Lodged (Kinsmen Billionaires #2)

6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Ruin MacAllister

A fter leaving Gio’s place, I drive around campus for a while to get comfortable with the car. I needed a relatively safe space with slow speed limits to test my abilities driving such an expensive car before taking it out on the highway. It feels amazing , and it’s so easy to drive. Nothing like my old Ford, which always rattled when I used the breaks.

Before going home for the weekend, I head back to my apartment to grab my things. Luckily, I was able to save my stuff before the firefighters came to douse my car. When I get to my apartment, all the girls are gathered in the living room.

“Ruin!” Evelyn exclaims. “Are you okay?” she adds as she gets up from the couch and rushes to hug me.

“Yes, I’m okay. Just utterly embarrassed.” As I hug her back, my shoulders sag, letting her embrace comfort me. I wish I had hugged Gio longer, but I didn’t think it was appropriate—even though it felt so good to be in his arms, his warmth slipped through his gray sweater and into my skin.

“Oh, babes, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. We were just worried sick. With all the people wandering around, we couldn’t find you. When we texted you and you didn’t reply, we thought something had happened to you,” Charlotte says, hurrying to hug me too.

“I just needed some time alone to process everything, you know?” I tell them sincerely, and they all nod. I’m glad they get me. I honestly hit the jackpot with my roommates.

“So what are you going to do now?” Everly asks, and damn, I’m going to hell. I’m going to have to lie to her once more.

“That’s the other thing I was doing. I went to the insurance company to file a report and they lent me a car.” I internally cringe at my lie—who in their right mind is going to believe that I got a Range Rover as a loaner for my totaled Ford? I also make a mental note to actually go to the insurance office on Monday after classes. Maybe there’s something they can do to help?

“Oh, that’s awesome. At least you’re still going to be able to visit your family. I know you really wanted to go this weekend,” Charlotte says, and I nod with a smile. I’d rather not say anything else that may lead to more lies.

“Thank you all for keeping an eye out for me. I’m going to head out before it gets too dark to drive.” I give them a little salute as I make my way to my room. Once I close the door behind me, I exhale a deep breath. If I thought this was hard, I can’t imagine how I’m going to spin it with my family when I get home. After making sure I have everything I need—clothes, toiletries, my laptop, and books—I check my phone, and I silently gasp at the amount of missed calls and texts. Most are from Rain, with a few from River and Miles, and even Mama. “Holy hell,” I whisper. Do they know what happened to my car? But how? I didn’t tell anyone, and I don’t think any of my roommates have their numbers.

Deciding to handle all this mess after I get on the road, I grab my bags and close the door to my room behind me. I say goodbye to the girls before making it to the parking lot and packing my stuff into Gio’s car. What a surreal day.

After I connect my phone to the car system, I look for my favorite playlist. I love country music at any time of the year, but during the fall, it just hits differently. Maybe it’s the cadence in the singer's voice and the beautiful lyrics about love, but combined with the crisp air and the trees losing their leaves, it makes it a beautiful combination. Once one of my favorite songs plays in the background, I take a deep breath and try to make sense of this day. What are the odds of Gio finding me on the amphitheater steps? Out of the thousands of people at Wolfe University, it had to be him —the most attractive man I’ve ever seen.

Growing up in Azalea Creek, everyone knew everyone. Although I had a high school boyfriend, Tim, I knew he wasn’t my forever. After three years together, we decided it was best to be friends and let each other pursue other interests. He went to trade school and now works with my brother, Miles, who has a construction company.

The two years I studied at the community college in Pine Shores, the town closest to Azalea Creek, I had a couple of dates here and there, but nothing serious. And even though I wouldn’t say Tim or any other guy I’ve gone out with is ugly or unattractive, none of them hold a candle to Gio Bianchi. The way his blond hair curls on the top gives him a boyish look, perfectly contrasting the sharp lines of his jaw. But his eyes—those eyes are like two pools on a warm, sunny day, shiny and bright.

By the time I come out of my daydreaming, I notice I’ve driven out of the city, and I’m now two hours into my drive. Needing to stretch for a little bit and a restroom break, I look for the next rest stop. It doesn’t take me long to find one, but when I pull into the parking lot, I reconsider getting out of my car—it’s deserted. I wait a few minutes, trying to get the courage to get out, when my playlist cuts off, and the ringtone I have set for my sister, Rain, starts playing through the car’s sound system. Oh crap, I had absolutely forgotten I still didn’t tell my family about my day. I hit connect on the touch screen.

