Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 218

Shepard repeated with a smug grin, “You’re Mrs. Carter, Briana.” 

“And what about you?” Briana shot back. “Who are you?” 

“I’m your husband, the famous artist Briana’s loving husband,” Shepard replied. 

Briana got goosebumps all over. 

Never in a million years did Briana expect Shepard to say something like that. 

She thought, “This is unbelievable. 

‘Is this really him? Is this the same Shepard I know?‘ 

Shepard had always been so serious and by–the–book. 

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Olivia always joked that he was like a robot. He just worked, having no feelings at all. She never understood why she would fall for him. 

“He must be drunk. Totally wasted,” Briana mumbled under her breath. “He’s talking crazy… You can’t trust a word men say…” 

Shepard heard every bit of her rambling. 

“Weren’t you just saying I was pretending to be drunk?” Shepard said, playing with the ends of her hair. “Now you think I’m actually tipsy?” 

Briana shot him a glare. 

He grinned, leaning in even closer. 

His breath tickled her neck, and she kept dodging him, trying to get away. 

There was still a hint of alcohol on Shepard’s breath, and Briana could smell it, but… it didn’t bother her one bit. 

The car glided smoothly down the road. 

Briana’s shoulders were sore. 

After all, Shepard was a big guy, and she’d been carrying his weight the whole time. 

“Hold on,” Shepard suddenly said. “Weren’t you asking me to go somewhere with you, Briana?” 

‘Why are we suddenly going home?‘ he thought. 

Briana let out a helpless sigh, “Come on, you’re drunk. Where else can we go?” 

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‘We should just go home and get some rest,‘ she thought. 

She was starting to feel tired herself. 

“No way,” Shepard said quickly. “I’ll sober up soon, and then we can go anywhere you want.” 

“Are you sure?” Briana asked. 

“Positive,” Shepard replied. 

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Briana still shook her head. “No, you’re just getting over a cold. If you get sick again, it’ll only get worse, and I won’t be able to look after you.” 

Shepard dipped his head, his lips grazing her collarbone before giving it a playful, gentle nibble. 

He grinned. “Look at you, worrying about me. Alright, I’ll listen to you.” 

Briana rolled her eyes. “You sure know how to make yourself look good.” 

“I’m just telling the truth. I’ll get some good sleep tonight, and tomorrow night I’ll take you wherever you want. I’ll clear my schedule for you,” Shepard promised. 

As he spoke, his voice faded, and soon his eyes fluttered shut, his breathing soft and steady. 

‘Wait, did he just fall asleep?‘ Briana thought, a little amused. 

She peeked over at him. 

Shepard was slumped against her shoulder, fast asleep. 

Seeing him like this, Briana thought to herself. 

‘He’s actually kind of cute,’ she thought. 

The thought flashed through her mind, but she quickly pushed it away. 

She thought, ‘Oh my god, am I losing it? Or is my inner mom mode kicking in? 

‘Did I seriously just think Shepard was cute? 

‘Cute and Shepard? Not in a million years!‘ 

Briana quickly turned to look out the window, even rolling it down a crack to let the cold night air rush in and snap her out of it. 

She thought, ‘It must be the atmosphere right now. It’s so romantic, so full of tension. 

‘That’s the only reason I’m feeling like this.’ 

What Briana didn’t notice was the faint, satisfied smile tugging at Shepard’s lips. 

Chapter 218 

‘We should just go home and get some rest,‘ she thought. 

She was starting to feel tired herself. 

“No way,” Shepard said quickly. “I’ll sober up soon, and then we can go anywhere you want.” 

“Are you sure?” Briana asked. 

“Positive,” Shepard replied. 

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Briana still shook her head. “No, you’re just getting over a cold. If you get sick again, it’ll only get worse, and I won’t be able to look after you.” 

Shepard dipped his head, his lips grazing her collarbone before giving it a playful, gentle nibble. 

He grinned. “Look at you, worrying about me. Alright, I’ll listen to you.” 

Briana rolled her eyes. “You sure know how to make yourself look good.” 

“I’m just telling the truth. I’ll get some good sleep tonight, and tomorrow night I’ll take you wherever you want. I’ll clear my schedule for you,” Shepard promised. 

As he spoke, his voice faded, and soon his eyes fluttered shut, his breathing soft and steady. 

‘Wait, did he just fall asleep?‘ Briana thought, a little amused. 

She peeked over at him. 

Shepard was slumped against her shoulder, fast asleep. 

Seeing him like this, Briana thought to herself. 

‘He’s actually kind of cute,‘ she thought. 

The thought flashed through her mind, but she quickly pushed it away. 

She thought, ‘Oh my god, am I losing it? Or is my inner mom mode kicking in? 

‘Did I seriously just think Shepard was cute? 

