"Yeah, that's me."
Liam stood up from his seat, relieved to break away from the tension sitting next to Clara. His hands hung awkwardly at his sides for a second before he shoved them in his pockets.
The nurse walked over, clipboard in hand, her expression neutral. Professional. The kind of face that had delivered both good news and bad news too many times to show emotion anymore.
"Mr. Carter, I have an update on your mother."
His stomach dropped. "Is she..."
"The surgery was successful," the nurse said, and those four words made his knees weak. "Dr. Patel managed to complete the valve replacement without complications. Your mother is stable and currently in recovery."
The air rushed out of his lungs. "Thank God."
Behind him, Clara made a soft sound, relief flooding her voice. "Oh thank God."
"She'll be moved to a private room within the hour," the nurse continued. "She's still under anesthesia, so it'll be another hour or two before she's fully awake. You'll be able to see her once she's settled."
"Thank you," Liam managed, his voice rough.
The nurse's expression softened slightly. "You got her here in time. That made all the difference." Then the professional mask slid back into place. "Now, we do need to handle some administrative matters. For the insurance claim to process correctly, we need additional documentation from your home. Medical history, previous treatment records, any supplementary insurance cards. Without those, the claim could be delayed significantly."
Liam nodded. "I can get those."
"Bring them to the billing office on the second floor when you return. By then, your mother should be awake and ready for visitors." The nurse made a note on her clipboard. "The documents should be with her other medical records. Most patients keep them together."
"Yeah, my mom has everything in a folder. I know where it is."
"Good." The nurse tucked her pen behind her ear. "Take your time. She's stable and in good hands."
She walked off, leaving him standing there trying to process everything.
He turned back toward Clara, ready to explain where he needed to go, but she was already on her feet.
"Come on," Clara said, stepping forward. "Let's go get what they need."
She grabbed his hand without asking, her fingers wrapping around his palm, warm and firm. Then she started pulling him toward the exit.
Time froze.
Everything stopped. The automatic doors hung half-open, frozen mid-slide. A doctor walking past them locked in place, one foot suspended in the air. The fluorescent lights overhead stopped flickering. Even the faint beeping from the nurses' station cut out completely.
Silence.
[Option 1: "Thanks, but I can handle it from here." +0 Lust Points]
[Option 2: "Let's go!" +10 Lust Points]
Liam stared at the glowing text hanging in front of him.
This time he didn't rush. He actually stopped to think.
'She saved my mom. Found her on the floor, called 911, stayed with her at the hospital. She didn't have to do any of that.'
His eyes moved to Clara's frozen face. Green eyes locked on his. Blonde hair catching the harsh hospital lights. That slight flush still coloring her cheeks.
And now the system wanted him to use that.
He thought about the money. Ten grand from one heart. The system said it increased with each unlock.
'Mom's surgery is covered for now thanks to Kelvin. But there's still $140,000 hanging over my head. Recovery costs. Medications. If I can unlock more hearts...'
His mind circled back to the mechanics. To how this whole thing actually worked.
'So what actually unlocks a heart? It's definitely not just about sex. With Tasha, her heart didn't unlock when we had sex. Not even when I came inside her the first time. It only unlocked after...'
He replayed the sequence in his head. The rooftop. Tasha on her knees. Taking him in her mouth. And when he'd finished, when he'd come in her mouth that second time, that's when her heart had appeared.
'So it wasn't the sex. It was cumming inside her mouth. But does that mean it has to be oral? Or is it about finishing twice because if that the case then does the method even matter, or does it also apply if it happens in a different place?'
The question nagged at him. He needed to understand the pattern. Figure out what actually triggered the unlock.
He looked at Clara again, his thoughts racing.
'If that's the rule, then I need to do the same thing here. Finish twice. Test if the pattern holds. See if that's what actually unlocks the hearts.'
He made his choice.
He selected Option 2.
Time crashed back into motion.
"Let's go," Liam said simply with a smile on his face.
Clara's whole face lit up. Her grip on his hand tightened and she pulled him forward through the automatic doors into the afternoon sun.
The parking lot stretched out in front of them, rows of cars baking under the heat. Clara led him toward the back section where a black Ford sat waiting.
Clara clicked her key fob and the Ford's lights blinked twice. "Get in."
He slid into the passenger seat. The interior smelled like vanilla and something floral. Clean. No clutter.
Clara started the engine and pulled out of the lot, her movements smooth and controlled.
They made it to the street before either of them spoke.
"I'm really glad she's okay," Clara said quietly, eyes on the road.
"Yeah. Me too." Liam leaned his head back against the seat. "Thanks for staying. You didn't have to."
"Of course I did." She glanced at him briefly. "Your mom's always been so nice to me. I still visit her sometimes, you know. Just to check in. Make sure she's doing alright."
"You do?"
"Yeah. Every couple weeks or so." Clara's voice softened. "After you left for college, I didn't want her to feel alone. So I started dropping by.
We drink tea and talk about stuff. She always asks about school and my dad's work and..." She trailed off, a faint pink creeping into her cheeks. "And we talked about you."
Above her head, numbers appeared in glowing text.
