Chapter 6: You’ve Changed
As Ruby focused on her food, Stefan rose from the bed, stretching slightly. She watched as his fingers traced along the bedside table before he moved toward the wardrobe.
He was slow, deliberate, and yet there was something almost effortless about the way he navigated the room.
He knew where everything was, but she could tell there were moments of hesitation—pauses where he had to double-check, moments where his fingers searched for confirmation before proceeding.
Her chest tightened as he opened the wardrobe and ran his hands over the hanging clothes, feeling for textures. He eventually pulled out a button-down shirt and a pair of trousers, but when he tried to fasten the first button, his fingers fumbled slightly.
Ruby set her fork down since she was full now. "Do you need help?"
Stefan exhaled, his lips pressing into a thin line. "I can do it."
She could tell he didn’t like needing help from the look on his face and she could only wonder if he’d been the one doing it all by himself all this while.
But then, after a few more seconds of struggling, he let out a quiet sigh and muttered, "Maybe I need help. Just this once and because you offered."
Ruby’s lips curled into a smile at his tactics and then shook her head.
Ruby stood, walking toward him, and gently took the fabric in her hands. She began buttoning his shirt with careful precision, her fingers grazing his chest lightly as she worked.
He smelled good. Clean, masculine, with a subtle hint of cologne that made her acutely aware of how close they were.
"Are you going out?" she asked, thinking Ivy would’ve asked him same if she had been the one here.