She could feel his breath warm through the fabric of her robe, his head resting gently on her stomach like it belonged there. Her heart gave a small, confused flutter. His body was large, solid, and for some reason... her body didn’t try to push him away. It just accepted the weight, the heat, the closeness like it had been waiting.
"My head hurts," Kaelan muttered, voice muffled. "Sorry but no sorry," he added lazily, and then without warning—rested his head fully against her, closing his eyes like she was the softest pillow in the world.
Ruby gasped, her hand twitching near his shoulder.
"H-Hey! You—" she whispered sharply, her breath hitching as his arm casually curled around her waist, pulling her in a little more.
"Shhh," he murmured sleepily. "You’re warm... and angry... but still warm. It’s comforting."
Ruby’s eyes widened. Her hands hovered in the air like she wasn’t sure whether to push him off or... run her fingers through his messy golden hair. His expensive scent was all around her now.
This was wrong. Insane. She should kick him out of her car and drive away.
But for some reason... her hand lowered slowly onto his head, fingers brushing his soft hair once. Just once. And Kaelan let out a tiny sigh like a puppy finding the perfect spot to nap.
"You’re impossible," she muttered.
"You’re comfy," he whispered back with a grin.
And just like that, the tension inside her chest eased, just a little. Her headache was still there, the world was still exhausting, but this chaotic stranger who barged into her car, turned her night upside down, and used her stomach as a pillow—
He made her feel less alone.
Ruby blinked her eyes open slowly, feeling an odd heaviness on her waist. Her head was pounding faintly from the hangover, and her neck ached from sleeping in an awkward position. She groaned softly, shifting a little.
"Don’t move," a low voice muttered near her stomach.
Her eyes shot open. That voice.
She looked down and found the same golden-haired stranger from last night — still shamelessly resting his head on her waist like it was a royal pillow. His eyes were open now, sharp and strikingly blue, staring up at her like she was an object he forgot to examine last night.
He looked confused for a second, then he tilted his head slightly, letting his gaze scan her face slowly — those killer red eyes, the perfect curve of her lips, her faintly tousled hair from sleep.
He narrowed his eyes. "You’re... kind of pretty."
He smirked. "Not prettier than me, of course."
Ruby scoffed, trying to sit up but the weight of his body was still half-leaning on her. "Get off me."
He didn’t move. "Tsk, tsk. So rude in the morning. Usually, people say thank you when I grace them with my presence."
"You literally begged for help, invaded my car, and slept on me like a human mattress."
He yawned lazily. "Yeah. And you still let me. Which means either you like me... or I’m irresistible even while running for my life."
Ruby glared. "I was being kind. Don’t flatter yourself."
"Can’t help it," he said as he finally rolled to the side, stretching like a cat. "It’s a curse — being this attractive and charming."
Ruby sat up too, rubbing her temples.
He glanced over, grinning. "You hungover?"
"None of your business."
"I’ll take that as a yes," he said casually, brushing his fingers through his messy golden hair. "By the way, your car seat? Not bad. Still prefer my custom made cotton sheets from Northern country though."
He leaned closer suddenly, eyes playful. "Hey, do you always let strangers sleep on top of you in cars, or am I just lucky?"
"You’re just annoying."
He chuckled. "That too. It’s part of the package."
Ruby looked at him sideways. "Do you ever stop talking?"
"Only when I’m admiring myself."
She gave him a dry stare. "Unbelievable."
"You know," he said, pulling a small silver mirror from his robe pocket again, "this lighting makes my cheekbones pop."
She blinked. "Do you carry that thing everywhere?"
"Of course," he said seriously. "A ghost must be prepared. You never know when someone needs to be reminded of what peak beauty looks like."
Ruby sighed, utterly exhausted by this man’s presence. "What are you even doing here still?"
He shrugged. "Had nowhere else to go. Didn’t want to die either. Thought I’d stick around a little. I like your energy — very spicy."
Ruby narrowed her eyes. "Stick around? Absolutely not. I helped you once. That’s it."
He grinned. "Fine. I’ll leave. But if you miss me later, don’t pretend like you didn’t enjoy the view."
She opened the car door. "Get out."
He paused, sighed helplessly, then stepped out with a hand over his heart. "Parting is such sweet sorrow."
Ruby slammed the door shut behind him.
Outside the car, Kaelan stretched his arms and muttered to himself, "Still don’t know who she is... but damn, she’s fun."
Inside the car, Ruby leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes again.
"Idiot," she muttered.
Then she drove back to the house, her mood still tangled in frustration. Her head ached lightly, and her body felt heavy — not just from the hangover, but from the anger still burning inside her. All that work, all her late nights during Milo’s surgery, designing every little detail by hand, trying to learn a new engine... and now it was gone. Vanished. Just because someone couldn’t stay out of her laptop.
But she wasn’t ready to give up. Even if she was furious yesterday, she had decided — she would try again. Check every file. Maybe, just maybe, there was something to recover. Even if it meant staying up again for another night. She had to try.
When she reached home, she stood in front of the door for a moment and took a slow breath before knocking.
A few seconds later, the door swung open.
Julian was the one who opened it, and the moment he saw her, his mossy green eyes filled with emotion. His lips trembled just a little as he stood there in silence, and then, without saying a word, he pulled her into a tight hug.
To be continued... 🪄