Authors: Michelle Smart,Aimee Duffy

Once Upon a Twist (18 page)

BOOK: Once Upon a Twist

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“How are you feeling?” he asked.

Ruby ignored that and asked the same question she had every time she’d woken up. “Where’s Jeremy?”

The man lowered his gaze and she sighed. He hadn’t answered any other time either. She thought maybe they’d imprisoned him or something, until the man had told her about the contract of silence. Surely if they were letting her live her life, they’d let Jeremy too.

She took in her small room again, looking for any sign he’d been there. The windows had the same metal shutters as his house but the light was bright, reflecting off the white walls and hurting her eyes. Sterile smells made her think she was in some kind of hospital or prison. Maybe both.

The man surprised her. “Jeremy’s gone.”

Her heart pounded cold blood through her veins. Tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them away. “You said he was…” She couldn’t finish. Had they been lying? Did Jeremy… Ruby couldn’t even think it.

“He is alive, and cured. But he’s not here, he left.” The tightness around his eyes was the only sign of his discomfort.

“He left me?” she asked, unable to hide the shock.

“Only when he knew you were healthy. Safe.”

She shook her head, tried to clear the morphine haze so she could understand. “Why did he leave?”

The man swallowed. “You’ll have to ask him that.”

She frowned. “You’re here. I’m asking you.”

He rubbed a hand over his face. “He’s a good man, Ruby, but he was the one who created the disease. He thinks if he hadn’t, you wouldn’t have been hurt. Almost become a monster. I think he thought you’d leave him when you woke up. He thinks you’re better off without him.”

Jeremy must have a screw loose. That was the only explanation she could think of for this madness. “It was his father who tested it on the wolf.” Not Jeremy. Even then, his father had only been doing what he could while trying to save the woman he loved.

“I know, but he believes it’s his fault,” the man said.

She looked at him again. He had a kind face, wrinkled and old but his eyes were sincere in their worry. He must like Jeremy, though Ruby doubted anyone who met him could dislike him.

But the idiot had got the idea she was leaving him into his thick skull, that she was better off without him when her life had been hell for the last year. After everything, how could he be so blind? She’d rather die than be without him now. She’d as good as told him so.

She sat up slowly. Dizziness made her sway. Days in this bed wasn’t doing anything for her strength or balance, but determination made her slip a leg out of the sheets until it hit the floor.

“I’m leaving now,” she said when the man jumped up to stop her.

“I really wouldn’t advise that.”

Ruby ignored his outstretched hand. “I’m going to find Jeremy.” And knock some sense into his thick skull. Then spend the rest of her life with him.

The man sighed. “Let me see if I can find someone to take you back to the forest.”

She smiled for the first time since she’d woken up, when she’d expected Jeremy and found a stranger. Irritation gave her the strength to pull on a pair of scrubs someone left in the drawer beside her bed.

Jeremy was going to be sorry he’d given up on her.

Chapter Nine

Jeremy ran a strip of tape along the seal of the last box. Twenty five big cardboard cubes full of research, equipment, and his old life were ready to go. Who knew what he was going to do now, but he’d figure something out. Maybe he could take up the role of a woodcutter for real, instead of for show.

The one good thing that came from packing up his old life was that keeping busy had kept Red off his mind. He checked in daily with Parish, who assured him he hadn’t left her side. Told Jeremy that every time she woke she asked for him. The sting of hearing the words almost sliced him in two.

But Red was better off without him. He’d told her what his father had done, what
he
had done. No sane person could love him after that. Not after it almost killed her. And even if by some miracle she still wanted him, he didn’t deserve her. Something he kept proving time and time again.

A knock sounded at the door. It was after six at night. Since the sun rose he’d been packing, but he didn’t think the company he hired to take his stuff away would be here until the following day.

He opened the door. The breath kicked out of his lungs when he saw her standing there, fury shining from her golden eyes and her unbroken arm on her hip. Jeremy’s first instinct was to pull her into his chest, feel her warm body safe and healthy and alive against his. But her expression told him that wouldn’t be welcome, and why would it? He’d put her through a living nightmare.

“For a smart guy you can be an idiot sometimes.” Red launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, almost knocking him out with the cast. He staggered back, placed his hands on her shoulders.

“Red—”

“Don’t.” She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with tears. “You love me, and I love you. I can’t…” Her voice trailed off as her gaze took in the room behind him.

The boxes. “It isn’t what you think.” Though maybe he should do what he’d done a year ago. Maybe he should let her jump to her own conclusions, but he couldn’t lie to her again. Wouldn’t. Not even by omission.

And she’d said she still loved him. After everything, could she really feel that way?

“You’re not moving, are you?” she asked.

Her arms loosened around his neck and she made to step away from him. He tugged her close, letting a curse slip free since he promised himself if she didn’t want him, he would let her leave.

