Chapter 1
JEWELS
My leg is vibrating in place under my huge gown and graduating cover. My hands try to keep my leg from bouncing around but I am way too excited. Sitting in the front row, I am listening to my principal give the introduction for the valedictorian speech. This is it! He did warn me that he would have to be using my actual name—Jewels—not my nickname, Ruby. No one calls me Jewels, not even my mother. But it is the name on my driver’s license.
“Please welcome Jewels Nicole Rogers!” The crowd erupts in cheers and hollers. Slowly, I make it up on stage, ready to give the speech I have worked on for the last month. Looking into the crowd I see my mom blubbering away, my brother, Luke, looking so proud, and my boyfriend, Trevor. I would have loved for my dad to be here, but God only takes the best.
I still can’t believe that was a few short hours ago. Sitting at Van’s BBQ, where we have celebrated every milestone and birthday since I was able to sit still. It is tradition. The restaurant is packed, with us jammed smack-dab in the middle. Trevor’s hand holds mine, his thumb slowly circling against my thumb. Grabbing his knife, he taps his water glass and stands up. This not only catches our table’s attention but everyone’s in the room.
Grabbing my hand, he lifts me to a standing position next to him. “I want you all to be able to share in this day with Ruby and me.”
It’s my day not his but that’s okay. I look at him, smiling, waiting to hear what words he will toast me with. Before today I have always been in the shadows. Luke, my brother, is the all-star. I can’t help but relish in the attention I am getting.
“We would like to announce that we are gettin’ married!” He sweeps down and kisses me, tipping me in a grand, romantic gesture. The room fills with even louder cheers of congratulations and clapping.
I feel my cheeks burn crimson, and I’m a little lost in what is happening. I’m only eighteen, much too young to be getting married. I have only ever had one partner. What happened to proposing, actually getting down on one knee and asking for a girl’s hand in marriage? The moment all girls dream about. And this is mine?
My eyes widen as I stare at Trevor, trying to figure out what he is doing. He is beaming with happiness and what looks like pride. He is shaking the hands of people around our table, and I am frozen in place, watching my life in front of me. Even amongst this attention that should be all about me, it’s not. Once again I am in the shadows and Trevor is the focal point.
No. This is not what I want. We never spoke of marriage. What the hell! The room’s eyes are on us. I plaster a smile on my face for everyone else’s benefit. Trying to keep the southern charm I was brought up with intact. “Excuse me,” I say politely and begin to make my exit.
“Ruby.” I hear his chair scrape across the floor as he starts to follow me out into the fresh air.
Hoots and hollers are still heard throughout the room. Growing up in a small town truly makes everyone believe that they have a piece in helping you become who you are. They feel like they know you way too personally than they actually do.
The fresh air hits my face but does nothing to relax or calm me down. I look at his truck, wishing I had driven instead of Trevor. Hiking up my hundred-pound dress, my cowgirl boots sound with a determined beat as I begin walking. I have no idea what I am doing; I just know that I need to get away.
“Ruby, stop!”
I hear him yell, but I ignore it. I am much too flustered to speak. I need to walk this off. But the squeal of his tires tells me he will not be letting that happen. I can see his truck out of the corner of my eye matching my speed, then he begins yelling at me through the open window. “Get in the fuckin’ truck, Ruby!”
I wrap my arms around my chest like this will protect me. Why is it that no one ever asks me what I want? He stops the truck ahead of me and steps out. I want to be able to run my fingers through my strawberry blonde hair but I must have a hundred bobby pins throughout it. Making any attempt impossible, and only frustrating me more. Everything in my life is out of control, out of my hands. Whatever happened to being in control of your own destiny?
He is standing with his feet apart, like you would to trap a small animal. I keep my head high, trying to keep my tears at bay, all the while sidestepping his presence. It does nothing. Instead, he wraps his muscular arms around me, scooping me up like it is nothing, dragging me into the passenger side of his crappy truck.
Turning my body away from him and toward the window, I sit with my arms crossed, biting my tongue until we’re closer to my home. The more I think about his gall, the angrier I become.
The whole ride is silent. I have no idea what he is thinking. The more I think about it, the more I realize I don’t care. Who announces they are getting married without consulting with the other party?
Reaching my driveway, he begins to slow down. Now I’m not crazy but I need space, and I need to do something to show him I am serious. Opening the truck door, I jump out. Dress, cowgirl boots, and all.
“Are you fuckin’ crazy?” I hear him yell out as he swerves his truck to the side of my driveway before stopping.
I fall onto the pavement, scraping my hand and tearing my dress a little, but I’m fine. The truck honestly wasn’t going that fast. I don’t have a death wish. Besides, it isn’t like I will ever use this dress again.
I begin running up to my house but Trevor is too fast. He grabs me just as I reach the house and pushes me against it. He brings my hands above my head, pinning them in place while his knee moves in-between my legs, giving me no opportunity to escape.
“Ruby, this is going to happen. You will be my wife.” His eyes are cold and hard. I can see he has made up in his mind, this is happening. I can only imagine the gossip around town if this doesn’t happen.
“What happened to an old fashioned proposal?”
He brings his face close to mine. “That went out the window when your family needed me.”
“What are you talkin’ about?”
“You are about to lose your ranch, without my family’s money you will be homeless in less than a year.” I try to wiggle away but I stay pinned.
“The pedestal you all put your dad on will crumble down. The amount of his gambling debts he has on this place, I’m shocked he didn’t lose it himself. This town’s best kept secret is that your mom cries herself to sleep at night.”
He smirks at me while brushing a lock of hair out of my face. “I plan to have you barefoot and pregnant in my kitchen before the year is up. You wouldn’t want the town to know I deflowered their princess, now would we? At least not before marriage.”
His smile on his face is evil. It is as if he planned for all of this. He wanted to corner me in so I had no other choice.
I hear the cocking of a rifle to see one being pointed at Trevor’s head. That’s what I love about my family. They always have your back, no matter what.
“Get off our property,” my brother says between his clenched teeth. The dirt behind him is still swirling from his dramatic entrance.
“She’s mine now, Rogers.”
“The fuck she is. No one is gettin’ married.”
“We’ll see about that.” Slowly, he lets me go, but not before he pushes his hard-on into me. Telling me that this turns him on even more.
That night I packed all of my things and left town, determined to never step foot in this town again.