Chapter 133: Shouldn’t Have
Stefan stepped out of the café long after Rayna had left, the early afternoon breeze rustling through his shirt as he walked towards his parked car.
His footsteps were heavy, not from fatigue, but from the emotional weight of what had just happened. Rayna hadn’t yelled. She hadn’t stormed off. She had listened. And that was more than he’d dared hope for.
He slipped behind the wheel, took one long, calming breath, and reached for his phone.
There was one more person he needed to see before returning home.
Fifteen minutes later, Stefan walked into the large office building where Ethan worked. The receptionist, already familiar with him, simply gave a polite nod and pointed toward Ethan’s floor even though Stefan knew his way around. This wasn’t his first time in Florittle or Ethan’s company after all.
Ethan was leaning back in his chair when Stefan knocked once and stepped in. He straightened quickly, his hand pausing above the keyboard.
"Stefan," Ethan said, brows raising, "that was fast. How did it go?"
Stefan shrugged, giving a tired smile. "I’m hoping for the best. She didn’t bite my head off, which is already a miracle, but she didn’t exactly look like she was ready to be friends either."
Ethan nodded thoughtfully, leaning forward. "That’s still something. You said what you needed to say?"
"Yeah," Stefan replied, exhaling as he sank into the chair across from him. "I tried to be honest. No games. No twisting words. I just laid it all out. Now, I guess I wait."
"She’ll come around," Ethan said, though his voice held a tinge of doubt. "So.... how is she?" he asked hesitantly.
Stefan turned his head slightly, feigning confusion. "Who? Ruby? I didn’t get to see her. Thought you’d know that already."