Ruby
Imute them again.
Jaxon is watching me with barely contained amusement.
“Friends?” he asks.
“Menaces,” I correct.
He leans in and kisses me once, soft, slow, morning-warm.
My chest tightens painfully.
I stand up, suddenly overwhelmed.
“I should… go. Get ready. Work. Life. Responsibilities.”
He sits up, expression softening.
“You don’t have to rush.”
“I do,” I whisper.
Because if I stay? If I linger in this world that feels too soft? I’ll fall in ways I’m not ready for.
He stands and comes to me, lifting my chin gently.
“Ruby.”
My breath freezes.
“You can take your time with this,” he says quietly. “With me.”
Something inside me breaks open.
And that scares me more than anything.
JAXON
She’s nervous.
Not because she regrets last night, her eyes told me everything I needed to know, but because she feels something she didn’t expect.
I step close and kiss her forehead.
She melts for half a second before pulling back.
A protective instinct rises in me, soft, not forceful, but strong enough I feel it in my chest.
“Let me drive you home,” I offer.
She shakes her head. “It’s okay. I can walk.”
“You wore heels,” I remind her gently.
She blushes. “I’ll survive.”
I want to argue. But I don’t.
