The next day, I received two texts.

First, from Marwick, saying I could start working at Blue Heaven from next Sunday, to allow me enough time to settle things between me and Ian. Second text was from Ian, saying he missed my scent.

The second one had made me smile.

I could have tried to be optimistic about this whole "settling things" period as Marwick had advised I should. But every time I pictured Ian's gorgeous, brilliant face twisted into unmasked hatred when he'd know who I am...or was, it was anything but optimistic. If pushing things forward was the only way to buy me some more peaceful moments with him, I didn't have much choice.

“That’s a lot of groceries,” Chloe’s eyes bulged out as I set the eighth bag down on the kitchen table. She had dropped by after Ian had informed her yesterday that I ‘bought’ this house from him.

I thought Doctors didn’t lie. But of course, there were always exceptions I guess.

“New house, new job, new boyfriend. How many more surprises Maeve Adams?” Chloe blinked at the bags of groceries.

I chuckled, filling a glass of water for me, before her words hit me and the smile jumped to a frown. “Wait, new boyfriend?”

She took out an apple from the grocery bag and threw it up in the air, catching it mid-way. “Yeah, yeah. Go ahead and say you don’t know what I mean.” She shot me a knowing look and I averted my gaze away.

She knows…

I busied myself in arranging the groceries into the fridge. Thanks to Marwick, and the welcome bonus he gave me, now I was stacked for almost a week or two. I took out the Blue Heaven visiting card from one of the bags and slid it behind the wine glasses.

“So you’re not gonna defend yourself.” Chloe took a big bite of the apple.

I shrugged. “First, I don’t have a boyfriend. Second, why would I defend myself if I had one?”

Chloe jumped up from the couch, her blonde curls bouncing around her frowning face. “Because you lied. Duh!”

I held up a finger. “Correction, I hid the truth. Didn’t lie.”

“It’s the same thing.” She rolled her eyes and strolled toward the kitchen counter, before leaning forward on it, blue eyes glistening in the bright light. “I’m happy for you though.”

“I know. Although you don’t look happy.”

She narrowed her eyes and I held my hands up in surrender. “Alright, I’m sorry. You should have been the first person to know about it. But actually, you are.” Now that was a lie. She was the second. Marwick was the first to know. Including some other details that I couldn’t tell Chloe. At least not yet.

I snuck a peek at her, just as she tried to bite down the smile, but it split across her mouth. “Gosh, how can anyone stay mad at you?” She slapped a palm across her forehead, and the next minute our laughs were filling every corner of the house.

“I know right? I’m too wonderful to not forgive.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow at me. “Uh huh? Tell that to my brother. He will agree.”

It was my turn to roll my eyes. I discarded the shopping bags into the dustbin and walked past her, out of the kitchen. She followed me like a puppy to the couch and we both plopped down like two bags of potatoes. I was tired after carrying all those grocery bags so I shut my eyes, but it didn’t do anything to shield me from Chloe’s unwavering stare which I could feel on the side of my face.

“What do you want to say?” I leaned my head back on the couch and looked at her.

“What?” She blinked, trying to feign innocence.

“Chloe,” I sighed. “I can read it on your face. Something is bubbling inside you. Spill it.”

She puffed her cheeks with air, then blew out with a poof.

“Okay, I know if I ask you’re still gonna deny it, so please do me a favor and tell me what’s going on between Ian and you, and please don’t lie or else I will get real mad and not talk to you for the rest of our lives.” She blurted out in one single breath, making me blink at her.

The truth. I seemed to have been running into such situations a lot lately. Everyone wanted to know the truth from me. And most of them deserved it. But when it came to Ian, things became more complicated than it seemed to others.

I blew a few quick breaths and looked down at my fingers knotted in my lap. “I don’t know what we are, Chloe.” I told her, as honestly as I could. “I do like him. I like Ian. A lot.”

“And he is head over heels for you. What’s the problem?”

My brows furrowed in confusion. “I…I don’t know if I can call him my boyfriend.” Yet. It wasn’t official, was it?

Chloe watched me intently, as if pondering over what I'd just said. Then nodded. “Okay, I get it now. It can be difficult sometimes.” I gave her a little smile and she continued. "You'll figure it out."

"Hell yeah, I would. I am Maeve Adams."

Chloe blinked at me for a long moment, as if I'd sprouted two heads then threw her head back into a shrill laugh. "Gosh, Maeve..."

"What?"

She cleared her throat when she saw the confused look on my face. "Nothing. Just not used to you being so... funny."

