"I was thinking about what you said, about fighting. How you don't want to do it anymore, but you need the money for your sisters."
"Yeah?"
Ruby leaned forward conspiratorially, arms braced on the table. Hart tried not to notice the way the move pushed Ruby's breasts up, the firm swells framed by her thin arms. She forced herself to look away, to focus on what Ruby was saying. "What if I fought you?"
Hart frowned. "What?"
"
I
could fight you," Ruby said, a wide grin on her face. "I could win the bonus."
"I beat you most of the time we sparred." Hart bristled. What did Ruby need the money for, anyway? She and Leo were doing well enough for themselves.
Ruby rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't if you lost on purpose, you dolt."
Hart narrowed her eyes. "What do you want with the money?" she demanded.
Surprise flitted across Ruby's face, then she shook her head. "For
you
. For your family. Honestly, Hart. What do you think I want it for? I sign up to fight you, you pretend to lose to me, you get the bonus. Just like you wanted."
For a moment, Hart was still caught on the idea of Ruby wanting the ten thousand, wanting to fight her for the grand prize. Wanting to take advantage just like everyone else seemed to do. Her words trickled into Hart's brain like molasses. "You want to—" she shook her head. "Why would you do that for me?"
Why would anyone give up ten thousand dollars in hand?
"You hated me two days ago," she reminded her, remembering the anger on Ruby's face, the sting of her accusations.
Ruby looked down at the table. "I never hated you. I told you that."
"But—"
"I
was
angry," Ruby cut her off. "I—cared about you, and I felt like you tricked me. But, once you were gone, once you weren't in the ring every time I looked, in the gym whenever I wanted to talk—" she gave a stiff shrug. "I missed you, okay? And then I was mad at myself for missing you, and I got even angrier at you for making me feel this way." She picked at her fingers, keeping her eyes off of Hart.
Hart understood. She had been mad at Ruby in turn, angry with her for making Hart care, angry with her for pulling away. She knew how mad you could get when you cared about a person.
Just look at how angry she was with her father for dying.
Hart took a deep, steadying breath.
"But then I realized," Ruby looked up, meeting Hart's eyes. "I really missed you. Not just having someone to spar with, or joke with, or go running around the Alley with. I missed
you
." She gave another tense shrug. "I guess I realized I didn't care whether you were a boy or a girl."
Hart didn't know what to say, didn't know what
Ruby
was trying to say.
"So you want to help me?" she said carefully.
"Yes."
"Because—you want to be my friend?" She hazarded.
"Yes."
Hart had tried not to get her hopes up. She had told herself she should be thrilled that Ruby was even here. But still, her heart sank. She was happy to hear that Ruby had missed her, had maybe felt a fraction of the longing that had plagued her. But when Ruby said she didn't care if Hart was a boy or a girl, for a second she had thought …
"Hart." Ruby leaned forward over the table. "I want to help you because I
care
about you. Because even though I've never met them, I care about your family because I know you love them, and you don't want anything bad to happen to them, ever. I want to help you because it doesn't even matter than you lied to me or that you're a girl. I want to help you because you're important to me, okay?"
Hart blinked at her. "Okay."
"Okay?"
"I care about you too," Hart said quickly. The smile that spread over Ruby's face was worth the embarrassment welling up in her chest, knowing her cheeks were bright red.
"Alright. So, we're going to do this?"
"Ten thousand dollars," Hart let out a long breath, actually stopping to think about what Ruby was proposing. "Fuck."
Ruby laughed brightly.
"With that, we could …" Her eyes widened as she calculated. "We could leave the Gutter."
"Move to the Alley?" Ruby asked. Hart didn't know whether she was imagining the hope laced through Ruby's casual tone.
Houses in the Alley looked like they were held together with more than a few nails and a prayer. People worked regular jobs, went to school and had decent clothing. There were health clinics with real doctors. But in the Alley, they'd only be able to afford an apartment, just as small and cramped as the shanty they currently lived in. Hart would have to keep fighting to pay rent. Or work in one of the factories, killing herself to make ends meet.
"I heard that you can buy land for cheap outside of the city," she said.
