Ruby's POV
When I woke, the first thing I noticed was
Carter.
His arm draped over my waist, his bare chest pressed warm against my back, his breath slow and steady against the curve of my neck. There was something grounding about the weight of him,like the world hadn’t shattered overnight. Like it might actually hold together today, just long enough to let me breathe.
I stayed still for a while, letting the silence wrap around us.
The kind of silence that only comes after something big. After you’ve crossed a line and know there’s no going back,but you’re not afraid of it.
I wasn’t.
For once, I didn’t wake up in a panic. I didn’t flinch at shadows or reach for my knife. My body didn’t immediately brace for impact.
Instead, I let my eyes adjust to the soft light filtering in throu
