Chapter 102: Dinner Date
Ethan stared at the phone like it had just grown wings. He blinked once, then twice, before slowly reaching out and taking it from Stefan’s outstretched hand. His breath caught as he leaned in, squinting at the screen. His chest tightened the moment he saw the face staring back at him.
"That’s her," he said softly, like the words might disappear if he said them too loud. "That’s MY Rayna."
A long silence settled between them. Though he’d thought Stefan was just being paranoid over hearing the name and thinking too much, now, he didn’t think so anymore.
What he’s more interested in knowing is how his Rayna could be Ruby’s best friend. Could it be that it was Ruby she was going to pick up that morning he saw her? Making the calculations, it seemed to fit. If someone where to leave Zeden to Florittle that evening when Stefan got his sight back, then the person would be arriving in Florittle in the morning.
Did all this mean if he could get to Rayna, they would get Ruby? Was this it? Not just getting someone he loves but also a gateway to getting Stefan his missing piece.
Stefan stood abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor. He began pacing the room, each step stiff with a tension that hadn’t been there moments before. His brows furrowed deeply, as though trying to piece together a jigsaw puzzle that had just revealed a new, unexpected picture.
This was it. This was the universe working for him and bringing him and Ruby back together. Coming to Florittle had perhaps been the answer. If he’d known, he would’ve showed up since he realized the truth.
Ethan, still staring at Rayna’s profile photo, felt a slow rush of emotion flood his chest—surprise, confusion, and something that felt a little too much like hope.
"This can’t just be a coincidence," he managed to murmur to himself. "She said that morning... that maybe we should leave everything to fate. That if it’s meant to be, we’ll meet again."
He swallowed hard, the memory of her voice playing like a soft echo in his mind. "Let fate decide," she’d said, standing by the door with messy hair and brown eyes that sparkled with mischief and uncertainty. "If it’s meant to be, we’ll cross paths again."
He looked up at Stefan, who was still pacing like a caged lion, thinking and calculating.
"But we didn’t just cross paths again," Ethan continued, more to himself now. "We’re about to crash into each other."