Chapter Twenty Nine
The Ring
Ruthie sighed kicking her feet as she walked across the street. She knew she needed to apologize but he made her so mad sometimes, that she could scream. She just couldn't understand him. One minute he wanted to be with her and the next minute he didn't. Rolling her eyes and taking a deep breath, Ruthie opened the front door to find the downstairs empty. Heading upstairs she found herself heading to Martin's bedroom. Taking a seat on his bed she closed her eyes for a minute. Just a minute.
That's where Martin found her an hour later. Fast asleep laid across his bed. A smile spread across his face as he looked down at her upturned sleeping face. Bending down he pushed her hair behind ear causing her to mumble in her sleep. Martin knew in that moment that the decision he had made was the best decision he'd made yet. He needed her in his life; he wanted her in his life. Forever and always. Picking up the blanket at the end of the bed he covered up her sleeping form and kissed her on the head.
"I love you, Martin." she mumbled and then fell back to sleep.
"I love you, Ruthie." Martin said laying down beside her and wrapping his arm around her and placing his hand upon her baby bump, "And I always will."
In that moment Martin felt closer to Ruthie then he ever had in his entire life and he felt his heart fill. It was hard to believe that he'd ever contemplated living life without her because it seemed to him that she made life worth living. And the feeling of her in his arms filled him with such warmth and such a feeling of peace. Smiling he closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall asleep.
Kevin couldn't take it any longer he had to talk to Martin now. He was going to talk to Martin. Then again maybe talk wasn't the right word. More like lecture, order, and yell at. Kevin loved Ruthie like a sister. She was his sister. And that little juvenile Martin had taken away her childhood or teenagehood. He'd ruined her chances to go to college or have a grandiose career. Heading up to Beau Brewer's front door he knocked, waking Martin from his slumber.
Martin smiled kissed Ruthie's check, covered her up more with the blanket, and then headed downstairs.
"Kevin?" Martin asked answering the door, "Why are you here?"
"To talk to you?!" Kevin said in his award winning cop voice.
"About?"
"ABOUT?!" Kevin yelled, "About you destroying Ruthie's life!"
"You're here about the baby."
"Yeah and about Ruthie." Kevin ordered, "You're going to marry her!?"
"You can't make me do anything I don't want to." Martin said.
"You want to bet." Kevin said, "The only way you're getting out of marrying her is if she says no."
"Oh so it's her decision only?"
"Yeah it is!" Kevin said, "Since you're the reason her life is over."
"My life isn't over." Ruthie said standing on the landing.
"Ruthie?" Kevin said.
"My life isn't over and this is just as much Martin's fault as it is mine." Ruthie said walking towards them with a look neither of them had ever since and neither could describe, "Kevin you need to leave now. I love you but this is my bridge to cross. My problem. My decisions. You can't make them for me."
"Ruthie?"
"Kevin leave." Ruthie said pointing towards the door. Kevin huffed and puffed like a two year old but headed out the door. Turning Ruthie stood looking up at Martin's face.
"Ruthie, how much did you hea…" Martin began but was cut off.
"Enough." She replied with a look of sadness in her eyes, "Martin I think it's time we both realize that this was something that just happened. And that while are child needs both of us, I think it's time we stop lying to each other. It's time you stop playing games with my emotions…"
"I'm not..."
"You are and I'm done allowing it." She said opening the door, "And I didn't want to marry you either."
As soon as the door closed, Ruthie felt her hold break. She felt the uncontrollable tears come; they had become her friends these past months. Her tears began to fall harder and harder as she walked across the street with her head held high. And in that moment she knew. She knew that in the end it all fell on her. The decisions. She had to make them and it scared her. Coming to pass the house she smiled a little upon seeing Simon on top of his car push the head of stuffed giraffe through his sunroof. Her Dad was pulling it through the left door and Matt was pushing through the right.
Martin felt his eyes get wet as he watched Ruthie walking away from him. He never cried. Never. Never cried but this time he felt the threatening feeling of tears.
Taking a set on a nearby chair Martin reached into his pocket and pulled out a little velvet black box. Snapping it open he looked down at the beautiful diamond that had been his mother's. The diamond he'd wanted to give to Ruthie. He wanted to slip it on to her finger and he wanted to see joy in her eyes.
