Chapter 24: Chapter 24

She heard his footsteps on the porch and stood, grabbing her clutch and phone off of the table by the door just as he knocked. With a deep breath, Ru approached the door. Pulling it open, she forced a smile onto her face, even though her nerves were starting to get the better of her. She’d dated several guys, some of them even very attractive, but she’d never gone out with anyone like Cutter before.

He was wearing a blue shirt that closely matched the color of his eyes, and for a moment, looking into them, Ru was transported back into her dream and a different set of electric orbs. She pushed the thought aside and concentrated on the handsome man in front of her. “Hi,” she said, “how are you?”

“I’m great,” Cutter replied, smiling at her as he straightened his tie. “We match pretty well.”

Ru realized not only was his tie black, he was wearing black slacks. Feeling a little self-conscious about her outfit again, she shrugged, “Well, I had a lot of help from Candice.”

“Ah, I see,” Cutter nodded. “You look amazing.”

“Thank you. So do you,” Ru replied, grabbing her keys off of the hook next to the door so she could lock up behind herself. “Candice seems to think I am some sort of a doll she can dress however she likes.” She wasn’t sure any further explanation was in order, but she figured it couldn’t hurt for Cutter to think she was not responsible for the clothing she wore.

“She did a good job.”

His remark made her feel even more timid, and Ru averted her eyes. “Thanks. Shall we?”

“Yes, let’s do,” Cutter replied, stepping backward toward the steps.

Ru exited and locked the door behind her. He offered his arm to her, and she took it, letting him lead her to his blue Dodge Ram. She absently wondered if blue was his favorite color.

The air was slightly chilly and the sky was gray. The sun would be completely gone in a matter of minutes, and Ru could smell autumn encroaching in the air. Soon, it would be October, and then the nights would really start to cool off. Her boots crunched through leaves as he walked her the few steps to his vehicle.

Opening the door, Cutter stepped aside. “Here you go.” He stood next to the door, ready to help if she needed it, but Ru had no problem popping up into his truck. Cutter closed the door, went around to the other side, and climbed in. The truck was already running, so once they were buckled in, he backed out of the driveway.

“Do you mind if we head to White Plains?” he asked. “There’s a Mexican restaurant there I’d like to try if that works for you.”

“Sure,” Ru shrugged. White Plains was only about twenty minutes away and it beat trying one of the local restaurants where they might be interrupted by students—or their parents—who would likely want to know what they were doing there together.

“So, you’ve lived here your whole live, except for college?” Cutter asked as they headed out of town.

“Yes,” Ru replied, looking out of the window. There were quite a few cars on the roads, likely other people headed to restaurants or other points of interest on a Saturday night.

“And where did you go to school?”

“The University at Buffalo.”

“I always thought that was a strange name,” Cutter said, glancing at her quickly before returning his attention to the road. “Why isn’t it ‘of’?”

Shrugging, Ru said, “I don’t know. I guess I never really thought about it. Where did you go to school?”

Cutter ran a hand through his hair, and she studied him for a moment. This shouldn’t be a difficult question. She’d seen diplomas hanging in his classroom, but she had never read them to see what they said.

“Uh, NYU,” he replied, finally.

“You sure about that?” Ru teased. He sounded like he wasn’t positive that was the case.

“No.” She couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at him, but he laughed and added, “Right now, I’m not sure about much of anything.”

Ru could definitely relate to the feeling, but she assumed he meant getting used to a new grade-level at a new school in a new town. “You’re doing great,” she said, and he looked at her once again. “Your class is really starting to come together. I know it’s hard teaching more than just math, but don’t sell yourself short. We’ve only had two weeks of school, and the first one is just trying to remember their names and get them all home from school safe.”

“Right.” He nodded, but she didn’t hear a lot of conviction in his voice. Maybe that’s what he wanted to talk to her about—maybe he was thinking he should go back to NYC. The idea of him leaving didn’t sit right with her, but Ru told herself not to jump to conclusions.

“Where are you living now?” Ru asked, thinking a change in subject away from school was in order. What she really wanted to ask had to do with her car, but she felt she should probably ease into that one.

“Well, my cousin and I are fixing up a house out in the woods, sort of close to Briarcliff Manor, near the state park.”

“Oh!” Ru was very familiar with the area, having gone hiking in Rockefeller many times. “That’s neat. How old?”

“Pretty old,” Cutter replied, adjusting his wrist on the steering wheel.

The answer seemed clipped, and Ru wasn’t sure what to think. Did he not know the answer? “Tell me about your cousin.” Maybe he’d be willing to talk about that.

Cutter laughed, and Ru thought perhaps she’d hit a topic he might actually elaborate on. “Rider is… a mess, to put it nicely. He’s a big, goofy guy with a heart almost as large as his appetite. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s in shape. But I’ve never seen anyone pack it away like that guy.”

Ru couldn’t help but laugh with him. “He sounds like a good guy. What does he do?”

“Right now, he’s working on restoring the house.” The answer seemed short again, like he wasn’t telling her the whole truth. “We have a couple of friends staying there at the moment, too. It’s a lot of work, but it’s keeping him out of trouble.”

“That’s cool.” Ru didn’t bother to comment that she wasn’t sure if it was hospitable or stupid for him to let his unemployed cousin mooch off of him while he allegedly repaired his old house. “Who are the friends? Are they from around here?”

“No, we grew up together. They’re from the same place I’m from.”

The answer was evasive but sparked another question. She’d asked him before where he was from, and his answer was always cryptic. “And where is that?”

Cutter looked at her for longer than she thought he should since he was driving before turning back to the road. After much thought, he said, “We grew up in a pretty sheltered community. Our parents raised us following specific guidelines, and no one lives in the place where we grew up except for people like us.”

Ru couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “You mean like… a cult?” She hoped the question wasn’t rude, but the description sounded so peculiar to her.

“Not exactly,” he shrugged. “It’s sort of hard to explain.” He ran his hand through his hair again. “There’s so much I want to tell you, Ru, but I also don’t want to overwhelm you.”

Once again, she was puzzled. “You can tell me anything,” she reassured him. Why would learning about his past be overwhelming to her? A look out the window let her know they were almost to White Plains. Perhaps, once they reached the restaurant, he’d be more willing to talk.

“Thanks,” Cutter said. “It’s just… some of it will be hard for you to digest.”

“You mean like how you started my car with no keys?” She laughed, but it was out of nervousness, not amusement. The idea that he could tell her something that would be hard for her to handle made her nervous. She remembered Candice’s comment that first day. Was it possible she was related to Cutter? Could he know her birth mom?

His only response was a resounding, “Yes.”

Ru couldn’t think of anything else to say, so she turned her attention back out the windshield and watched the street lights as Cutter navigated toward the restaurant. She still had that feeling that whatever happened tonight would change everything.. She just didn’t know if it would be for the better—or worse.

Cutter found a parking spot and pulled in. With a deep breath, Ru steeled herself and waited for him to come around and get her door. He helped her step down and offered his arm again, which she took. The wind had picked up, and it was getting even more chilly outside. She was glad she had on her jacket.