“Stop,” I tell him. I lean in and kiss his lips, his cheeks. “No more,” I say, tired of the angst. Ready to let it rest with my body on the road. Elias nods, although clearly still not over my new condition, and helps me to stand.
My father waits with Daniel, both looking heartbroken. Despite that, seeing them together overwhelms me with a sense of hope. Hope for us. Now that Kenneth is gone, there is no fear. I have my family. Those words are everything: I have my family.
On the other side of the lobby the elevator dings, and the doors slide open. I smile automatically as Lourdes rushes out, Tanya jogging to keep up. The first thing Lourdes notices is the blood around where Daniel is standing, the state of his suit. She goes to him immediately, turning his head to make sure he’s not injured. He rolls his eyes, telling her to stop worrying, but I can tell he likes the attention. Across from him Catherine lowers her eyes and holds tighter to Joshua. I think maybe they’re a good match—and Joshua was probably right: if she had been engaged to him, she might not have ended up here.
Tanya notices me first and laughs—both horrified and relieved to see me. She nudges Lourdes, who then looks over her shoulder at me. She freezes and then hitches up her eyebrow in an exaggerated What the hell are you doing here? stare. I shrug, but bite down on my lip to keep from crying. They said she’d be all right, but I’m so relieved to see it’s true. She exhales dramatically and then comes over to hug me, making me fall back a step in my heels.
“Goddamn, your brother was right,” she says, squeezing me tightly. “You really wouldn’t leave him here.”
“I didn’t want to leave any of you with Kenneth.”
Lourdes pulls back, still rattled by the name. “The Ruby does seem happier, doesn’t she?” she says. “I felt it the minute he was gone. I’m not sure how you did it, but you scared him to death.” She laughs softly. “You scared him to life. You gave him yours—your escape.” Her dark eyes glisten, thankful, but knowing she doesn’t have to say it. She knows what I’ve lost, what we’ve all lost by being here. She clears her throat and looks over my ruined dress. “Luckily, I know how to get out bloodstains,” she says, making me smile.
“Audrey,” Joshua calls. I glance behind Lourdes as Joshua bends down to pick up my invitation from the floor. “I guess you don’t need this anymore?” he asks.
It’s true. I’m part of the Ruby now, using up my chance to leave. Even if I got onto the elevator, there would be no thirteenth floor. It was never really there to begin with. So technically, I don’t need the invitation to attend the party. But maybe I just want to make it official.
I turn to Elias, and he looks down at me—his hair disheveled, his tie askew. He holds out his arm and stares straight ahead toward the doors of the ballroom. I slip my palm into the crook of his elbow, and we start forward. I take the invitation from Joshua as we pass, and he smiles, nodding politely now that I’m a guest.
The attendant at the ballroom doors smiles as I pause in front of him. “Miss Casella,” he says cordially. He holds out his hand for the invitation. I stare down at the black envelope, my name scrawled across it. I’m suddenly a little scared, nervous. I look back at my brother, our father and Lourdes at his side. He nods that it’s okay. No matter what, we’re all okay.
I gaze over the stalled party beyond the doorway. The other guests have stopped to stare, waiting for me to join them. Elias’s hand slides over mine, comforting me. I close my eyes, searching for any last moments in the world, but there is nothing beyond this. With a steadying breath I outstretch my hand and give the attendant my invitation to the Hotel Ruby First Anniversary Party.
The minute the paper leaves my hand, the singer at the piano smiles and starts a new song. We step inside, and around the room there’s a sense of kinship. An affection for the Ruby herself. The other guests watch me, smiling and happy that I’ve joined them. Heads turn, and I think that maybe the red really does suit me.
“Dance?” Elias asks, glancing over. I narrow my eyes, resting my hands on his chest and leaning in.
“I thought you didn’t dance,” I say, swaying slightly with the music. He takes my hand and kisses my fingers, twirling me around once to prove that he could have danced if he had wanted to.
The ballroom begins to fill out, the others flickering back into our existence. Daniel and Lourdes come inside, along with my father and everyone else. The sparkle of the chandelier sets everything ablaze with magic, timeless and alive. A never-ending party at the Ruby—where you can stay tonight, or stay forever.