The evening sun dipped lower into the sky, painting soft orange hues across the bedroom walls. The quiet inside the house was almost too loud, a silence that felt thick and heavy, pressing against the walls like it was trying to make her speak. But Ruby said nothing. She hadn't said much all day.
She was still in bed, tucked under her light blanket though the room wasn't cold. Her back rested against the headboard, one hand gently placed over the small, almost unnoticeable bump beneath her shirt. It was barely there, but she could feel it—tiny, warm, and alive. A part of her. A part of Stefan.
Her eyes stared at the ceiling, yet her mind was far from it. Rayna's words from that morning circled her thoughts like a quiet storm. Every sentence, every sigh, every moment of truth had carved itself into her heart, forcing her to face things she hadn't been ready to admit.
