The past...
She should have stayed at home. She should have.
The headaches, the conversation with Ruby, and now the presence of her father... and Ryker.
Everything was too much.
"Oh, goodness, Ryker Bennet!" Ruby greeted him, giggling like a high school girl who just caught a glimpse of their crush. "It's very nice to see you again."
Ryker didn't respond immediately, looking over at Heaven and her father first before greeting back. Heaven knew, even without looking, that her father was glaring at Ryker.
She groaned in her head, undecided on whether it was the pain on her head or at the situation.
Both, maybe.
"Hello, Ruby." he said, keeping his hand on Hudson's shoulder as he did. "I was just coming by to pick up Hudson. Is everything alright?"
Ruby smiled at him, and then looked at his son, then to Heaven.
Heaven knew exactly what she was thinking.
"Of course, of course. Just catching up with Heaven right here. It's been so long since I've seen her, and I think Howard has been keeping her hidden from us." she winked, teasing as she threw a glance towards her father.
Her dad remained quiet, just observing. Just keeping his place beside her.
Heaven just wanted both Ruby and Ryker to leave, just to leave her alone and let her spend the rest of the night in peace.
But, of course...
Ryker nodded at her words, and then looked over at Heaven. It was like he was asking if Ruby was telling the truth and not just bothering her.
Heaven avoided his eyes, turning her head lightly with a sigh.
She felt like she couldn't deal with anything right now.
She just wanted to sit down and breathe.
"See, I didn't know that Heaven was back after all these years, and even owning a store. A lovely cafe, I might add." Ruby continued, looking over at their baked goods by the stall and giving a light wave to both Jenna and Marie. "Did you know she was back?"
He stayed quiet for a few seconds before answering a short "No."
Heaven stopped herself from rolling her eyes, not caring to join their conversation even though she was the topic.
With a gasp, Ruby held her hand by her mouth. "Really?" she asked, looking back and forth between the two of them. "I just-Well, never mind. Just thought that something good was happening between the two of you."
She ended her sentence with a wink towards Ryker, but he remained passive.
Hudson, now with his brows furrowed, stayed looking up to the adults with confusion. He was a smart kid.
Heaven was sure that he was understanding parts of the conversation, just processing the information.
Ryker nodded towards her, obviously wanting the talk to be over, but didn't have the guts to end it. Heaven stopped herself from rolling her eyes once again.
"I really thought that she came back for you, see? And with your son in the middle, maybe you two can start wherever you left off."
"Ruby." Howard called to her, stopping her from whatever words she continued to spill. He didn't appreciate her talking about his daughter that way.
