After dinner, Ruby carried her plate to the sink, rinsing off the last bit of sauce. When she turned around, she nearly bumped straight into Kaelan, who was standing right behind her with his own plate in hand.
"Sorry," she said quickly, stepping back a little.
"It's fine," Kaelan replied, giving her one of those dazzling smiles that seemed to light up the small kitchen. For a brief second, Ruby felt like she had to blink away the brightness. She smiled back, a little caught off guard by how effortlessly charming he could be.
Karl, meanwhile, was already pouting when Ruby and the others began gathering their things to leave. "Karl, we'll meet tomorrow again, but I can't trouble you and Kaelan here," Ruby said gently. She knew the dorm was far too small, and the thought of her husband's having to sleep on the floor again didn't sit right with her. Karl could only nod, even though he clearly didn't like the idea.
