Intensity (12 page)

“Then what is it?”

“He’s a celebrity, Ruthie.”

“I think we’ve established that.”

Celine placed the mug back on the table and took Ruthie’s hands into hers. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt. He’s really not a good guy.”

“I know.”

“You do?”

Ruthie shot back. “He’s a great guy.”

“How would you even know? You don’t even know him that well,” Celine pointed out.

Ruthie shook her head in frustration. “Because I slept with him and he still wants to see me!”

Dead silence filled the room. Celine opened her mouth to speak, but couldn’t even think of anything to say. If what Brian said was true, Ruthie was bound to get burned by the guy. The fact that she had already slept with Cash only meant the healing process would be that much harder. Celine’s mind drifted and she couldn’t help but wonder if she needed to buy some stock in Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. She had a feeling she was about to dish out a lot of money buying Cherry Garcia.

Ruthie frowned at Celine’s shocked expression. “You obviously knew what we did. You just made that joke about Cash’s condom.”

“I was kidding,” Celine replied, still in shock. “I didn’t think…I wouldn’t have thought…”

“That he would go for me?” Ruthie said angrily.

“No! It’s just you always were a ‘just say no’ to one night stands type of girl!” Celine brushed her hands through her straight strands and took a deep breath. Deep inside she knew she should tell Ruthie about Brian’s admission, yet Brian had told her under the pretenses of their little childhood game. It was a secret. It wouldn’t be right to break that understanding and it wasn’t her place to tell Ruthie. Besides, it’s not like Ruthie would believe her, anyway.

Desperate to change the subject, Ruthie rambled on, “Can you believe he’s taking me to New York? Remember how much we always wanted to go and visit MTV’s studios?” Realization dawned on her. “Wait! What if you come with me?”

“Seriously?”

Ruthie frowned. “Well, yeah. That’s why I suggested it.”

“I’m surprised you’d even want me there. Wouldn’t I just be a cock blocker?”

“You were the one who left me, remember?” Ruthie’s face softened. “Come on! It’ll be really fun! Intensity has a few gigs while they’re there. We can go sight-seeing in the meantime.”

Celine shook her head in frustration. She knew that no matter what she said or did, Ruthie would need to learn firsthand about playing with fire. She’d just have to be prepared to pick up the pieces when that fire burned her.

“When are you going again?” Celine asked, rubbing at her temples. She felt a hint of a headache coming on and knew she needed to relax quickly.

“Next week some time. Cash said he’d text me.” Ruthie couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed that she didn’t have an actual, concrete date to give her.

Celine sighed. As much as she wanted to allow her friend to dance through flames, she knew she would never forgive herself is she allowed Ruthie to go at it alone. Begrudgingly, she admitted, “Well, I actually received an email from my agent. There’s a writer’s conference taking place next weekend and the author she booked had to bail out the last minute. She was wondering if I could make it, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to…”

Ruthie’s eyes lit up. “Please go! Please!”

“I have so many things to do for my wedding…”

“Do it in New York! What better place to get ideas than the Big Apple? Center of all fashion!” Ruthie squealed in excitement. She grabbed at her fluffy orange throw pillow and hugged it close to her body. She was worried that if she didn’t squeeze something, she’d burst into hysterics from happiness.

“Isn’t that Paris?” Celine joked. She forced a smile. “I won’t be looking for my dress there or anything. I want my mom and sister to be with me when I go dress shopping, but…”

“But?” Ruthie egged her on.

She shut her eyes. She knew she’d regret it, but she felt as if she had no choice. “Fine. What’s one weekend, right?”

“Yay!” Ruthie squealed and threw herself against Celine, hugging her tight. They’d never been so close to having a fight before and she was relieved the animosity had vanished.

Celine, however, wasn’t ready to partake in the excitement just yet. “Just promise me, you won’t leave me alone. Specifically, when we’re with Intensity.”

Ruthie blinked and took a step back. “Are you really that worried about being with them? Or should I say being with Brian?”

Celine blinked and shook her head, but Ruthie wasn’t buying it.

Ruthie pursed her lip. “It did have to do with Brian, right? That’s why you wanted to leave.”

Celine wrinkled her nose, knowing she couldn’t lie anymore. “Yes, it had to do with him.” She sighed and threw herself against the couch. “I just felt weird being around him. It felt like I was cheating on Noah…almost.”

“You’re being ridiculous! You weren’t cheating on him by hanging out with a crush from high school. Like I said, he’s our friend. Nothing more. He’s always been just a friend.”

“If he’s our friend how come you warned me about being careful around him? You obviously noticed something off,” Celine replied.

“I guess I was wrong,” Ruthie said sternly. “We’ve all been friends for years, right? Besides, you already rode back home with him and that didn’t end up weird, right?”

Celine nodded, but still kept her eyes down. She wanted to tell Ruthie about how Brian felt about her, she really did. She just couldn’t admit it, even to herself. She already felt guilty about driving home with him and she knew admitting he liked her would make her feel things she shouldn’t be feeling.

She swallowed and in a quiet voice said, “Just promise me that you won’t force me to go anywhere I don’t want to”

Ruthie nodded her head. “Done.”

Chapter 20

“Do you think this one’s okay?” Ruthie held out an eggshell colored sleeveless top. It had a few sequined embellishments towards the shoulder area, but not too much. Ruthie’s number one beauty rule was that simplicity was always better.

Celine sat cross-legged on Ruthie’s huge bed and leaned back on her arms. She narrowed her eyes and nodded. “I always thought that top was cute, but is it good for what you’re doing?” She paused and cocked her head to the side. “Wait a minute, do you even know what you’re doing?”

