Queen POV
The boot was big and ugly.
That didn't change, even after the doctor confirmed it wasn't anything too serious—just a fracture, nothing that needed a full cast. Just rest, the boot, and "taking it easy," which sounded nice in theory but didn't exactly fit into my life.
"You hear that?" Jessica said as we stepped out of the clinic, her keys jingling in her hand. "You're not dying. Big win."
I huffed a quiet laugh, adjusting my balance as the boot hit the pavement heavier than I liked. "Debatable."
She rolled her eyes but reached out anyway, steadying me as we walked toward her car.
"You always gotta be dramatic?"
"I almost died yesterday."
"You fell," she corrected, opening the passenger door for me. I stayed silent, easing myself into the seat carefully.
She waited until I was settled before closing the door, then walked around to the driver's side. Once she got in, she didn't start the car right away. She just looked at me for a second—really looked.
"So what actually happened?" she asked, her tone calm but curious. "Because that," she nodded toward my foot, "doesn't look like a simple misstep."
I leaned my head back against the seat, staring up at the ceiling for a second before answering.
"I was walking home. It was dark. I didn't see where I was stepping."
"That's it?"
"That's it." She held my gaze a second longer, like she was deciding whether to push. Then she didn't.
"Alright," she said finally, starting the car. "Next time, don't take the woods."
"Trust me," I muttered, "that's not happening again."
****************
The ride was quiet after that. I thought back to how fast the morning went, how normal it flowed after dropping Demi off at school. The routine was back as usual, like nothing had happened.
"You sure you don't want me to stay a bit?"
My eyes snapped to Jessica, and I realized she had already pulled up in front of my house and was parking her car.
"I'm good," I said, reaching for the door handle.
"You don't seem good."
"I' just tired," I corrected. "There's a difference."
She didn't argue, but I could feel her eyes on me as I stepped out and adjusted my balance.
"Call me if you need anything," she said.
"I will."
"And Queen?" I glanced back.
"Seriously. Be careful."
Something about the way she said it made my chest tighten.
"Yeah," I said softly. "I will."
The house was quiet when I got inside. No cartoons playing in the background. No little footsteps or small chit chat to distract me. Just silence, and it felt louder than it should have. I locked the door behind me, then checked it again without thinking, my fingers lingering on the knob a second longer than necessary.
"You're doing too much," I muttered, pushing myself toward the couch.
But even as I said it, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. I sat down a lot slower than I meant to and forced out a breath.
"Just rest," I told myself. "You got work later."
Normal, everything needed to be normal. It had to be.
I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, bracing myself for the memory of dirt beneath my hands. But when the silence settled in, it wasn't that night that filled my thoughts. Instead, it was him.
The cowboy.
I frowned slightly, confused by how easily my mind drifted in that direction. Out of everything I should have been thinking about, it was his presence that stayed the clearest. I could still see him standing in that diner, calm in a way that didn't feel forced, like the tension in the room had already lost before it began.
Calm was anything but my life right now, and maybe that was why he stood out so much.
There was something in the way he carried himself that I couldn't ignore--something steady and controlled. He hadn't tried to make a scene and didn't raise his voice. He had stepped in without hesitation, interrupting everything with a quiet confidence that held my attention hostage. I thought about how easily he handled the situation, like he wasn't concerned at all about how it could have escalated.
"He just showed up," I murmured to myself.
Saved me, and then left like it didn't mean anything at all.
I let out a small breath, shaking my head at myself. It was ridiculous, honestly, the way my thoughts kept circling back to him--especially after everything that had happened. But still, I couldn't deny it. If I saw him again, I wouldn't let the moment pass me by.
Sleep crept in slowly after that, soft and quiet, pulling me under before I could question it.