Cherry Wine {lex luthor}

chapter fifty one

We stayed by the pool until the sun dipped below the crowns of the trees. Long fingers of shadow spiralled towards us, chasing the orange light of day away. The crickets started their evening song, joined by cicadas in the stands of trees.

Lex guided me inside with a hand on my lower back, warm through the thin fabric of my linen wrap dress. I still felt giddy, but less so, more as though a heavy bass line had replaced my heartbeat.

"Dinner?" Lex suggested, as we passed the kitchen.

"I'm not hungry." I said, but I followed him into the dimly lit room anyways. The only source of light came from the potted lights above the island, the room still and empty. Lex set the empty glasses in the sink, the bottle on the counter, and turned to me. I boosted myself to sit on the edge of the island, my legs swinging freely. I hadn't tied my dress tightly enough, and now it came loose over my shoulders.

Whatever Lex had been about to say, it died on his lips. He shut his eyes, ran a hand through his hair. "Don't." He said raggedly.

I tucked my hair behind my ear, and leaned forward, holding out a hand for him. He took it, and I drew him in, looping my arms around his neck.

"What's wrong?" I asked. His eyelids stuttered closed and I sighed. "Lex."

"Benji was right." He said, his eyes still shut.

"Benji is never right, so you're going to need to elaborate, my love." I said.

"You're still so young, Ruth."

The words stung, but I pushed past them. "I'm older now than I was when you first kissed me, Lex. This has never bothered you before."

I pulled him closer, cupping his jaw. His hand flew up and caught mine, "Don't." He said again.

He reaches into his pocket and drew out a blue plastic card, holding it to me. I took it tentatively. It was emblazoned with my name-my new one-and the name of a bank. "What is this, Lex?"

"It's yours." He looked down, to the side, and then straight to me. "So you have a choice. There's nine million dollars in that account, all in your name. You can take it, leave, start a new life. I wouldn't blame you."

"Lex." I set the card down. I wanted to snap it in half. "I'm not taking that."

"You should." Tears brimmed in his eyes. "How can you want to stay with me, Ruth? What can I give you, besides money and a life of fear?"

"What is going on with you?" I asked, wiping at his tears. "I'm not leaving you, Lex. Not for nine million dollars. Not for nine billion. You've given me everything."

Lex smiled then. Relief washed through me in a tidal wave. "So you're happy with your old man? Your criminal?"

"Of course, you lunatic." I picked up the bank card, and handed it back to Lex. He took it, and gave me another, this one black.

"This one goes to all my accounts."

My heart leapt into my throat. All his accounts-that piece of plastic was worth well over a billion dollars. "Maybe I'll go on a shopping spree to Gucci." I joked.

"Mm. Go ahead." He leaned in. "Buy out the whole store. "Saint Laurent, as well, if you want."

I giggled, leaning back. "I wouldn't know what to buy."

"That's why you buy it all, darling. So you have options."

A thrill went through me. I sat forward, and opened my eyes wide. "Maybe I just love your money."

Lex gave a genuine snort at that. "If that were true, you would have asked for your own card months ago. You didn't even know my net worth until I told you. I know gold diggers, and you aren't one."

He pulled me in for a kiss then, warm and slow. I melted into it.

Unfathomable heartbreak.

I couldn't get Benji's voice out of my head. I pulled away, resting my forehead on his. "Did you really think I would take that other card?"

Lex shrugged. "I hoped not. It's a failsafe, anyways. It's there if you need it, if I'm not around."

"Okay." I said. "But you'll always be around."

"Of course." Lex said, and pulled me in for another kiss. I smiled into it. "Why are you laughing?" He asked me.

"We can never just be normal, can we? What with the way we met, and your unusual hobbies..." I shook my head.

"It means we won't ever be bored." Lex replied, his fingers looping through the delicate gold at my throat. He ran a finger over the green stone of the ring that hung from it-the kryptonite that had saved my life back in the warehouse. Another failsafe.

"Show me." I said suddenly.

"Show you?"

"You said the necklace goes to your phone. Show me."

Lex nodded, dropped the chain and drew out his phone. I started when I realized his lock screen was a picture of the two of us on Christmas Eve.
He opened an app, the icon a golden heart.

It looked simple enough-a map of the surrounding area, the roads and buildings marked out. A pulsing heart denoted my location.

"So it can find me anywhere?"

"Except places blocked by trackers, like the FBI building. But yes, anywhere."

I toyed with the chain. I had hated the idea of Lex knowing my every location for so long, but now it was a comfort to know I was never truly alone.

I caught sight of my reflection in one of the kitchen windows. I looked relaxed, flushed from a day in the sun. My face had filled out, the hollow in my cheeks rounding. I looked in love.

I turned back to Lex. "Lex, I-I..." I took a breath. "I need you to know that I've never been this happy before."

His eyes flicked to my face. "Ruth..."

"No, let me finish. I know I've been through a lot. More than a lot, actually. But what with...with Alistair, I thought I was ruined for love. Or just plain ruined." I looked down.

Lex twisted our hands together, pressing a kiss to each of my knuckles. I laughed at the sensation.

"You could never be ruined. Never." He said against my skin. "I couldn't fathom a life without you now."

A trill went up my spine at his words. I lifted my dress back onto my shoulders, and slid off the counter. "I know you couldn't. I'm priceless." I held up the black plastic card. "Well. Almost priceless."

Lex slung an arm over my shoulder, pulling me to him as we made our way upstairs. "No, very, very priceless, my love. Irreplaceable, in fact."

Despite the lingering heat from the day, I let him pull me to him in his sleep.

Unfathomable heartbreak.

In the circle of his arms, warmed by his body, I couldn't imagine any other life, couldn't think of what I would be without him.

I only prayed I would never find out.