‘Cute and Shepard? Not in a million years!‘ 

Briana quickly turned to look out the window, even rolling it down a crack to let the cold night air rush in and snap her out of it. 

She thought, ‘It must be the atmosphere right now. It’s so romantic, so full of tension. 

“That’s the only reason I’m feeling like this.‘ 

What Briana didn’t notice was the faint, satisfied smile tugging at Shepard’s lips. 

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He thought, ‘Leaning against my wife is just the best. 

If only I could stay like this forever and ever.” 

When they got back to Evergreen Estate, Ben helped Briana as she half–carried Shepard upstairs to the bedroom. 

Charles heard the noise and came running out of his room. 

“What’s up with Shepard? Did he get wasted?” Charles asked. “Did you have to go out drinking with him tonight, Briana?” 

Before Briana could say anything, Charles suddenly realized, “Wait, wasn’t tonight the art show? He was supposed to be with you, right?” 

Briana didn’t even look at him. “Either give me a hand or stop talking.” 

“Man, you’re so fierce. Totally not gentle at all. Briana, girls like you aren’t exactly what guys are into…” Charles said, shaking his head. 

Before Charles could finish, Shepard, drunk and a little unsteady, suddenly looked up and slurred, “I like her just the way she is.” 

Charles gulped and smacked himself on the mouth. 

“Alright, forget I said anything.” He shrugged. “I never should’ve come out to watch this mess. I’m out, I’m gone, poof. You two carry on.” 

With that, Charles bolted out of there. 

Briana helped Shepard into the bedroom and pretty much tossed him onto the bed. She let out a long, relieved sigh and clapped her hands, feeling like she’d finally finished a tough job. 

Shepard sprawled out on his back, looking smug. “Looks like I finally earned the right to sleep in the bed. tonight,” he teased. 

Briana just shook her head, half amused and half exasperated. 

“Briana, the couch is seriously uncomfortable,” Shepard complained. “My back’s been killing me every single day. Don’t you feel even a little bad for me?” 

“Why don’t you just go back to your fancy mansion? It’s big enough for you to roll around all night as much as you want,” Briana retorted. 

“You know you’re the only one I want to sleep next to,” Shepard said, his voice gentle and a little playful. 

“Well, that’s on you, so just put up with it,” Briana replied without missing a beat. 

She tossed the words over her shoulder and headed straight into the bathroom. 

Shepard pressed his fingers to his brow, feeling a bit worn out. 

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He thought, ‘Chasing after my wife really takes a strong heart. 

‘Man, this is going to be a long haul.’ 

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Besides being shameless, he had to stay positive. No matter how many times Briana pushed him away, he just kept coming back for more, sticking to her like glue. 

Even Shepard got worn out sometimes. 

But he’d always pull himself together and get back in the game. 

He thought, ‘Serves me right. 

Just gotta suck it up. 

‘I’m only getting a taste of what Briana has gone through before. 

‘I’m just getting what I deserve! 

When Briana came out of the bathroom after her shower, Shepard was already fast asleep. 

He was truly out, his eyes closed and his brows slightly furrowed. 

Briana wondered, ‘What kind of worries could be weighing on him so much that even in his sleep he can’t let go? 

‘Is it because of me? Maybe. 

But back then, Briana had cried so many times because of Shepard, putting up with so much hurt and disappointment. 

“Now you finally get what I went through,” Briana sighed. “I held on for five years. What about you? Let’s see how long you can take it. Five weeks, or five months?” 

She carefully pulled the blanket over him, then got up and headed to the guest room next door. 

Briana was wiped out after such a busy day. 

She drifted off to sleep in no time. 

She had no idea how long she’d been asleep when she rolled over and her hand bumped into something. 

Still half–asleep, she kept her eyes closed, too tired to open them, and just instinctively reached out to touch. 

1. it. 

It felt a little firm, but also kind of soft. 

She pressed it, and it was surprisingly springy, and warm to the touch. 

‘What the heck is this thing?‘ Briana wondered, still half–asleep. 

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:. 

Briana kept poking and prodding at it, but still couldn’t figure out what it was. 

Then, a deep, husky voice, heavy with sleep, suddenly murmured, “Done feeling me up yet?” 

Briana jolted awake, her eyes flying open, all traces of sleep gone in an instant. 

Shepard was lying right next to her. 

‘Wait, what’s going on?‘ Briana thought, completely stunned. 

They definitely hadn’t spent the night in the same room. 

Briana looked around, startled. 

This was the guest room. 

So that meant Shepard had come in here and ended up sleeping right next to her. 

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Briana suddenly remembered how, whenever she woke up and reached for the edge of the bed, it was always 

warm. 

She’d long suspected that Shepard would sneak into her bed in the middle of the night, only to slip back onto the couch in the morning and pretend he’d been there the whole time. 

AD