Chloe woke up slowly, blinking at the sunlight sneaking through the window. She stretched her arm toward the side of the bed and felt only empty space.
Panicking, she sat up with a jump, and seeing the other side of the bed made her heart sink. Ethan wasn't there.
Chloe hugged her knees, wrapping the sheets around herself, tears filling her eyes as they scanned the room. Nothing… nothing at all. No clothes, no shower sound, nothing—no sign that Ethan had even been there. The thought stabbed her heart like a knife.
Tears began to flow as she held her legs tight.
"So… that was it… you just wanted to Fuck me and then leave…" she whispered, her voice breaking.
Her chest shook as silent sobs escaped, tears falling onto the sheets.
The door opened. Ethan walked in, carrying two cups of coffee and a paper bag. He froze at the sight of her tear-streaked face.
"Chloe? Hey… what's wrong?"
She looked away, embarrassed. "I… I thought you were gone. That you just used me."
Ethan set the bag on the nightstand and sat beside her, taking her hands firmly.
"Listen to me. I would never leave you. Not after last night. You're mine, Chloe. Only mine. And I'm never letting you go."
Her eyes widened, tears rolling down her cheeks as his words sank deep. "Really…?"
He held her face, making her look at him. "I swear. You'll always be mine."
Chloe broke into soft sobs of relief, burying her face in his chest. Ethan stroked her hair and kissed her head.
"Now… come on," Ethan said gently. "I didn't know you liked it, so I brought you breakfast. Coffee and bagels. Perfect fuel for training."
She laughed through her tears, still trembling. "You're impossible."
They ate together in bed, sharing bites, joking, Chloe's mood lifting with every smile he gave her.
When they finished, Ethan stretched his arms. "It's Saturday. Want to go train with me?"
Chloe smiled mischievously. "Only if you can keep up with me."
"Bold words, Brooks. Let's see what you've got."
Outside, the morning air was fresh. They ran side by side, Ethan keeping pace while Chloe pushed him. Laughter and light competition made the kilometers fly by. After the run, they dropped onto the grass to do push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and burpees, counting each repetition out loud.
Ethan's body burned, sweat dripping, but he refused to slow down as Chloe watched.
Finally, after the last burpee, a notification appeared in his vision.
[Daily training mission complete]
[10km run, 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, 100 burpees]
[Reward: $5,000 + 1 Lux Point]
[Well done, champ! Fatter wallet, tighter abs, and a Lux Point to brag about. Keep it up, maybe someday you'll impress me.]
Ethan laughed, wiping sweat from his forehead. Chloe tilted her head, curious.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing," he said with a smile. "Just thinking how damn good life feels right now."
Chloe leaned over and kissed his cheek, whispering, "Good. Don't ruin it."
Ethan flopped onto the grass, still breathing hard from the workout. He watched Chloe as she settled beside him, her hair plastered from sweat, breathing quick.
"So… what are your plans for today?" he asked, smiling playfully, wiping his forehead.
Chloe sighed, leaning on her arms, staring at the sky.
"Just yesterday we went on vacation… I was planning to leave the city, go visit my parents in Vermont. That's why I was at Mapple, looking for gifts for them."
Ethan raised an eyebrow and laughed.
"Seriously? Well then… let me go with you. I don't take up much space, I can fit in a suitcase," he said jokingly, patting his chest and shoulders with a grin.
[Ohhh, champ… you only deserve a suitcase… don't undersell yourself, little sad boy.]
"Haha… maybe next time. I'm only going for 15 days," she said, blushing, running a hand through her damp hair from training. "Even on vacation, the team doesn't rest the whole time. And with my scholarship… I can't take too long."
Ethan leaned toward her, resting an arm on the grass near her shoulder, playful.
"So yesterday you were a little impulsive," he said teasingly. "You wanted to get it on your body before leaving?"
Chloe looked at him, a mix of nerves and amusement, biting her lower lip.
"Yes… I thought if I left, maybe I'd never see you again… and I wanted to take you with me, at least your touches engraved in my body."
Ethan chuckled lowly, mischievous, leaning a little closer.
"Well now that I've engraved myself… you're going to have me inside your body forever," he said with a sexual tease that made Chloe giggle nervously and lean closer.
"You're impossible," she murmured, still blushing but amused.
"Come on, let's head to the store and grab your parents some gifts before we run late," Ethan said, pointing the way, stretching his muscles.
Chloe nodded, getting up too, still breathing hard with a shy smile as they walked to the car.
"Yesterday, in the low light, I didn't really see your car… but now… it's really beautiful," she said.
Ethan smiled, leaning on the driver's side door.
"Whenever you want, you can use it," he said casually.
Chloe raised an eyebrow and smirked mischievously.
"Don't regret saying that," she said, snatching the keys from his hand and sliding into the driver's seat.
Ethan leaned back, amused, as she started the engine.
[Ohhh… God in heaven, watch over us, protect us, may the traffic lights be kind, may crazy cars disappear, may we not crash into any stupid trees… Amen. Well, I won't die… but you, champ, who knows.]
Chloe giggled nervously and pulled off. Ethan rolled his eyes and laughed, knowing the system was still in his head, messing with him as usual.
ARRRRRGH —Jax screamed internally, maintaining a stern look like he didn't care.
[Careful, champ! Don't make me fly out of here with that driving!]
The car rolled down the street as Chloe adjusted the wheel, Ethan watching with amusement, cars flying by as he gripped the seat, trying not to scream.