“Hello?” I say tentatively.

“Ruin Josephine MacAllister, where the fuck are you?” My sister's voice booms in the car, and I cringe at how loud it is. Damn, she used my full name too. I must be in deep shit.

“Hey, Rain, I’m at a rest stop trying to be brave and get out of the car to use the restroom,” I tell her honestly, letting the way she yelled at me slide. I’m sure they are all worried.

“A rest stop? So you’re still coming?” she asks, voice low with concern.

“Of course I’m coming, why wouldn’t I?” Now I’m curious to know what they know.

“Well, River got a phone call saying your car was totaled, and we all freaked out. We thought you were injured or something.” I can’t believe what Rain is saying; if her voice wasn’t so distraught, I’d think she was joking with me.

“Who called River?” I’m able to ask after a couple of silent beats.

“The insurance company called me, Ruin. Where are you? Are you safe?” The deep voice of my eldest brother fills in the car and a pang of guilt takes place in my chest. I should have let them know from the get-go. I hear Rain in the background asking River to give her the phone back, but we all know it’s a moot point. The car is in his name, and I’m an approved driver on his insurance. Ugh, why didn’t I think of this?

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier, but I didn’t know the insurance company was going to call you. I figured I could explain everything when I got home,” I say, hoping it will help calm their nerves a bit.

“Fuck, okay. At least now we know you’re okay.” He releases a breath, and I feel a little more guilty. “How much longer before you get home?”

I look around, but all I see are trees. I know I’m on the highway, but I don’t remember seeing an exit for a while.

“I’m not sure, I think I still have a couple of hours to go,” I inform him, and he huffs. It’s funny how well you can know a person. I know right now my brother is passing his hand over his scruff while mulling over the information I just gave him. It’s what he does when he’s figuring stuff out.

“Are you sure you are okay to drive? Or should we go meet you there?”

“What? No, River. I’m fine. I’m an adult, remember?” I assert, a little exasperated at his question. I know he means well, but this is getting out of control.

“River, just let her drive home. We’ll talk to her when she gets here,” I hear Granny say, and I know this conversation is over. As much as River is the oldest, Granny always has the last word.

“Be safe, and share your location with Rain. That way we can go get you if something happens,” River says before passing the phone back to my sister. I know what he isn’t saying: in case you have an accident like Daddy did all those years ago. I can tell he’s not happy, but there’s not much I can do at the moment.

“So yeah, everyone is here losing their minds. Be prepared for a roasting when you get home,” Rain says, and I can't help the laugh that escapes me.

“Oh, and now she’s laughing! You’re the worst, Ru,” she teases, and I smile at her way of showing she cares.

“I love you too, Rain,” I say as I disconnect the call.

Before heading toward the restroom, I share the location with Rain, just as River asked me to. That way, if something happens to me, at least they’ll know where to find my body. I’ve seen one too many horror movies where the main characters get taken away while in a wooden, abandoned area.

I’m making great time in this car; it’s incredible how fast it is. If I keep up this pace, I’ll be home half an hour before I was expecting. When I see the exit to Azalea Creek, a huge sense of relief washes over me. As much as I love the experience of living in Raleigh, this will always be home, and I can’t wait to move back.

Just as I see the town lights, a red light starts flashing on the car console, and I freak out. I ease the car to a stop and park before trying to figure out what’s going on. I was so close to making it home. Damn it.

“Call from owner,” the speaker announces, and I freeze. Gio is calling? I press the red light, and his deep voice fills the car.

“Ruin?”

“Hi,” I say in a breathy tone. I want to say it’s because it’s been a long day, and I’m dead tired, but the truth is, it’s not just only his looks that make my knees go weak.

“Hey, how's everything going? I’m sorry I called you through the car. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, and I didn’t have your number,” he says quickly like he’s nervous. Is he nervous about talking to me?

“Oh, yes. Everything is fine, I’m finally a few minutes away from home,” I assure him, and I can hear him exhale a deep breath.

“Great, I don’t want to keep you. Have a great time. I’ll see you on Monday, then,” he says before the car goes silent.