I reared back slightly. "Ouch!"

"No. No. No. I did not mean it that way. Just," she struggled to get words out, then sighed out loudly, falling back on the couch. "You just used to be so intense and distant when we first met. I never knew you had such a fun side to you too. I thought you'd always be my hot and mysterious friend, you know?" Her eyes slightly zoned out on me. "I am happy though, to be your friend."

If that did not put a smile on my face, I would have suspected myself to be a heartless moron. But thankfully, I wasn't, because I smiled so wide my teeth almost fell out. Chloe scooted closer upon seeing my reaction.

"This may or may not surprise you but," I laughed nervously. "You are my first friend in long long while."

Chloe's smile faltered, but came back wider. "Good for you. Now you're stuck with me forever."

I did not know why her reaction confused me. But it did. Maybe because that was not a reaction I'd expected from her. She looked genuinely pleased. I expected her to pity me for being a socially awkward lonesome raccoon. But before I could reflect more on the reaction, Chloe shifted away and patted through her pocket, looking for something.

"Gosh..." She groaned.

"What is it?"

“Can I have your phone, please? I need to text a friend and ask her to drop some of my things at home that I left at the dorm.”

“Of course.” I reached over the coffee table and fished out my phone from the bag and handed it over to her.

Chloe flashed me a smile and then frowned down at me. “Do you have anything else to wear? I mean other than dresses and skirts? Something more comfortable?”

I peered down at my rose printed sun dress and pouted slightly. “I’m comfortable in this.”

“I’m not. I look like a panda before you. Go put on some shorts like me, or jeans perhaps.”

I lost the pout and slumped my shoulders. “I don’t wear jeans. But I do have summer shorts.”

“Great, go wear it. Be comfortable, babe. You have your own house now. Not a hotel room.” She winked at me and then started furiously typing on her…my phone.

I didn’t understand what she had meant by comfortable, until I had slipped on my only pair of white summer shorts after—what felt like—months. Now, I could sit with one leg thrown over the couch head and other dangling down from it. Literally.

When I came out of the bedroom in the shorts and a gray baggy t-shirt that hung off from one shoulder, Chloe whistled.

“Look at you! Where were you hiding that ass, girl?” She jumped from the couch and was by my side in an instant, making me chuckle. My phone pinged somewhere on the coffee table but Chloe was already dragging me into the kitchen with her. “I’m hungry. Let’s make some sandwiches.”

“Okay. Take out the stuffing, it’s in the fridge. I’ll get the bread.” I told her, realizing just how hungry I was since morning.

We started making sandwiches, chatting and giggling like teenagers. And in that moment, I wished I had met her earlier. She was the kind of friend I had always wanted. Actually, she was the kind of friend everyone wanted. Fun, kind, understanding...with a hot brother. But that's beside the point.

But hey, it was never too late to make a friend.

Couple of minutes later, as I tried to perfectly arrange the sandwiches on the plate for Chloe’s Instagram feed, the doorbell went off, leaving a frown on my face. No one knew this address yet.

“I’ll get that,” I walked past the counter just as Chloe made to grab the water, accidently smudging the sauce over my shorts.

“Oh, shit. I’m so sorry.” She tried to clean it and successfully smudged it all over my thigh. I had the audacity to laugh at her clumsiness. Because it was so cute.

The doorbell rang again, and again, as I caught Chloe’s hands in mid-air and sat her down on the chair.

“It’s alright. I’ll change it. Don’t worry. Now stay here.” I chuckled to myself, licking the remaining sauce off my fingers as the bells went off like crazy. Jeez. People were so impatient—

I swung open the door and saw a Greek God standing before me in a black shirt and gray sweat pants, sweating like crazy, and panting like he just ran a marathon. My jaws unhinged.

Ian stared at me like he didn’t recognize me, blue eyes a shade darker than usual, lips parted to draw in long breaths. Then his eyes travelled down and widened.

What was he doing here? Like that?

Ian stepped forward, reaching for the buttons of his shirt and undoing it. My lips parted as I stepped back and he invaded my private space, looking into my eyes, but staring right into my soul. Buttons after button came undone under his skilled fingers and my breathing refused to behave.

It had to be the hottest thing he had ever done, except for going down on me yesterday. I wanted to ask him to stop—or if I could continue for him—but words were far out of reach right now. I was speechless.

In a swift move, when we were about five or six feet away from the door, he took off his shirt, displaying his chiseled body glistening with sweat, making my mouth water. He allowed me no more time to admire the sight, as he stooped down, and draped his shirt across my hips and thighs, before collecting me up in his arms with barely any efforts.

