Ruby Revenge

“Just down the road, my ass,” Jamie grumbled as Lacey slowed down to turn into the campground.

“Be glad we found it,” I said with a shake of my head. “Next time, we print off the directions.”

Jamie shot me an annoyed glance, and I frowned. If things kept going how they were, I didn’t think there would be a second time. I had no desire to hang out with Jamie anymore. Lacey shot me a pleading look in the rearview mirror when she saw my face. Damn, she really did like him.

“Let it go,” Alex murmured under his breath, leaning close to me. “Don’t let him ruin our vacation, okay?”

“He won’t ruin it,” I muttered, deciding to drop it. Looking out the window, my mouth dropped at the beauty of the campground. The campsites were far apart, and trees made sure each campsite had all the privacy they could want. Lacey expressed her unhappiness by letting out a long sigh. Unlike me, Lacey and nature didn’t mix. It had taken me forever to convince her to go camping instead of staying in a hotel the entire trip.

As we drove through the campground, a few campers looked up curiously from their campfires. There were maybe only twenty sites in this entire park. Each secluded from its neighbors, thanks to the dense forest. Lacey pulled into our reserved spot, and everyone scrambled out. I stretched my achy muscles from sitting for so long as Alex opened the tailgate of the truck.

“There’s really only two public toilets for this entire campground?” Lacey complained. “Where are we going to shower?”

“We can rinse off in the lake. I think you’ll be fine for two and a half days,” I said, rolling my eyes. Alex chuckled, and I looked over my shoulder at him.

“Not used to camping with such newbies?” I joked. He went camping with his family up here at least once a year and was used to campgrounds like this.

“It’s okay. It’ll be an adventure, baby.”

Alex set up the tent by himself while Jamie looked blankly at the instructions and tried to look like he was helping. Examining our huge campsite as I lugged the cooler out of the truck, I spotted a small trail that must have lead to the lake. I set the cooler next to the picnic table as Lacey dropped the firewood next to the small metal pit.

“Need help?” I asked Alex as I glanced at Jamie. He was standing there with the instructions in his hand, even though Alex clearly knew what he was doing.

“No, I’m almost done.” He stopped for a moment and gave me a quick kiss. “I know you’ve been waiting to go to the lake. Go. I’ll meet you when I’m done.”

“Want to come, Lacey?” I asked her, as she came to stand next to me.

“Actually”—Jamie tossed the instructions onto the picnic table—“I was hoping Lacey would go for a walk with me.”

Lacey hesitated, and I knew she was thinking about what he’d done last night. For most of the day, she’d been acting like everything was fine. Because she liked him. Shock tore through me as she nodded to him, and they began walking down the small road, hand in hand.

“I think she likes him enough to break her three-month rule,” Alex murmured, watching them disappear around a bend in the road. “Maybe your sister is finally growing up.”

“I guess.”

“Sage, he made a mistake. He was drunk. It happens. I think he really is sorry,” he said softly. “Give him a chance. Come on, let’s go down to the water. I’m done setting up the tent.”

Deciding that Alex was right, I ran my hand through my hair and nodded. If Lacey was happy, then I wanted to be happy for her. Alex grabbed my hand and lead me to the small trail I’d seen earlier. I could hear the waves breaking before Alex had even pushed past the shrubs. A calm washed over me as my feet hit the sandy beach.

Lake Superior was so large I couldn’t even see the other side of it. I remembered stories about the shipwrecks that had never been found because the lake was so massive. The beach went on for miles in one direction, and in the other was a small cliff a couple of miles away.

“Isn’t it beautiful, baby?” Alex gazed at the water admiringly as he pulled me into his arms. “This is why I love to come up here. It’s like living a different life.”

“I love it here. I’m glad you came with me.” I snuggled against his chest, feeling his heart racing faster than usual.

“You know that I love you more than anything? I want to spend forever with you.”

“I love you too, Alex. Always.” Turning in his arms, I met his gaze.

“I’m with my perfect girl—in my favorite place.” He sounded nervous, and I tilted my head in confusion. “Sage, will you marry me?”

Butterflies swirled in my stomach as shock hit me. That wasn’t something I’d been expecting at all. Before I could say anything, he kept talking.

“I know we’ve talked about it before, and you want to wait until after school. We can wait to get married for as long as you want. But I want the world to know you’re mine. I’ve never been so sure of anything as I am knowing I want to marry you.”

“Yes,” I answered without hesitation. There wasn’t any part of me that wanted to say no. He wouldn’t push me to marry. I wanted to spend forever with him, and a long engagement would be perfect.

A smile stretched across his face as he touched the ring that hung around his neck. “This was so spur of the moment, I didn’t even get a ring yet. I would let you wear mine, but it’s way too big. But being here with you—I couldn’t wait any longer.”

“Ring or no ring, I’m still yours. And I love spur-of-the-moment things.”