Two braids left me at Ruith's bedroom door—which I pushed open—and I paused in the doorway when my eyes met his back. He stood across the room, near the arched window, and only peeled his gaze away from the outside when he heard the door close behind me. He turned his body to face me.
"When did you get back?" I quietly asked.
"You were soaking for a while. I've been here half an hour."
I scratched my cheek and smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you wait." Ruith gave no response. Instead, his curious brown eyes discovered my hair, where they explored for a while. Eventually, he sat on the long bench beneath the window and exchanged glances with the night.
"How did dinner go with your father?" I ventured, wanting to handle the fragile topic delicately.
He shrugged. "The same."
