Semua Bab Breaking The Ice Between Us : Bab 41 - Bab 50

ANDREW ~Of all the people in the world to see me fall apart outside that hospital, it had to be him. Captain.I had been sitting on that cold-ass bench, head in my hands, trying to cry as quietly as possible while pretending like I wasn’t falling apart inside. The nurses probably thought I left already, but I just couldn’t bring myself to go home. My mom’s vitals had dipped again. Not dangerously—but enough to rattle the walls I’d built around myself.And then Captain showed up.I didn’t even notice him at first—just heard the rustle of someone walking nearby. I figured it was another visitor heading home. Until I look up.Next thing I knew, we were sitting in his car. Him in the driver’s seat, me awkwardly perched on the passenger side, hugging myself like that would keep the embarrassment from leaking out of my pores. I still wasn’t sure why I said yes when he offered. Maybe because walking home felt heavier than usual. Maybe because, for some reason, I didn’t want to be alone wit

CAPTAIN ~The second Andrew’s car pulled out of the lot, I let my forehead collapse onto the steering wheel with a loud, echoing thunk.“Fuck!” I groaned, dragging the word out like it might relieve some of the tension buzzing through my whole damn body. But no, of course it didn’t. That shit never worked. My forehead throbbed now too. I slammed the steering wheel again. Not hard, just enough to bounce my head a little and maybe jar the embarrassment loose. It clung on tighter.“Would you let me?” I repeated aloud, mocking myself with an exaggerated whine.What the hell had possessed me to say that? Like, what the actual fuck, dude?That wasn’t something you just threw out there like asking someone if they wanted fries. That was—hell, that was insane. And I said it. I said it out loud. With my mouth. To his face. After we’d already had a weird, emotional moment in the car about OnlyFans.Christ.I pressed my fingers to my temples and rubbed. My skull felt like it was overheating, bo

You ever get so close to peace you can taste it—like just a corner away from getting in your car and heading home, already thinking about the silence and maybe a nap—and then some idiot comes barreling out of nowhere and almost clips your damn car?That’s exactly what happened.I flinched and stared out the window just in time to see a beat-up gray Civic come skidding like it belonged in Fast & Furious: Grocery Drift—except this wasn’t Tokyo, and we weren’t racing for pink slips.It. Hit. My. Car.Why does this keep happening to me!“The actual fuck?” I snapped, stepping out and stomping over. I didn't even check for damage, just bee-lined to the driver’s seat of the car with death-wish energy radiating off me. “Are you fucking blind?!”The window rolled down and… oh.“Hi,” came the sheepish little wave, that smooth familiar voice I knew all too well. Marco.Slouched in the driver’s seat. His hands were still tight on the steering wheel, knuckles white like maybe he was bracing for im

After a while, I decided it was about time I took a shower. Peeling off my shirt on the way to the bathroom, I caught my reflection in the hallway mirror. My hair was a mess—thanks, helmet—and there was a faint sunburn creeping across my collarbone. I scoffed and looked away.The bathroom greeted me with its usual scent of sandalwood and old steam. I leaned over and turned the faucet, the pipes giving a familiar groan before hot water began spilling into the tub. Yeah, I was taking a full bath today. Sue me. Standing showers were for morning when I had shit to do. Evenings? Evenings were for soaking the bullshit out of my bones.I dumped in some eucalyptus bath soak James made me buy once, swearing it helped with muscle recovery. Looked suspiciously like green dirt, but whatever—if it made me smell less like a hockey locker, I wasn’t complaining.As the tub filled, I tugged off the rest of my clothes, tossing them in the corner hamper. My skin itched with leftover sweat and city grim

The clang of metal and the steady thump of bass from his workout playlist filled the private gym as I pressed the barbell up over my head. My shoulders burned. My arms trembled. But I held it. With one final push, I racked the weights and dropped back down onto the bench, chest heaving. The sweat stuck to me like glue, coating every dip and cut of muscle from the heat of my own fire. I didn’t just work out—I punished my body, sculpted it, carved every single muscle like I was chiseling a damn statue. And it showed.I sat there for a second, letting the burn ride out. My tank clung to my chest, dark with sweat, and I peeled it off, wiping my face with it. My abs flexed unconsciously, stomach rising and falling like the rhythm of a fucking war drum.I crossed the room to the mirror and stared at myself. My arms glistened, biceps taut and swollen. Veins popped just under the skin. My chest was red and slick, and a drop of sweat rolled slowly down from my neck, sliding between my pecs be