smile. “Thank you.”

A creak of the floor alerted us to our audience at the far end of the hallway. We both turned to see his mother peeking around the corner. A mischievous grin crossed her face when she saw the two of us holding hands.

“I'm so sorry to interrupt you two, but there's a young man at the door for you, Ruby. He said you were expecting him,” she said, sounding slightly confused as she finished.

“Thank you, Carmen.” I dropped Matty's hands and started towards the front of the house. Matty followed tightly on my heels. He may have agreed to my terms, but it was obvious that he wasn't a fan of them. “I'm sorry he bothered you. I was supposed to meet him outside. I must be running late.”

“No bother at all, dear. He's quite a gentleman, in fact he was just complimenting me on my restoration of the original trim in the house. He said not enough people see the value in it,” she informed us, beaming with pride.

“Well, that is true,” I concurred, stopping beside her. “Thank you so much for having me last night. You have a wonderful family.”

I walked past her before she had a chance to snatch me up in another hug. I rounded the corner to see a darker eyed Sean than I was hoping for.

“Sean,” I said in greeting, though I wasn't certain it came across very warmly.