[70/100]
Then more information scrolled across his vision.
[New Target: Clara Hill]
[Age: 20]
[Status: Single]
[Bio: Kind-hearted, emotionally attached to Host since high school. Maintains regular contact with Host's mother. Has difficulty saying no to Host, especially in vulnerable emotional situations. Pre-existing romantic attraction confirmed.]
[Personality Analysis: Loyal, empathetic, slow to abandon people she cares about. Responds positively to genuine gratitude and emotional openness.]
'Oh shit, I see'
'So she's been visiting my mom this whole time. Checking on her. Making sure she wasn't alone.'
"That's... thank you," he said. "Seriously. I didn't know you were doing that."
Clara shrugged, keeping her eyes forward. "It's nothing. I like spending time with her."
She smiled, just a little, and the pink in her cheeks deepened.
They drove in comfortable silence after that, the hum of tires on asphalt filling the space between them.
Liam found himself studying her when she wasn't looking. She'd changed since high school. Not just physically, though that was obvious enough.
Now she wore a fitted grey sweater that clung to her body in ways that made it impossible not to notice. The fabric stretched tight across her chest, outlining every curve. Her dark jeans hugged her thighs and hips perfectly.
Clara cleared her throat. "I actually came by this morning to tell your mom something."
"Yeah?"
"I transferred to your school last week." She said it casually, but her cheeks went pink again.
"Thought it might be weird if I just showed up out of nowhere."
Liam blinked. "You're going to my school now?"
"I'm starting on Monday." She bit her bottom lip. "I was going to text you about it, but then... well, this morning happened."
Time froze.
[Option 1: "That's great. Good to have you around again." +5 Lust Points]
[Option 2: "So you transferred schools just to see me again? I'm flattered." +12 Lust Points]
[Option 3: "Small world." +0 Lust Points]
He made his choice.
Time resumed.
"So you transferred schools just to see me again?" Liam let a slight grin tug at his mouth. "I'm flattered."
Clara's face went bright red immediately. "I, that's not, " She stammered, then laughed and covered her face with one hand while keeping the other on the wheel. "Oh my God, shut up."
[+12 Lust Points]
[Current Lust Level: 82/100]
The car turned onto his old street. Smaller houses lined both sides. Cracked sidewalks. Chain-link fences.
Nothing had changed.
Clara pulled up in front of his childhood home and put the car in park.
The house stared back at him. White paint peeling off the window frames. One gutter hanging at an angle.
"Still looks the same," Clara said softly.
"Yeah." Liam pulled his keys from his pocket. "Mom never changes anything."
They got out. The afternoon heat hit him immediately. He walked up the cracked driveway, Clara following close behind.
The door swung open and the smell of home washed over him. Old wood. Laundry detergent. The faint scent of jasmine candles his mom burned constantly.
Clara stepped inside and stopped just past the threshold, looking around slowly.
"Wow," she said quietly. "It really is exactly the same."
The worn couch sat against the wall, sagging in the middle from years of use. Family photos lined the mantle above the old fireplace they never actually used.
"Your mom always kept everything so nice," Clara said, walking further in.
She moved to the couch and sat down without hesitation, crossing her legs.
The movement made her sweater pull tight across her chest. The fabric strained, and the hem rode up slightly, exposing a strip of pale skin above her waistband.
Liam forced his eyes away and headed down the hallway. "I'll grab the documents real quick."
His mom's bedroom sat at the end of the hall. He pushed the door open carefully.
Everything was neat. Bed made with the same floral comforter she'd had forever.
He found the folder in the top drawer of her nightstand. All her medical paperwork organized inside.
When he came back to the living room, Clara was still on the couch, but she'd leaned back into the cushions. Her eyes were closed.
"You okay?" he asked.
She opened her eyes and sat up. "Yeah. Just... long morning."
"Yeah." He sat down next to her, close enough that their shoulders almost touched. The couch was small. Not much room anyway.
Time froze.
[Option 1: "Thanks again for everything today." +5 Lust Points]
[Option 2: "You want something to drink before we head back?" +3 Lust Points]
[Option 3: "I'm really glad you were there this morning. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't shown up." +15 Lust Points]
He chose Option 3.
Time snapped back.
"I'm really glad you were there this morning," Liam said, his voice low and steady. "I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't shown up when you did."
Clara turned to look at him, and her green eyes went soft. "I'm just glad I came by when I did."
[+15 Lust Points]
[Current Lust Level: 97/100]
'Ninety-seven. Three points away from maxing out.'
She shifted closer, just slightly. Not obvious. But enough that the space between them shrank.
"Your mom means a lot to me," Clara said quietly. "And so do you."
Her cheeks flushed again as soon as the words left her mouth, like she hadn't meant to say that last part out loud.
Liam's pulse kicked up.
'Three points. That's all I need to max her out. Then what?'
His mind went back to Tasha. To the pattern.
He studied Clara's face. The flush in her cheeks. The way she was looking at him.
'So if that's the pattern, I need to do it twice with Clara too. Test if that's actually what triggers the unlock.'
He glanced at her number again.
[97/100]
'Only one way to find out.'