Chapter 27
Ruby
I SIGNED THE CONTRACT with the roofer we’d chosen, walked him through the structural adjustments with Dave and Sebastian, and made sure his plan aligned with everything Sebastian flagged.
And the whole time, I couldn’t stop thinking about Sebastian—even though he was right there.
I wanted to reach out, to touch him, to say something. To undo that twitch in his jaw. But I didn’t. Because wanting wasn’t the same as knowing what to say.
Instead, I kept finding stupid excuses to brush my fingers or shoulder against his—to feel he was still there, still within reach—while we crammed together to inspect the roofline or discussed rafter spacing.
I wasn’t a crier; couldn’t remember the last time I cried, but now my throat tightened, my eyes stung, and something crested inside me, a wave threatening to break.
After he drove off, I texted the Beach, Please group to finalize our plans for the day after tomorrow. We’d already skipped one meeting since Rio and Evangeline came by, and Daphne promised she could make it this time, so it had to happen.
Besides, I needed to clear my head. I needed to be around people who knew me outside of Sebastian. Who might help me make sense of this. Of me.
Because I had no experience with whatever this was.
Not even close.
I was beginning to think about things I’d never let myself consider before. What-ifs and maybes jackhammered at my thoughts and heart. But the worst-case scenarios were the loudest of them all, echoing like they’d had years to practice.