“No. It’s my…the lab,” he said.

Her gaze filled with tears. “You’re not giving up? You’re a scientist, Jer, and an amazing one.”

He pulled away and turned his back to her. “I created monsters. Caused the death of thousands, your grandma included.” His guts twisted, like he was still changing even though he knew the disease had left his body.

Suddenly she was in front of him, her eyes fierce. “You were trying to find a cure for a disease that has killed thousands, your mother included. You aren’t a murderer, you’re a kind, caring, amazing man and I won’t let you leave me. I won’t let you torture yourself over this.”

He shook his head, but not to disagree. He’d never looked at it like that before. Yeah, he’d created the thing that started it all, but he would have made the testing of it safe. When he was sure it was ready. The outbreak wouldn’t have happened if his father hadn’t taken the formula to the woods that day, and Jeremy would have never guessed the man would do such a thing. His father had always explained the importance of ethics.

Her good hand slapped down on his chest, hard. Surprise, more than the sting, widened his eyes.

“I mean it, Jer.” Despite the warning in her tone, her expression told him she was terrified. “Your father acted out of desperation. He did what he did
to save the woman he loved.
Your mother. You can’t go through your life blaming him for a mistake like that. He only wanted to save, not destroy.”

Staring into her eyes, he felt a bit like the wolf when Ruby had knocked it over the head with the frying pan. Before, he’d been so angry at his father. Although now he knew the crushing feeling of desperation and despair when Ruby had been bitten, Jeremy didn’t think he’d hesitate to do exactly what his father did. Everything he could to save the woman he loved.

It was time he stopped tearing himself up about the past and concentrated on the future. Their future. “I do love you, more than anything in the world. And you’re right. If it was you, I’d do everything I could to save you. Damn the consequences.” He pulled her back into his arms and she came willingly. “What did I do to deserve you?”

“You’re special.” She hugged his waist tighter. “And we belong together.”

He stroked her shiny hair, so soft it could have been made from silk. “I’m sorry for leaving you at the hospital. I should have stayed until you came around, I should have—”

“It doesn’t matter.” She looked up at him, a teasing glint in her eyes. “I was going to make you suffer, haul you over the coals, but I’ve come up with a better punishment.”

He cocked a brow.

“I want you to take me upstairs and make love to me until you can’t stand up. I want you to show me how sorry you are and if you’re good, I might just stick around.” Her eyes glinted with humor as well as something dark and erotic.

Jeremy grinned. “I think I can manage that.”

“Then lead the way.” She smiled at him, full of joy and love and relief. He knew the feelings.

“I can do better than that.” He picked her up and wrapped her legs around his waist.

Before he could take a step toward the staircase, Red’s lips were on his. All his worries, his fear and all the uncertainty vanished, because there was nothing uncertain about the way she kissed him.

He pulled back. “Wait, I’ve been meaning to ask you; what’s with the hair?”

Turning pink, she avoided his gaze. “I didn’t want anyone calling me Red again. It reminded me of you, so I dyed my hair and…lost the rest.”

His arms tightened and jealousy raged through him, even though he didn’t have a right to it.

She tilted her head to face him. “But I never let anyone get that close. It’s always been you.”

Jeremy sighed with relief. “I’m glad, even though that makes me selfish. There’s been no one since you.”

“I’m glad too.” Smiling up at him, she said, “You’re amazing, you know. Truly amazing.” She pulled him down and kissed him hard.

A moment of delving into her persuasive mouth convinced him he wasn’t going to give up. On life, on her, on himself.

Red pulled away, her breathing as ragged as his. “You’re not moving.”

He marched forward. “I am now.”

Ruby ran her hand over his face, her expression sobering. “Swear to me I’ll never lose you.”

But he couldn’t promise that if he was going to always tell her the truth. “Death is the only thing that could take me away from you now. There’s no other force on the planet strong enough.”

She smiled. “Same for me.”

Their tongues tangled again as he carried her up the stairs to start the rest of their lives together.

Ruby was right. All fairy tales really did have happily ever afters’.

About Aimée…

All my life I’ve been dreaming up stories. My mum said when I was little I used to make all the My Little Pony figurines talk to each other, and even fall in love. Later, it was Barbie and Ken. In my teens, I played matchmaker with my friends at school.

When I wasn’t creating imaginary scenarios, I had my nose stuck in books, reading across genres and there was one thing I loved more than the escapism—the fact a story can touch me so deeply, like I was experiencing everything along with my characters. I knew from early on this was something I wanted to do for others.

Fast forward a few years, and the dream almost got lost in real life, but I still couldn’t shake it completely. Now I write sizzling romance with the hope of making my readers’ hearts race like they are falling in love for the first time.

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