Chapter 85

Chapter 85
Ripley's Point of View

I spot Olivia first.

She is walking into the cafeteria with Kael at her side, her arm hooked through his. Kael looks wrecked, pale, his eyes sunken, his shoulders heavy like he is carrying Stonehowl’s ruins on his back.

And Olivia… she is right there with him, matching his pace, talking softly, giving him space without letting him drift too far. She is steady. Present. Exactly what he needs.

Something warm stirs in my chest.

Not jealousy.

Just… admiration.

Because this, this fierce loyalty, this instinct to protect the people she loves, this is Olivia. And every time she shows it, I fall for her a little more.

I wave them over, and Olivia eyes catches my eye immediately. She gives me a small smile, tired around the edges but real, and I feel something in me ease.

Kael sits heavily beside Liana, who reaches for his wrist in silent support. Olivia slips into the seat across from me. She nudges her knee lightly against mine under the table, a quiet hello just for us.

Kael looks like he is barely holding himself together.

“I am really sorry, man,” I say gently.

He nods his head once, his jaw tightening. “Thank you.”

His voice is hoarse, and raw.

And somehow, Olivia reaches out without making it obvious, just rests her hand briefly on his shoulder. Everyone sees it. No one misinterprets it.

It is not romantic.

It is history. Family, almost.

Watching her comfort her childhood friend, settles something deep inside me.

Yeah. This is the kind of person I want beside me. Someone with a heart big enough to carry more than just her own pain. Someone who shows up even when it is messy. Someone who does not shrink away from the hard things.

Her eyes flick towards me for a second, searching, checking. I give her the smallest nod, I am okay. And you?

She relaxes just enough for me to notice.

The conversation stays soft, careful around Kael. We all ask what we can do to help Stonehowl now, and Kael tells us bits and pieces, his voice flat but steady.

Through all of it, I keep feeling the same thing.

Not jealousy.

Just pride.

And a quiet, blooming affection for the girl who walked the dorm halls first thing in the morning just to make sure her oldest friend was not alone.

Breakfast moves slowly.

Not because anyone is wasting time, but because everything feels quieter now, like the whole table is walking on soft ground, careful not to slip into anything too heavy for Kael to carry this early in the morning.

Olivia stands first. “Come on,” she says gently, nudging Kael’s arm. “Let’s get food before everything decent is gone.”

Kael manages a faint, tired huff of a laugh, and that alone feels like a win.

I push my chair back too. “I will come with you guys. I might as well grab something before the vultures take the good stuff.”

Liana stretches and follows, and Pacey and Ian trail behind us. It is like a flock moving together, loosely formed, but still together.

The breakfast line smells like syrup, toasted bread, and scrambled eggs, simple, grounding things. Things that almost feel normal.

Kael reaches for a plate, his movements stiff but steady. Olivia stays beside him, close without crowding him. I find myself walking on his other side, not even thinking about it, it just feels right to be there.

“So,” Pacey says softly from behind us, “any chance they made hash browns today?”

Ian elbows him. “Dude, read the room.”

Pacey mutters an apology, but Kael shakes his head. “It is fine. Honestly. A dumb joke is… kind of nice right now.”

We all pretend not to see the way his voice cracks at the end.

Olivia picks up two bagels, hands one to Kael, and he gives her a look that is part gratitude, part exhaustion. She smiles back, small, but enough.

Beside them, I am grabbing eggs and fruit, trying to act like everything is normal but also staying ready in case Kael needs something. Even if that something is just silence.

We move down the line together, collecting food like some weirdly functional family. I catch Olivia’s eye at one point, and she gives me that look again, checking, making sure I am okay.

It hits me harder than it should.

I nod my head, quietly. I am good.

We all make our way back to the table with our trays, settling in. Kael sits down heavily, almost sinking instead of sitting. Olivia takes the seat next to him, angled slightly towards him like her body is wired to track his emotional state.

I sit across from her. When her foot brushes mine under the table, it is nothing dramatic, but it is enough to ground both of us.

Kael pokes at his bagel. “I will head back to Stonehowl this weekend,” he says quietly. “My father has got people there now, but… I need to see it again. Properly. Not just… the aftermath.”

Olivia nods her head, her voice gentle. “We will go with you.”

The way Kael’s head snaps up tells me he was not expecting that.

“You don’t have to...”

“We want to,” she says. “You are not doing this alone.”

I add, “She is right. We have got your back, man.”

Pacey lifts his cup. “We all do.”

And something in Kael’s shoulders finally loosens, just a fraction, but noticeable.

Breakfast continues in soft conversation, easy questions, gentle answers. Nothing heavy. Nothing overwhelming.

Just… support.

And as I watch Olivia keep Kael anchored while still leaving space for the rest of us, that warm, steady feeling expands in my chest again.

Yeah.

I am definitely falling for her.

But right now? I am just glad she is exactly who Kael needs this morning.