For a moment, she let herself feel that smallness, that insignificance. But then her mind circled back, unbidden, to Edward. To Jonah. Would her worries about him ever feel as trivial as a speck of stardust? Or was she destined to carry the weight of Edward’s threat forever, even when the universe told her it didn’t matter?
When the show ended, they stepped back into the museum’s brightly lit halls, the magic of the planetarium still clinging to the edges of Ruby’s thoughts. They found a bench in the middle of the museum, away from the crowds. Around them, exhibits buzzed with life—dinosaurs towering above, children pressing their noses against glass to peer at ancient fossils.
A giant replica of a T-rex skeleton caught her eye, but her mind was still on the stars. “Does it not make you feel small? Insignificant?” she tilted her head toward the ceiling. “Knowing you’re a speck in the entirety of the universe.”
Jonah shook his head, his expression thoughtful. “Nah. It makes my problems feel small, maybe. But not me.”
She frowned, glancing at him. “What do you mean?”
He looked around at the museum’s echoing halls before turning back to her. “I could’ve been born a snail. Or fifty years ago. Or fifty years in the future. Or an alien on some distant planet, millions of miles away. But I wasn’t. I was born here, as me. In a time where I get to be sitting right here, with you.”
Ruby snorted, trying to shake the unease his words stirred. “You’re getting good at that philosophy stuff.”
“I have my moments,” he said, flashing her a quick grin. “But seriously, as huge as the universe is, I think moments like this still matter. We still matter. Most of the time, we can’t decide how we impact the world. But we do. Every interaction we have. Everything we touch. Makes a difference, somewhere, to someone. And maybe that’s cheesy, but it helps me to keep the important things in focus.”
For a moment, she couldn’t respond. Could she really believe that? Could she believe that this—whatever this was between them—mattered in the grand scheme of things? Or was it all destined to be swallowed up by Edward’s inevitable return? By the TCA? By the next “big evil” the world would face. She had spent the last few years chasing monsters, fighting ghosts that refused to die, so the idea of something simple and meaningful was a fragile dream.
Jonah bumped his shoulder gently against hers, pulling her from her spiraling thoughts. “Besides, it’s not all about aliens and space dust. It’s about the moments you choose to live in. And right now, I’m choosing this one.”
Ruby swallowed hard, the weight of the universe still pressing down on her chest, but now... there was something else there too. Something comforting in the way Jonah saw the world—saw her. Maybe he was right. Maybe, despite everything, they could still choose their moments.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
LESS THAN ANhour later, Ruby stood at the quaint train station in a small suburb outside of Denver. The early afternoon air warmed her exposed legs while her ever-present sunglasses shielded her eyes from the sun.
The station itself was picturesque, lined by large evergreens that stood around the charming brick building. Its red roof and accents popped against the clear blue sky, and colorful flowers bloomed in pots along the entrance. The cool September breeze carried the scent of pine needles, mingling with something sweet and comforting. It felt odd to drive out of Denver just to catch a train back, but Jonah had insisted it was all part of the "experience." What that experience was, he had refused to elaborate.
Jonah bought the train tickets and Ruby leaned against a pillar as they waited. They were alone at the station, which made sense at eleven in the morning; commuters had long since reached their offices, their day well underway.
The train rolled in, and they hopped on, Jonah plopping down on the bench next to Ruby.
She sat stiffly, fingers curling into her lap as the train pulled out of the station. Jonah’s thigh pressed against hers, a point of warmth that was impossible to ignore. Heat seeped through her jeans, unraveling a tangle of emotions she wasn’t ready to face.
She shouldn’t be feeling this—any of this. He was a friend, someone who had been there when grief had swallowed herwhole. She was a fucking revenge-seeking zombie, not exactly someone built for romance. Yet here she was, heart tripping over itself whenever he smiled or spoke her name like a damn school girl.
They were a terrible idea, a betrayal of everything she’d lost. And yet, when Jonah shifted slightly and the pressure of his leg deepened, she leaned into it, just a little, as if some part of her was already crossing a line she wasn’t sure she could ever step back from.
Blinking, she shook her head, trying to dislodge the thoughts. She wasn’t some teenager with a crush. She was a grown woman who hadn’t been touched—platonically or otherwise—in so long that she was embarrassing herself.
“You alright?” Jonah asked, tapping her knee to get her attention.
She sighed dramatically. “I’d be better if you’d tell me where we’re going.”
The train crawled along the tracks, and Ruby considered jumping off. She could outrun it at this pace, carrying Jonah on her back if it meant avoiding another twenty minutes in the mildew-scented car.
She snorted. Kavya had forced her to watch that vampire movie about moody teenagers, and she had to bite back the urge to joke about carrying Jonah like a spider monkey. He probably hadn’t even seen it.
Jonah nudged her with his shoulder. “What’re you laughing about?”
“If I asked you to hold onto me like a spider monkey—”
“I’d ask who made you watch Twilight.”
Ruby barked out a surprised laugh as he rolled his eyes.
“I knew letting Kavya talk you into movie nights on the road was a bad idea.”
“Not a fan of immortal youth?”