Hmm, he hung up. I don’t think too hard about how he called through the car or why he sounded nervous. I just need to get home and ease everyone’s nerves.

“Ruin Josephine MacAllister.” A voice fills the living room the moment I step into my parent’s house. It’s all dark, so I squint my eyes, trying to see who’s there, but it’s cloudy outside, so there’s no moonlight to help me.

“River?” I say in a low voice, trying to see if he speaks again. But instead, the lights turn on, and after taking a couple of seconds to adjust, I take in the sight in front of me. It’s almost comical. My entire family is sitting on the big couch in the living room. Granny, Mom, Rain, and Merlin—my youngest brother—are on the couch. River and Miles, my oldest brothers, are each perched on an arm of the couch.

“Hey,” I say as I give them a little wave, suddenly feeling the blush rising up my neck to my face. I’ve never been the subject of attention in my family. I’ve always been “the good twin,” the one who obeys and doesn’t get in trouble. Meetings like this are usually for Miles and Rain. I’d add Merlin, but being the baby of the family— seven years younger than Rain and me—he gets away with a lot of things we older kids never did. For instance, his curfew is two hours later than ours ever was. He also doesn’t have many chores around the farm, maybe because by the time he was old enough to help, we older kids already had a system in place.

“Hey? Is that the way you say hi to your family after having us worried sick about you the entire day?” River snaps me back from my memories with his stern big-brother tone.

“I’m sorry,” I say, lowering my gaze and pressing my nails against my palms as guilt for making them worry suddenly tightens my chest. I know they were all anxious, and after what happened to Daddy, I should have been more considerate.

“It’s okay, darling. Just tell us what happened,” Mama says in her sweet voice, and I instantly relax. Giving her a thankful smile, I take a deep breath and tell them everything that happened. From the moment my car started billowing smoke to when the firefighters arrived and a crowd gathered around me, I felt so overwhelmed I had to go to a quiet place.

“Fuck,” River mutters to himself, but everyone hears him. It’s eerily quiet in the house. “I’m sorry, Ruin. We should have gotten rid of that piece of garbage long ago,” he assures me as he ruffles his hair—a sure sign he’s restless.

“No, it’s okay. Look, I’m fine,” I tell him as I move closer to him. I hate that my brother feels responsible for every single thing that happens to any of us. “Nothing really bad happened.” He raises his gaze to me, and my lips turn up in a sweet smile. I notice the lines on his forehead disappear when he looks up at me and sees I don’t have any bruises. “We can see what I can afford with the little bit of savings I have left.” I shrug as I move toward Mama to give her a hug.

“Okay, we’ll go in the morning, then,” River says as he stands from the sofa arm and makes his way out to his cottage. Hmm, he didn’t say goodbye. Interesting .

“Okay, I’m going to hit the hay, too, now that we know Ru is safe and sound at home,” Merlin says as he gets up from the couch. He comes closer, and embraces me—it’s funny how the baby of the family towers all of us. At six foot four, he’s the tallest MacAllister. As he heads off, Rain slides into his spot, and I take the seat between her and Mama.

“WahWee, is that the rental the insurance lent you?” Miles asks from the window, where he is looking outside like an old gossip lady. I take a deep breath because I know I cannot lie to my family— I need to tell them everything.

“Well, not exactly. Remember I said I had to go to a quiet place to calm myself? As I was sitting there, crying my eyes out, one of my professors happened to walk by. When he saw it was one of his students, he approached me, and I told him what had happened.” I pause and look around, trying to gauge their reactions. Miles stands with his arms crossed, a shit-eating grin on his face. Ugh, I know he’s going to give me hell for this.

“Hmm, what a nice guy. Are you sure he doesn’t want any special payment?” He raises his eyebrow, and Mama immediately admonishes him.

“Miles, stop stirring the pot. I’m sure Professor…” my mom trails off.

“Bianchi,” I fill her in.

“Bianchi has no malicious intentions with Ruin. Why can no one be an honest-to-God, upstanding citizen these days?” Mama asks, raising her voice the tiniest bit. She’s usually so calm and collected, so I’m surprised to see her like this.

“I’m sorry, Mama, I shouldn’t have presumed. It’s just if it were me, I wouldn’t have lent my Range Rover to a college student.”

