Rayna unlocked the front door, still faintly smiling as she stepped inside. The warmth of the evening lingered in her skin, in the soft fluttering in her chest, in the memory of Ethan's touch—so gentle, so deliberate—as he'd tucked that stray hair behind her ear.
She sighed quietly and leaned against the door after closing it, kicking off her heels with a soft groan of relief. Her heart still hadn't slowed down, and it wasn't from the walking. It was something else. Something headier, lighter. Something she hadn't let herself feel in a very long time.
"Finally."
Rayna jumped, her eyes flying to the couch where Ruby sat cross-legged with a bowl of popcorn in her lap, wrapped in a throw blanket like a late-night gossip fairy waiting to strike.
"Ruby!" Rayna pressed a hand to her chest. "You scared me! I thought you would already be asleep."