Ruthie pursed her lips. In truth, she still hadn’t heard from either Cash or Brian. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Celine that. Telling her friend would mean admitting it to herself. It would mean finality…it would mean her trip to New York was nixed. She wasn’t ready to face the possibility yet. Especially since Celine had already booked her flight to New York.

Changing the subject, Ruthie asked, “How about you? What are you packing?”

“Business casual stuff,” Celine answered, sounding a bit bored. “You know, just dresses and boots; stuff I wouldn’t usually wear.”

“How long does the conference last?” Ruthie was desperate to talk about anything but Cash at the moment.

“Just Saturday—I’ll be out by evening.” Celine narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Why?”

Ruthie threw her head back and began laughing. “I’m not going to force you to do anything, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Ruthie folded the shirt and placed it on top of her suitcase. With a softened expression, she sat next to Celine and patted her leg. “Are you sure this attitude problem of yours is not about Brian?”

“I don’t have an attitude!” she protested.

“Right.” Ruthie laughed.

Celine rolled her eyes and rested her head against Ruthie’s wooden headboard. “For the last time, this is not about Brian. I just don’t want to start off my impending marriage by hanging out with a bunch of strange men who do drugs and partake in other questionable activities.”

All amusement left Ruthie’s face. “By questionable, do you mean me?”

Celine rolled her dark brown eyes and groaned. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Fair enough.” Ruthie began clicking her tongue on the roof of her mouth.

“What are you thinking?” Celine asked with apprehension. She grabbed at Ruthie’s pillow, hugging it like a shield.

“Just that Intensity isn’t a bunch of strange men. We practically grew up with them!” Ruthie grabbed at a hanger and waved it in front of her face, enunciating every syllable.

“Oh, come off it.” Celine laughed. “And please put down that hanger before you blind yourself.” She shook her head and smiled. “We grew up with their image! Who knew that Hunter was a druggie and Cash is a—”

“Is a what?” Ruthie prodded, raising her eyebrows, still clutching onto the plastic hanger that was quickly becoming her stress ball.

“We don’t know them on a personal level, Best Friend.” Celine shook her head. “I just don’t feel right partying it up with them while my fiancé is on the other side of the country.”

To Celine’s surprise, Ruthie burst out into a fit of laughter. It was so off the cusp that Celine couldn’t help but frown in curiosity.

“What?” Celine asked incredulously. “What’s so funny?”

“Do you remember the last party we threw?” Ruthie’s eyes lit up in amusement.

“You mean the only one we ever threw? Don’t remind me.” Celine tried hard to fight it, but the corners of her mouth soon gave way to a tiny smile.

Celine’s cold demeanor quickly vanished and was replaced with the same light-hearted woman Ruthie knew and loved. She didn’t know what was going on with her friend, but attributed it to wedding stress. Attempting to keep the ball rolling, Ruthie added, “All I know is that I’m never drinking jungle juice ever again!”

“If you can even call it that! It was a smorgasbord of alcoholic beverages! I’m surprised that we were both able to function enough to clean the next day.” Celine laughed.

“Yeah, at least I was able to get the security deposit back from that place. Word to the wise, never throw a party a week before you’re supposed to move out of a place.” Ruthie shook her head nostalgically. The two of them did have some great adventures under their belts.

“Stupid twenty-one-year-olds,” Celine added with sentimentality.

Ruthie sat back against her white-washed headboard and smiled down at her friend. “See? All went well. There’s no reason why you have to stop having fun just because you’re getting married.”

Celine sat up and frowned. “Where’d that come from? I never planned on stopping, Ruthie. I just want to be smart about the fun that I do have.”

“You mean you want to plan the fun that you have. That doesn’t sound like any fun to me at all,” Ruthie said with a shake of her head.

“I’m still spontaneous, if that’s what you’re trying to say!” Celine argued.

Ruthie sighed. “I didn’t say that you weren’t. I just see you as preventing yourself from living it up because you’re getting married. You said it yourself, nothing is going to change.”

“With our friendship.” Celine exhaled and crossed her arms. “I’m going to be one half of a whole, Ruthie. I have to keep Noah’s opinion in mind and that includes not spending all hours of the night living it up like a celebrity, which I’m not.”

Ruthie’s shoulders sagged forward. She knew Celine was right, but she didn’t see the harm of having one last crazy weekend together. “Prove you’re spontaneous, then. Be fun for once.”

“Excuse me?” Celine lifted an eyebrow.

“Throw all your inhibitions aside and just let loose this weekend. No double thinking anything. Your wedding stuff will be here when you get back. Noah will be here when you get back.”

Celine remained quiet and looked away. What was she even doing going to New York? She dodged a bullet in San Diego and here she was diving head first back into the fire. And why? To save Ruthie? When did best friend duties become so life-consuming?

“Come on! We need another fun adventure for the books.” Ruthie jutted her bottom lip forward in a mock pout.

Yeah, because meeting Intensity was anything but fun. Celine groaned. “I’m going already, aren’t I? Just promise me that whatever crazy adventure you have planned, you will not be leaving me alone!”

“Better than a no!” Ruthie replied happily.

Celine eyed Ruthie’s open suitcase. “Well, this adventure is already getting off to a weird start. We’re not even flying together. When does your flight leave again?”

Ruthie visibly swallowed and stood from the bed. She walked over to her walk-in closet and disappeared, not wanting Celine to see her face. How long could she keep up with this charade? She kept holding onto hope, but as the time kept ticking away, any hope of New York was slowly walking out the door.

“Ruthie?” Celine called out in confusion. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No,” Ruthie called out from inside the closet. “You just reminded me that I better stop stalling and get packed. You know me, I like having everything ready days in advance,” she lied.

“Okay.” Celine stood up slowly and began walking towards the doorway. About halfway through the doorframe she paused and pivoted on her heel. “Let me know if you need help.”