"Outside of the city?" Ruby parroted, bemused.
"In the country. With trees and grass." Hart glanced out the small window, at the gray wall a foot away that formed their whole view. "My grandparents came to the city to find work. But there isn't work here anymore than there was out in the country. There wasn't work for my grandparents, there wasn't work for my parents, and there isn't work for me. Why stay?"
A frown crossed Ruby's face. "Okay," she said after a long moment. "Then we better get you that money."
Hart smiled. "Thank you. For doing this. For suggesting this."
Ruby returned her smile, but Hart thought it was a little less bright than usual. "Anything for a friend."
Chapter Fourteen
It felt strange, walking up to the door of Leo's gym again. It hadn't been that long since Hart was last there, but her final night had left the place tinged with trauma and regret, and Hart couldn't help the way her stomach clenched as she reached for the door.
The gym was quiet when she walked in, the main arena deserted. The empty stands were unsettling. Despite the silence, it was as if an echo lingered in the warped wood, of the shouts and cheers that rang within the walls. She could still hear the pounding feet, the clapping hands, the cacophony of voices calling for blood.
She shook her head. Just one more fight. One more time in front of a bloodthirsty crowd. She could do it.
The arena looked smaller than she remembered, even empty of people. She had grown used to Jackal's set up, the wide aisles, the upholstered seats, the high ceilings. It was amazing to think that the crowd who crammed into this room had once intimidated her.
She had been almost safe here: protected by her lies and their indifference. No one gave a crap about her in this ring except when she was throwing punches. When she was winning.
Hart made her way through the arena, skirting past the ring, running her hands over the cheap, fraying ropes. She could hear a low noise issuing from the training gym, the sound of fists against a sandbag. She took a deep breath and pushed through the door.
Ruby wasn't alone. Leo stood with her, holding the bag steady as she crossed and jabbed, her fists quick and mean. Neither of them looked up, and Hart took a moment just to watch. Ruby's face was schooled in concentration, her eyebrows furrowed, her gaze narrowed in on her target. She held her fists high, her body moving fluidly through the punches. A sheen of sweat glistened under the gym lights, coating her pale pink skin. Hart admired the grace of Ruby's movements, the fierceness that crackled under its surface.
Leo looked up first. "Hart."
Ruby stopped, catching the swinging bag in both hands, and grinned.
"Hi," Hart offered uselessly. She hadn't seen Leo since the day he came to her house to warn her. She realized she hadn't ever thanked him, not properly. And now here she was, dragging Ruby into this scheme. She wondered what he thought of her, getting his daughter involved.
He had every right to be angry for the way she had lied, for the way she ran away, and for what she was getting Ruby into now. But all Leo said was, "It's good to see you," and Hart let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"You too." She meant it. Leo's kind face was a welcome change from the calculating looks Jackal threw her way or the anger and lust that she met with at the fights. He looked at her like she was a person, like he gave a shit what happened to her and not just how much money she could make him. She hadn't appreciated that enough when she was fighting in his arena.
She offered him a small, shy smile, hoping it conveyed even a fraction of how grateful she felt.
"Dad was just getting me warmed up," Ruby said, bounding up to Hart's side.
"I still don't see why we need to practice," Hart said. "I mean, we're not
really
going to be fighting."
Surprisingly, it was Leo who answered her. "You need to make it look authentic," he said firmly. "If cheating so much as crosses someone's mind, they'll be all over you two, way worse than when everyone found out you were a girl. After all, money's on the line this time."
Hart swallowed. She had been terrified when Kemp revealed her secret, thinking that the police were going to break down her door and haul her off to jail. Or worse. But Leo was right. Lying her way into his arena was small change compared to being on the City circuits. People had crowed about morality when they discovered a girl in the ring, but when it came down to it, money was what the City really cared about.
"We'll be careful," she assured him, hoping it was a promise she could make.
Leo walked over, laying a gentle hand on her arm. He squeezed, once, and left the room without another word. Hart looked down at where he had laid his hand. It felt warm, like trust. Like acceptance.
