Chapter 24: If This Was Love....
Nathan let out a breath. "Has she forgotten anything about you? Any major detail? Something Ivy would’ve never missed? I just want to understand you better."
"No. She remembers everything," Stefan said, voice quiet. "That’s the thing. Her memory’s sharp. Her routine’s nearly the same. Her scent, the way she walks—those haven’t changed or so I think."
"Then quit stressing, bro," Nathan said. "You’re driving yourself mad over something that might just be her heart growing up. It happens."
There was a silence that stretched long between them before Stefan broke it.
"Yeah. I guess I know that now. When are you coming back?"
"Two days," Nathan replied. "Flight lands in the afternoon. You want me to stop by first thing?"
"I’d like that," Stefan said with a smile. "It’ll be good to have you around again."
"You miss my annoying ass, don’t you?"
Stefan laughed. "Maybe."
"Don’t worry," Nathan said, teasing. "When I get there, we’ll figure out what to do if she turns out to be an alien shapeshifter. But for now, just let yourself feel, man. You’ve got something real in front of you. Don’t ruin it because you’re scared."
Stefan ended the call after a few more pleasantries, setting the phone down gently on the nightstand.
He stood alone in the dimly lit room, the quiet humming in his ears blending with the ticking of the antique clock on the wall. A part of him still held onto the uncertainty, but the bigger part—the one that felt Ruby’s touch, heard the tremble in her voice when she said his name—that part wanted to believe.