“A what now?” Granny asks, and I chuckle at her. I thought she was asleep since she hasn’t said a word since I came in.

“Wow, sis. I didn’t realize teachers did so well at Wolfe University,” Rain says after squeezing my leg and going to stand next to Miles by the window. When she sees Gio’s car outside, she whistles.

“It’s an expensive car, I gather,” Mama says, and both Miles and Rain nod in unison. My hand goes to my face— Lord , please make it stop . I just want to go to bed and for this to be over once and for all.

“And you’re sure he’s a bonafide man?” Mama asks as she pats my hand.

I place my head on her shoulder in response. “Yes, Mama. He’s the best.”

“Well, he’s not only bonafide, he’s got a thing for Ruin.” My eyes grow as big as saucers at Granny’s words.

“I knew it. I knew something was fishy here. No one in their right mind would lend a quarter-million-dollar car to a student without strings attached,” Miles says, a wide grin on his face.

I roll my eyes at him as I stand up and go stand next to Rain. “You know nothing, Miles. I’m not even sure why Granny said that. All I know is that Professor Bianchi is a nice man. He never mentioned any type of payment or favor in return. He only said he wanted me to come see my family since he can’t visit his.”

“And why can't he visit them? Is there something wrong?” Rain asks what I’m sure everyone in this room is dying to know.

“Ah, he’s probably the black sheep of his family,” Miles chirps. I can’t take it anymore, I smack him on his chest.

“Oouch.” He winces, and it just makes me laugh. He loves being dramatic.

“No, goofball. He’s not a black sheep. Professor Bianchi is actually from Argentina, and his family lives in Chile. So as you can imagine, it’s not a trip he can make on a weekend,” I explain, and Mama instantly relaxes.

“I wouldn’t say that’s the only reason,” Granny says, mischief dancing in her eyes. We all turn to look at her, waiting for her to keep talking. She puts her hand in one of her dress pockets and starts looking for something. I already know where this is going, but I want to see what she says.

“Ah ha, here it is,” she says after struggling for a while to take it out. She raises her hand, holding a tarot card for all of us to see. Rain and I are trying to stifle a laugh, while Miles covers his mouth.

“Oh, here we go,” Mama says, and Granny glowers at her. Miles can’t keep his face straight any longer. He bursts out laughing, but Granny is on a mission, so she plows through.

“That’s right, the New Love card came out for Ruin today when I was asking the angels about all of my grandchildren,” Granny says with a triumphant smile. “Really? And what about me?” Rain asks, ready to hear what Granny comes up with.

“Nothing, I fear. You have to actually go out and get a life so the angels can see something, my dear.” Miles starts laughing uncontrollably, bending over and gasping for air.

“Har har,” Rain says before smacking him on the head, which only makes him laugh harder.

“I think that’s enough for tonight. Why don’t we let Ruin rest? We have a big day at the farm tomorrow,” Mama says as she helps Granny off the couch. Rain starts whining, and I give her a side hug.

“Let’s go, Raindrop. We have to rest.” She hugs me back, and we make our way to our rooms, perfectly in sync, like always.

“G’night, Miles,” I say as we disappear down the corridor.

“Night, RaRu. Happy you’re home.”

Hearing that familiar nickname for me and my twin, settles any lingering nerves I had about the day. I’m home.

I wake up bright and early, and after putting on my work clothes, I grab a quick breakfast and head out to help on the farm. The Apple Festival is fast approaching, which means harvest season is upon us. We need to make sure the trees are healthy, and the apples are happy and growing to avoid any surprises during harvest.

“Morning, Ruru. Ready to work?” River greets me as soon as I reach the barn.

“You know it.” I give him a little salute, and he chuckles.

“Good. Why don’t you come with me today and help me water the trees? It hasn’t rained in over a week.”

“Of course. Who’s on pruning duty today?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.

“Merlin and Miles,” River answers with a sigh, and I giggle.

“Do you trust them not to over prune the trees?” River gives me a pointed look.

“If they fuck up the trees, I’ll prune their balls.” I cackle at my brother’s response, and he laughs as he adjusts his hat.

“Okay, enough fun for today, Ruru. Let’s go get some work done.” I nod at River, and after hitching the water tank to his truck, we head to the furthest part of the orchard to start watering the trees.

As crazy as it sounds, I’ve missed all the hard work. It feels good to be back.