Page 78 of Pyre

The last time I lived with a man… She didn’t let herself finish the thought. Decades had passed since then. A life sofar removed from her now it might as well have belonged to someone else.

What if this didn’t work? What if she wasn’t good enough for Jonah? What if she didn’t deserve this? And what would she do when he inevitably—

Stop.She shook her head, trying to snap herself out of it.

She slid out of the truck, the cold air biting against her skin. The sharp crunch of her boots against the gravel followed her to the convenience store. The Icee machine caught her eye, its bright, swirling colors a flash of something comforting and distant. She used to love Icees.

Instead, she made her way to the restroom at the back of the store. The faint smell of bleach battled with something mustier in the cramped space. She splashed cold water on her face, the shock of it grounding her, and grabbed a rough paper towel from the dispenser to dab her skin.

When she looked up, her reflection stared back, pale and unfamiliar under the harsh fluorescent light.

And behind her, Edward.

Her breath caught in her throat. His face was just as it had been in the fire—twisted, burned, mocking. She flinched, her pulse hammering in her ears.

“You can’t trust them,” he whispered, smooth as oil, seeping into the cracks of her mind.

She squeezed her eyes shut, her nails digging into the sink’s edge. His image burned against the darkness behind her eyelids.

“No,” she barked, slamming her hands down.

The word broke the spell. And the sink. When she opened her eyes again, the bathroom was empty. Just her, the quiet hum of the overhead light, and the crumbling ceramic.

Her hands shook as she wiped them on her jeans and made her way back to the truck. She started the engine, its familiar rumble grounding her, and pulled out of the gas station.

The U-Haul bumped along the uneven pavement as Ruby turned onto Jonah’s street. Her hands clammy against the steering wheel, her heart thrummed in a mix of excitement and nervousness. She slowed as she spotted him standing in the driveway, a grin stretched wide across his face, the kind of smile that always disarmed her.

He stood there, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets, rocking back on his heels. Beside him, on the cracked concrete, sat a box wrapped in paper that shimmered faintly in the sunlight, a cheerful green bow perched on top.

Ruby climbed out of the truck, her boots hitting the pavement with a satisfying thud. “What’s this?” she asked, gesturing toward the box. A grin tugged at the corner of her lips.

Jonah shrugged, his grin growing even wider. “Housewarming gift. Open it.”

She crouched down, peeling the tape off with deliberate care, and lifted the lid. Inside was a power washer, sleek and shiny. For a moment, she just stared at it, blinking in disbelief, before throwing her head back and laughing.

“A power washer?” she said, looking up at him.

“For your TikTok obsession,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

She didn’t hesitate. She jumped up and threw her arms around him, the hug nearly knocking him off balance. His laugh rumbled against her ear as he steadied them both, his arms wrapping securely around her.

BY THE TIMEthey’d finished unloading the truck, the sun dipped low on the horizon, casting warm orange and pink streaks across the sky. Jonah leaned against the kitchen counter, sipping a beer, while Ruby surveyed the chaos of boxes and mismatched furniture that now filled his—their—living room.

“I was thinking the couch could go here,” he said, pointing toward the wall opposite the window.

Ruby frowned. “But then it blocks the light. What about over there?”

Jonah raised an eyebrow. “That’s too close to the door. It’ll feel cramped.”

“Only if you walk like a linebacker.”

The back-and-forth continued until Ruby, with a smirk, decided to end the debate by moving the couch herself. She grabbed the armrest, her muscles flexing as she lifted it and carried it effortlessly across the room. Jonah stared, his beer halfway to his mouth.

“Cheating,” he muttered.

“Winning,” she corrected, dropping the couch into place.

NIGHTS FELL INTOa rhythm. Jonah would head to bed, his footsteps soft against the carpeted hallway, while Ruby curled up on the couch with a book. She liked how the house settled into its nighttime quiet—still, yet never lonely. Jonah often hesitated in the doorway, his brow furrowed with a flicker of guilt.

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