Caught
Please be aware that this is the first draft, so there may be a few mistakes. If this bothers you, I recommend you don't read it until it's completed and edited.
This room screams money. It’s not like I’m poor, but I’m not swimming in cash the way Jake’s family is. Or at least, the way his father is. Jake isn’t wealthy yet. He was told he wouldn’t see a penny until he proved himself. Sure, his dad gives him enough each month to live comfortably, but beyond that, nothing.
Even this ring on my finger isn’t really from Jake. He doesn’t work, so of course he had to ask his father for the money. The thought makes me uneasy, though I try not to let it show.
Lately, though, it seems his father has started to see him differently. Our engagement shifted something. Not just the proposal itself, but apparently me as well. Dating me has somehow made Jake look more responsible in his father’s eyes, as if I’ve been the one to straighten him out. I don’t know how. All I’ve done is date him.
When I first met his dad, I didn’t even know Jake had money. It shocked me when Jake drove me up to this house, casually acting like it was no big deal.
Now here I am, still processing everything, still reeling from the idea that dating and being engaged are worlds apart. Jake’s father, Alaric, is charming and warm. It’s obvious he wants the best for his son, even if he can’t stand Jake’s careless side. That side I’ve only glimpsed in passing, never fully.
Conversation flows easily enough. Alaric laughs, I respond politely, and then I feel Jake’s hand slide up my thigh under the table. My body tenses instantly.
I turn and glare at him, but he only smirks, his eyes sparking with mischief as if this is a game. He actually pouts when I shift away. Is he serious? We’re sitting with his father and he thinks it’s fine to feel me up?
“Did it go well then?” Alaric asks, smiling at me from across the table.
I force a smile and nod. “It went amazing, Mr. Hendrix. I was surprised it went so well.”
“Ruby, please. Call me Alaric. You’ve been dating Jake for over a year now. No need to be so formal.” His tone is warm, and I nod again.
He rises from the table, giving Jake a look that’s half stern and half affectionate. “Anyway, I’ll leave you two to enjoy your break. Jake, don’t drive back tonight. Stay here. It’s too late for the road.”
I watch him walk out before turning back to Jake, my irritation rising. “Every time we sit with him, you try something. Can you not?”
Jake grins as though it’s nothing. “Babes, relax. I didn’t even get close to my goal.” He leans forward and brushes his lips over mine.
“Even so, we were sitting with your dad.” My voice is sharper than I intended. “That’s not okay.”
“Stop sulking. Let’s go to bed.” He tugs me up, and I follow, though my mood is sour. It’s been months since I stayed the night here. Usually we stick to my apartment or his, but tonight we came straight to tell his dad about the engagement.
Jake’s room hasn’t changed at all. I smile faintly, a flicker of nostalgia hitting me. He slips his arms around me, his mouth teasing against my skin as his hands begin tugging at my clothes.
I step back quickly, shaking my head. “Not here, Jake. Your dad’s right next door. That’s too weird.”
He sighs loudly and climbs into bed, throwing himself against the pillows. “You worry too much about sex. Loosen up, babes.”
The words hit harder than I expect, leaving me frozen in the middle of the room. He chuckles, dismissive. “Forget it. Sleep.” He rolls over, shutting me out.
Maybe I do worry too much. Maybe I should be more relaxed. But no matter how much I try, the thought of him fucking me with his father so close makes my stomach twist. It doesn’t feel right.
When I wake and wander downstairs, Alaric is already in the kitchen. He turns when he hears me, offering me a smile that’s warm and genuine.
“Morning, Ruby. Coffee?”
I nod, returning his smile with one of my own. “Please, Alaric. I didn’t sleep too well.” The sentence trails into a yawn, almost as if I’m trying to prove my words.
“Is my son keeping you awake?” His grin widens knowingly.
“Not exactly. My mind just wouldn’t quiet down.” What I don’t say is that I spent half the night replaying Jake’s words, over and over, until exhaustion finally won.
“Ah, well. Hopefully, you’ll sleep better once you’re back home.”
I nod politely as footsteps sound on the stairs. Jake appears, already pulling on his jacket.
“We should head out. Long drive ahead,” he says briskly.
Alaric comes over and hugs me before I can even reach for my bag. “Call in more often, both of you. It’s always nice to see you again, Ruby.”
I murmur my goodbyes, and soon we’re on the road. The drive is quiet, the silence stretching long between us. I can’t help but wonder if Jake’s still thinking about last night. To him, what he did at the table was nothing. The table hid us, so what was the harm? That’s probably what he tells himself. But his hand hadn’t just rested on my knee. It had crept between my thighs while his father sat inches away, completely unaware.
