Her head pounded against her skull, threatening to implode if she had to think even one more thought. The crickets chirped peacefully around her as Riley trudged toward the door of her house. She fumbled with her keys, nearly dropping them with how exhausted she was. "Fuck," she grunted in annoyance, trying to find the keyhole.

Click!

It finally opened. Thank fuck.

Riley pushed the door open and slammed it shut behind her, harder than she intended. She made a beeline toward the kitchen and the fridge, yanking the door open. She hissed like a vampire, squinting as the harsh white light hit her square in the face like an unwanted slap. She grabbed the brown bottle, not bothering with a bottle opener—her teeth would do just fine, like some dentist's worst nightmare.

She knocked back a drink, letting the cold liquid wash away her bad day. Today had been a bust. She'd lost to Leo Serrano—some cocky asshole who couldn't stop running his mouth about how she shouldn't compete in a male-dominated field. That sexist prick. The loss stung worse because of the smug look on his face and the black eye he'd left her with.

Lost in thought, Riley didn't even notice Nick emerging from the bedroom until she looked up. Riley immediately smiled. Even in the dark, Nick was beautiful—the moonlight traced every curve of her perfectly. "Mi cielo... what are you doing up so late?" Riley asked, quickly fixing her hair to hide the bruise on the side of her face and cheek. "Did I wake you?" Her tone softened, and she set the beer down with a gentle clink. "I'm sorry."

Leaning down, she pressed a kiss to Nick's hair, breathing in that familiar scent that never failed to ground her after a rough day.

"Let's go back to bed," she grunted, scooping Nick up effortlessly and tossing her over her shoulder. She heard her giggle, protesting and asking to be put down. Riley just shook her head. "A reina shouldn't worry about walking," she teased, managing to open the bedroom door with one hand while keeping Nick balanced with the other.

When they got inside, Riley crossed the room in one, two, three long strides before gently setting Nick down on the mattress, the cushion dipping under their shared weight. "I'm tired today, mi amor..." she admitted, not elaborating as to why. She never did. She lowered her head against Nick's chest, closing her eyes as she listened to the steady, soothing rhythm of her heartbeat.