"Don't let Dad worry you," Ruby said. "It's going to be fine. You just have to look like I kicked your ass—something you're more than familiar with."
"Hey!" Hart protested, mood lightening.
"I call it like I see it," Ruby said with a shrug. "Gonna prove me wrong?"
"You," Hart pointed. "Are asking for it."
They scrambled into the training ring, giggling. It felt nice to approach fighting like it was fun instead of a matter of life and death. Hart could never forget the potential consequences of every fight—she wouldn't ever forget the night her father left and never came back—but Ruby had been in this gym since she was a toddler. To her it was just part of life. The gym was a place for fighting but also for playing, and reading and sleeping. She was comfortable here, and suddenly Hart felt comfortable too.
They kept the sparring light, circling each other and trying to control their laughter. A strand of hair slipped out of Ruby's ponytail and flopped in her eyes. She huffed it out of her face every few seconds, but the curl resolutely sprang back into place, dancing in front of one eye. Hart blamed the distraction of that slash of orange against pale skin when Ruby landed her first blow.
"I didn't even get a chance to warm up!" she complained, scurrying backwards as Ruby advanced. "You cheat!"
"Yeah, Hart," Ruby said wryly. "That's kind of the point."
Oh. Right.
"So," Hart leaned back against the ropes. "How are we supposed to make this look—what did your dad say? Authentic?"
"Well, first of all," Ruby smirked, sauntering closer. "You need to learn to face-plant with
conviction
." She grabbed Hart's shoulder and hauled her forward, tipping her off balance and sending her sprawling to the mat. Hart landed with a thump, her face catching her fall. "Sort of like that."
"Ugh." Hart clambered to her feet, rubbing at her cheek and trying to scowl at Ruby. The brightness in Ruby's eyes as she laughed made it impossible.
"But seriously," Ruby said, crossing her arms. "I don't want to hurt you, and I'd certainly rather not get hurt myself. So we've got to figure out how to look like we're killing each other, without actually killing each other."
"That sounds like a lot of work," Hart sighed, but she knew Ruby was right. Not only would Leo kill her if she injured Ruby, but Hart wouldn't be able to live with herself. So they would make it look good, and make sure it was safe, no matter how much work it took.
They sparred; Hart had never really been trying to hurt Ruby when they trained, but now she had to learn how to throw a punch that never connected but looked like it did. How to draw up short so that when her fist made contact with Ruby, it didn't actually hurt.
She jabbed forward, swinging hard and clenching her muscles, stopping her fist just as it connected with the hard line of Ruby's trim stomach.
Ruby grunted, loud, doubling over in pain.
"Oh my god, I'm sorry!" Hart gasped, grabbing her shoulders, holding her steady. "I didn't—"
Ruby's shoulders shook in her grasp, and it took a moment before Hart realized she was
laughing
.
"Convincing?" She asked, straightening.
"I—you—
God
."
Ruby just laughed in her face and took position again. "Think you can make it look as good when I hit you?"
Hart narrowed her eyes. "Bring it."
Ruby darted forward, swinging; leaning back, Hart easily dodged the blow, leaving Ruby floundering when her fist connected with air. "Let me
hit
you," she complained.
For once, Hart got to be the one to laugh.
Ruby growled and charged forward, gripping Hart's shoulders and bearing her back onto the ropes. Suddenly she was pressed near, the length of her body against Hart's. Hart blinked at her for one long second, astonished by how close she was, the length of her ginger eyelashes, the brightness of her freckles, before she remembered that they were fighting. She pushed back, surging forward to knock Ruby to the floor. They landed with matching grunts, the wind knocked out of Hart for a moment. Just long enough for Ruby to roll them and muscle her to the floor. Ruby poised above her, panting; her hair was a mess, her cheeks flushed, and Hart felt a rush of
want
surge through her that left her head spinning.
She blamed that, the obvious lack of oxygen to her brain, for the fact that she leaned up, pressing her mouth against Ruby's open lips.
Ruby didn't press back and Hart jerked away, letting her head slam back into the mat beneath her in horror. "I—" she shook her head, trying to make an excuse, any excuse, but none came.