I bite the inside of my cheek, my mind circling the same question. Is he angry because I refused to let him have sex with me in his father’s house? Or am I just overthinking it? Maybe other people wouldn’t care, maybe they’d even find it exciting. But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.
As soon as we step through my front door, Jake pulls me to him. His kiss is rough, almost punishing, as he backs me toward the bedroom. My clothes are tugged away in hurried movements until I fall against the bed with his weight pressing me down.
“We need to be quick, babes. I’m late.”
Before I can respond, he pushes his trousers down and thrusts inside me. His pace is fast, frantic, almost mechanical. My moans spill out, loud against the quiet room, while his groans deepen until he drives into me one final time and pulls away.
I lie there, still catching my breath, as he dresses quickly and heads for the door without so much as a kiss goodbye.
I stare at the ceiling long after he’s gone. People rave about sex, about how earth-shattering it is, how it changes everything. But for me, it’s just… nothing. Something I could live without. Something I don’t crave. It isn’t epic, it isn’t amazing. If anything, it feels empty and boring.
Six months later
I sit on the barstool, laughing, the pleasant buzz of being tipsy loosening the edges of everything. For once, I feel light, unburdened.
“He’s such a grumpy nut!” Bex pushes me so hard I nearly tumble off the stool, clutching the counter as I laugh harder.
“Maybe, but he’s my grumpy nut.” I steady myself and slide off the seat, ignoring her exaggerated pout. “I’m heading home. I want to be with Jake when the new year starts. He wasn’t feeling great.”
She hugs me, and I wave as I leave, the cool night air sobering me slightly on the walk back.
“Ruby, Ruby, Ruby!” I groan, turning just as Ivy sways toward me, her steps uneven, her voice singsong.
“I’m so glad you’re here! I lost my keys.”
I can’t help but laugh as I unlock the front door. “You didn’t lose them, Ivy. You never do. You always leave them inside.”
Sure enough, when I step inside and check the side table, there they are. I dangle them in the air with a shake. “See?”
She laughs sheepishly, and I shake my head as I head for the kitchen to grab a drink before climbing the stairs. I’d told her before we even left the house to take her keys, and of course she hadn’t listened.
Still smiling, I push open my bedroom door.
And freeze.
“Jake.” My voice cracks as the word leaves my mouth.
He turns slightly, his body still entangled with the naked woman draped over him.
“Is this her?” the woman asks with a laugh, pressing closer to him. Jake chuckles.
My stomach twists violently, and I hurl my bag at him with a scream. “Get the fuck out!”
“Calm down, Ruby!” Jake shouts back as the woman scrambles to gather her clothes and rush out, leaving me staring at the man I thought I knew.
“How the fuck could you?” I scream again, my voice breaking as I rip off a shoe and fling it at him.
He doesn’t flinch. He only laughs. “Because you’re boring! God, Ruby, you’re so damn stiff.” His words hit like knives as he steps closer, his voice rising. “You were a means to an end. I wanted my inheritance, and you helped me get it.”
I can’t move. My body is locked, frozen. “Did you ever actually like me? Or was this just about the money?”
He smirks, cruel and unashamed. “At first, yeah. Then I got bored. But my dad thought you were fixing me, thought you were the real deal, so I played along until he signed everything over. You can’t complain. You got to date me. Fuck me. You should feel lucky. Every woman wants me.”
My hand flies before I can stop it, connecting with his face in a sharp crack. “Screw you!” My voice shakes, thick with tears as I shove him back.
He wipes the corner of his mouth, still smirking. “No thanks. There’s more action in a board game. Want some advice? Stop being such a prude.”
Then he storms out, leaving silence in his wake, broken only by the sound of my body collapsing to the floor. Over a year. For over a year, I was nothing more than a pawn for him to get his money.
“Ruby.” Ivy’s voice is soft as she steps into the doorway. I turn to her, my eyes burning, my chest breaking apart.
“Fuck him,” she says firmly, rushing to my side. She kneels, pulling me into her arms. “He’s the kind of man who’ll die alone. Sure, he’ll have his money, but no one will be there.”
The words blur against the tears spilling down my face. “God, I’m such a fool. What’s wrong with me?” I choke out as I sob, clutching at her while she holds me tighter, rocking me gently against her.
Her arms don’t let go. She just stays there, keeping me from falling completely apart.
