away.
‘Thanks,’ said Noah. He turned around to see Ruby coming towards him, looking nervous. Please Ruby, he thought, as she approached, please have put the scarf back. He stared directly at her, opening his eyes as wide as they would go. Comprehending, she nodded.
But before she could reach him, the guard stopped her. ‘Can I see your pockets please, miss?’
‘Sure,’ she said, forcing a smile. Noah wondered if the guard could tell how nervous she was. She emptied her coat pockets for him, showing him what looked like some chewing gum and an old receipt, and then turned the linings inside out so that it was clear she was concealing nothing.
He nodded. ‘Now please open your bag for me,’ he said.
Ruby did as she was asked. Noah could see that herhands were shaking, even though she must have known he wouldn’t find anything there. Unless she’d taken something else, something he hadn’t seen? Had she?
The guard peered inside. ‘Thank you,’ he said, sounding disappointed. ‘You’re free to go.’ He glanced suspiciously at Ruby and then at Noah. Perhaps, Noah thought, he was beginning to wonder whether he had been duped. Noah stood still as the guard sized him up, evidently trying to work out if Ruby could have passed him whatever it was he’d seen her take. Were they in it together? Noah didn’t carry a bag and he was wearing just a fitted jumper and jeans; there was simply no way he could have hidden anything.
‘Let’s go,’ Noah whispered to Ruby. ‘Now!’
They walked briskly to the exit, side by side, neither talking nor looking at one other. Once outside, Ruby grabbed Noah’s arm. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered. ‘God, that was close.’ She seemed stronger now, exhilarated even. Unselfconsciously, she put her hand to her chest as if she was checking her heart. It must have been racing. Had she enjoyed nearly getting caught, he wondered?
‘It was close,’ he said, flatly. He wasn’t excited at all, just relieved it was over and she was safe. ‘Are you OK?’
‘Yes, I think so. And hey, thank you. I think you just saved my life.’
Noah blushed. ‘Nah, it was nothing.’ He grinned awkwardly. ‘Don’t mention it.’ He took a deep breath. It was now or never. ‘Fancy a milkshake?’ he asked.
Chapter 8
Ruby didn’t really want a milkshake but she didn’t have the energy to refuse, or, she realised, the inclination. If Noah was her guardian angel, she owed him. Probably a lot more than letting him buy her a milkshake, but it was a start.
She let him take her to the burger bar at the other end of the high street. There was one directly opposite the department store, but she figured he was worried that the security guard might see them in there and have second thoughts about letting Ruby go. He was thoughtful like that, always had been. He found them a table and told Ruby to sit down while he went to fetch the milkshakes. He seemed surprised when she asked for vanilla; maybe it was because when she was little she always used to drink strawberry. Or was it chocolate? She could barelyremember. Her insides were still churned up and she knew that whatever flavour she chose, it would be too sweet and too cold. She was starting to get a headache, and the brain freeze from the ice wouldn’t help, but she didn’t want to seem ungrateful. While she waited for Noah to come back, she went back over everything that had happened, retracing her steps in her head. She’d been certain nobody had seen her take the scarf. How could she have come so close to getting caught without realising it? Thank God Noah had been there. But why
was
he there? How did he know she was in the shop? Had he been following her? Was he really stalking her? The idea made her shiver.
Best to come straight out with it. ‘Thanks,’ she said, when he arrived back with the milkshakes. ‘Look, I don’t mean to be a bitch, but I need to ask you something. How did you know I was in Kelly’s? Were you following
‘Thanks,’ said Noah. He turned around to see Ruby coming towards him, looking nervous. Please Ruby, he thought, as she approached, please have put the scarf back. He stared directly at her, opening his eyes as wide as they would go. Comprehending, she nodded.
But before she could reach him, the guard stopped her. ‘Can I see your pockets please, miss?’
‘Sure,’ she said, forcing a smile. Noah wondered if the guard could tell how nervous she was. She emptied her coat pockets for him, showing him what looked like some chewing gum and an old receipt, and then turned the linings inside out so that it was clear she was concealing nothing.
He nodded. ‘Now please open your bag for me,’ he said.
Ruby did as she was asked. Noah could see that herhands were shaking, even though she must have known he wouldn’t find anything there. Unless she’d taken something else, something he hadn’t seen? Had she?
The guard peered inside. ‘Thank you,’ he said, sounding disappointed. ‘You’re free to go.’ He glanced suspiciously at Ruby and then at Noah. Perhaps, Noah thought, he was beginning to wonder whether he had been duped. Noah stood still as the guard sized him up, evidently trying to work out if Ruby could have passed him whatever it was he’d seen her take. Were they in it together? Noah didn’t carry a bag and he was wearing just a fitted jumper and jeans; there was simply no way he could have hidden anything.
‘Let’s go,’ Noah whispered to Ruby. ‘Now!’
They walked briskly to the exit, side by side, neither talking nor looking at one other. Once outside, Ruby grabbed Noah’s arm. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered. ‘God, that was close.’ She seemed stronger now, exhilarated even. Unselfconsciously, she put her hand to her chest as if she was checking her heart. It must have been racing. Had she enjoyed nearly getting caught, he wondered?
‘It was close,’ he said, flatly. He wasn’t excited at all, just relieved it was over and she was safe. ‘Are you OK?’
‘Yes, I think so. And hey, thank you. I think you just saved my life.’
Noah blushed. ‘Nah, it was nothing.’ He grinned awkwardly. ‘Don’t mention it.’ He took a deep breath. It was now or never. ‘Fancy a milkshake?’ he asked.
Chapter 8
Ruby didn’t really want a milkshake but she didn’t have the energy to refuse, or, she realised, the inclination. If Noah was her guardian angel, she owed him. Probably a lot more than letting him buy her a milkshake, but it was a start.
She let him take her to the burger bar at the other end of the high street. There was one directly opposite the department store, but she figured he was worried that the security guard might see them in there and have second thoughts about letting Ruby go. He was thoughtful like that, always had been. He found them a table and told Ruby to sit down while he went to fetch the milkshakes. He seemed surprised when she asked for vanilla; maybe it was because when she was little she always used to drink strawberry. Or was it chocolate? She could barelyremember. Her insides were still churned up and she knew that whatever flavour she chose, it would be too sweet and too cold. She was starting to get a headache, and the brain freeze from the ice wouldn’t help, but she didn’t want to seem ungrateful. While she waited for Noah to come back, she went back over everything that had happened, retracing her steps in her head. She’d been certain nobody had seen her take the scarf. How could she have come so close to getting caught without realising it? Thank God Noah had been there. But why
was
he there? How did he know she was in the shop? Had he been following her? Was he really stalking her? The idea made her shiver.
Best to come straight out with it. ‘Thanks,’ she said, when he arrived back with the milkshakes. ‘Look, I don’t mean to be a bitch, but I need to ask you something. How did you know I was in Kelly’s? Were you following
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