Chapter 199: DJ Ruby On The Track

We pulled into the gas station for a quick pit stop, and as promised, Ruby practically bounced into the front passenger seat the second the doors unlocked.

She plugged her phone into the aux, adjusted her seat, and hit play on a low, rhythmic instrumental track.

"Alright, DJ Ruby is in the house!" she announced, cranking up the speakers.

As we hit the open highway again, I started tapping the steering wheel, dropping a slick, mouth-beatbox rhythm over the track. Chloe and Patricia started humming along from the back, adding a warm, layered harmony that filled the entire SUV. The energy in the car completely shifted—what started as a quiet drive instantly turned into an effortless jam session.

Ruby leaned back, effortlessly freestyling over our beat, her voice rich and soul-stirring as she improvised lyrics about the open road, escaping the noise, and heading back to where it all started.

Suddenly, Ruby spun around in her seat, pointing her phone like a microphone right at the backseat. "Chloe! Drop a verse!"

Chloe froze, her textbook still open on her lap. "Me?! Are you crazy?"

"Come on, first lady of the house! Show us what you’ve got!" Ruby cheered, while I kept the beat going with a low laugh.

Chloe rolled her eyes, but a amused smirk broke out across her face. She closed her book with a snap, closed her eyes for a split second, and just hummed softly to catch the groove. Then, with smooth, deadpan confidence, she leaned forward and delivered a single, sleek line:

"You run to the country to hide from the fame, but you’ll always end up right back in my frame."

The whole car erupted.

"YO!" Ruby shrieked, waving her arms in the air like Chloe had just dropped a triple-platinum bar. "Okay! Not bad for a bookworm lawyer! Look at you dropping bars!"

Chloe casually crossed her legs, leaning back with a triumphant smirk as Patricia clapped softly beside her.

"Don’t get used to it," Chloe chuckled, though her cheeks flushed a light pink. "I only drop verses for special occasions."

Ruby laughed, leaning out her window just a fraction to flash those kids a quick peace sign and her signature dazzling smile before their parents’ car zoomed ahead down the highway.

"They’re definitely going to be screaming at their mom to turn the car around," Ruby chuckled, sliding back into her seat and spinning around toward the back again.

She locked her eyes right onto Patricia, pointing her phone mic like a deadly weapon. "Alright, no escaping now! Your turn, Patricia! Show us what the kitchen queen’s got!"

Patricia gasped softly, her cheeks instantly turning bright red as she clutched her little spice pouch to her chest. "Me?! Oh no, no, no, I can’t sing! I’m just here to make sure nobody gets food poisoning!"

"No excuses!" Ruby cheered, while I kept tapping a steady, bouncy beat on the steering wheel, winking at Patricia in the rearview mirror. "Just give us one line!"

Patricia looked at me, then at Chloe, who gave her an encouraging nod. Taking a deep, nervous breath, Patricia closed her eyes, leaned forward slightly, and let out a shockingly sweet, crystal-clear melody:

"I’ll cook up the love while you make all the noise, as long as you leave all the dishes to the boys!"

The entire SUV went wild.

"YES!" Ruby screamed, slapping the dashboard in pure excitement. "She brought the vocals and assigned chores! Legendary!"

Chloe burst out laughing, clapping her hands. "Now that is a verse I can fully support."

I chuckled, catching Patricia’s eye in the mirror as she buried her flushed face in her hands, giggling happily. The energy in the car was off the charts, the open road stretching out before us under the bright afternoon sun as we rolled closer and closer to the countryside.

They all snapped their heads toward the driver’s seat, six eyes locking onto me with predatory focus.

"ETHAN! ETHAN! ETHAN!" Ruby led the chant, slapping her hands rhythmically against the dashboard while Chloe clapped from the back and Patricia tapped along on her pouch.

"What? Nah, absolute no," I laughed, shaking my head and gripping the steering wheel tight. "I’m the designated driver. I don’t drop verses."

"No excuses!" Ruby squealed, waving her hands wildly. "You gave us the beat, now give us the bars!"

"Come on, boss," Chloe chimed in with a dangerous, amused smirk. "You forced us into the spotlight. Time to stand on business."

I maintained a stone-cold front, but internally, I was calculating fast. There was zero chance I was going to risk dropping some wildly cringe lyric in front of a global pop star, a top-tier future lawyer, and my estate’s finest chef. But they weren’t backing down, and the chant was only getting louder.

Then, like a beacon of hope in the distance, a neon gas station sign flickered into view right by the highway exit.

"Ah, look at that! First official stop!" I announced, immediately throwing on the turn signal and taking the off-ramp.

Ruby squinted at the dashboard gauge, her eyebrows knitting together in suspicion. "Wait... we literally have three-quarters of a tank left. Why are we pulling over?"

"My legs are completely numb," I lied through my teeth, putting the SUV into park near the pumps and unbuckling my seatbelt in record time. "Need to stretch."

Ruby stared at me for a split second, then let out a loud, knowing laugh, shaking her head as she unbuckled her own strap.

"You’re such a coward!" she giggled, stepping out into the crisp afternoon air and leaning over the hood to glare at me with playful menace. "You escaped for now, farmer boy... but not forever. You will sing before we hit that ranch!"

As the girls stretched their legs near the SUV, I started heading toward the gas station convenience store. Catching Patricia taking a quiet step back from the group, I slowed my pace and gestured for her to join me.

"Hey, Patricia," I called out with a relaxed smile. "Walk with me? Help me grab some drinks for everyone."

Her eyes lit up, and she instantly fell into step beside me, her usual timid posture softening the second it was just the two of us. We pushed through the glass doors, the cool AC blasting against us as we walked toward the wall of drink fridges.

As we browsed the cold soft drinks, I grabbed a few cans and looked over at her, keeping my voice low and gentle. "You know, I’ve noticed you’ve been extra shy lately—especially whenever all the girls are grouped up together. What’s on your mind?"

Patricia paused, holding a cold bottle in her hands and tracing her thumb over the cap. The tense nervousness that usually held her back around Chloe and Ruby seemed to melt away, leaving only a warm, honest softness in her eyes as she looked up at me.

"I... I guess I just get a little intimidated," she admitted softly, her cheeks warming with a gentle flush. "Chloe is so confident and sharp, and Ruby is this huge, vibrant superstar... compared to them, I sometimes feel like I’m just out of my depth. I’m not really that brave around them."

She stepped a little closer to me, resting her hand lightly on my arm, her gaze steady and full of quiet devotion.

"But when it’s just you? I don’t feel like I have to prove anything," she added, her voice dropping to a sweet, confident whisper. "I might be shy around the rest of the house, Ethan... but I know how I feel about you. That’s one thing I’m completely sure of.