At that, Ray's lips quirked into a small, knowing smirk. He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "Exactly."
Esme froze, her breath catching as his words sank in. Slowly, she turned to face him, her eyes narrowing. "What do you mean, 'exactly'?"
Ray didn't answer immediately. Instead, he leaned forward, resting his chin lightly on her shoulder. His voice was soft, almost teasing. "You've been trying to find something buried in the wreckage, Esme. But why are you starting at the end of the story?"
She blinked, her exhaustion giving way to confusion. "What are you talking about?"
Ray straightened, his hands dropping to his sides as he fixed her with a pointed look. "You're treating this like a puzzle, trying to find the missing pieces. But maybe the answer isn't in the gaps—it's in the pieces you already have. Or maybe," he added with a sly smile, "you're looking at the wrong side of the picture altogether."
