Chapter 101: Is This Your Rayna?
Stefan woke up with a sudden jolt, the unfamiliar ceiling above him stealing his breath for a second. His eyes darted to the window—daylight streamed in, soft and golden. It was morning?
He blinked hard and sat up, running a hand through his hair. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath. "I was supposed to get up last night."
His mind scrambled to catch up with the time he’d lost. The plan, the conversation, the search for Ruby—he had meant to just lie down for a few minutes, not the whole night. But somehow, his body had given in.
After splashing cold water on his face and brushing his teeth, he changed into a fresh shirt and jeans. His hair was still damp as he made his way downstairs, steps brisk but quiet.
The soft clink of a spoon against a mug reached his ears, followed by the faint aroma of coffee.
In the dining area, Ethan sat by the edge of the table, fingers loosely wrapped around his mug, eyes locked onto the phone in front of him. Again.
Stefan watched him for a few minutes and when Ethan still didn’t notice his presence, he cleared his throat.
Ethan’s head snapped up. "Oh. Hey, sleeping beauty finally woke up."
Stefan rolled his eyes but smirked. "Yeah, yeah. Rub it in."
"Man, I was starting to think you passed out from exhaustion." Ethan leaned back in his chair, sipping from the mug. "I told you to sleep, but you were all ’We talk tonight, then I’ll sleep’."
"Guess my body didn’t care what I planned," Stefan said, sliding into a seat. His gaze drifted to the phone in Ethan’s hand. "Still staring at that thing?"
Ethan looked down like he’d been caught cheating on a test. "What? No. Just—checking updates."