Finally, Stefan pulled back just a little, his hands still resting lightly on her waist. "Thank you for coming with me," he said, his voice low and sincere.
Ruby smiled, even though her chest still ached from the weight of her earlier confession. "Thank you for bringing me," she said.
He tilted his head slightly. "You know," he said thoughtfully, "even if I can't see it, I can feel when you're smiling."
Ruby laughed softly, brushing a hand along his jaw. "Is that so?"
"Yeah," he said. "It's like the air around you changes."
Her heart melted at that. How does he always know the right thing to say? she wondered.
A comfortable silence settled between them. Ruby looked out over the city again, feeling Stefan's steady presence at her side. For once, she allowed herself to believe that maybe everything would be okay. Maybe he would forgive her someday when the truth finally came out.
But a small, guilty voice inside her whispered that she didn't deserve how much he loved her.