With a surprised squeal, my hands flew to his shoulder and I found my voice.

“Ian!”

“Sshhh, it’s okay. I’m gonna take care of you.” His hoarse voice made something clench deep in my belly but I pressed a hand against his chest, intending to stop his march towards my bedroom. Chloe was still there in the kitchen.

“Ian, put me down. What are you doing?”

“I know you’re in pain. I have painkillers in my pocket. Let me take you to bed, then we can rest. Cuddle even if you want–”

I pressed two fingers against his lips and frowned. Was I the only person unaware of what was happening? Because for the first time, I couldn’t understand what Ian was saying. And it was really bothering me.

“I knew it!”

We both turned our heads in unison, in the direction of the loud cackle and our voices echoed together. “Chloe?”

She held up her…my phone, still laughing like crazy and my eyes widened, before travelling back to Ian, who seemed to have processed something I didn’t, and sighed.

“I’m sorry, did I miss something?” I switched eyes between the siblings. Ian was the first to voice out as he brought his eyes back on me, with a look that said he already knew the answer.

“Are you on your period?” His question caught me off guard, and I flushed under his hard stare.

“N-no. Why?”

“Then why is there blood on your shorts?”

“Blood?” What blood–

I looked down and slowly, my eyes widened. I quickly shook my head. “It’s not blood. It’s…it’s sauce. We were making sandwiches.” I pointed between me and Chloe, who was holding the phone up to us, and then the camera flashed.

Click.

“Awe, you two are so cute. Made for each other.”

“Chloe!” We both called out, Ian sounding frustrated, and me…well, confused, because I still didn’t know what was happening.

Ian set me down and I stole a quick glance at his body before looking at Chloe expectantly. “What just happened?”

She snorted. “Don’t you ever dare say you aren’t sure about this dumbo again.” She said, pointing at Ian with the phone.

Ian shot me a look, as if directing his frown toward me.

I clicked my tongue, feeling on the edge. “Will someone tell me what the fuck happened?"

Chloe threw me a look then rolled her eyes. “Okay, well, I may or may not have sent a wrong text to a wrong person through your phone, which may or may not have confused someone standing beside you.” She emphasized the word with a tilt of her head, and I caught a glint of mischief in her eyes. “Sorry.”

My eyes in turn widened and jaws dropped to the floor.

No, she didn’t…

I grabbed my phone from her, and opened the messages. As soon as I read the most recent one, my face—and body— heated up, as if someone had set me on fire.

: Chloe, I won’t be able to catch up for coffee today.

I have real bad period cramps. Can’t even leave the bed. Sorry :(

Fun fact 1, we never planned a coffee meet-up.

Fun fact 2, she hadn't texted her friend from my phone.

Fun fact 3, she had sent it to Ian, to make it look like a "wrong" text to the "wrong" person.

I stole a quick look at Ian’s reply, and my heart picked up a new pace, as if wanting to flee my chest. Now I knew why my phone kept buzzing.

Is it too much?

Do you need some painkillers?

Are you okay?

You need anything?

Maeve?

Can I come over?

I am coming over. STAY IN BED!

Wait, so asking me to wear something comfortable was intentional, and the sauce on my shorts wasn’t...an accident?

I pressed my lips together and looked over at Chloe. She did not look guilty. At all. Instead, she looked quite proud of herself. And as much as I wanted to scold her for scaring her brother to sweat, I was also impressed how she could brew all that up in a span of a few minutes.

My little cupid.

“I gotcha both. Sneaking behind my back, were we?” Chloe joined Ian on the couch, who was catching his breath with his face buried in his hands. I eyed him discreetly. The muscles around his ribs tensed as he breathed in and out, his Adams apple bobbing with every swallow.

I wanted to throw myself at him and cuddle to sleep, like he had suggested. Because the concerned look on his face from earlier was replaying in my head. I could not remember the last time someone was so worried about me.

“Were you in the gym?” Chloe asked him.

Ian groaned. “Isn’t it obvious?”

She scrunched her nose. “Yup, you stink.”

I blinked at the pair, then looked away. My head was still trying to wrap itself around the fact that Ian rushed here, without a second thought, or a call, from clearly in the middle of his gym session, somehow grabbing some painkiller on his way, just because of that one text.

It was…the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me. Yet, it felt so wrong. Almost as if I didn’t deserve what I was being handed. Because I was never handed anything in life without having to give up on something I loved.

I stared at the floor, feeling a pair of eyes on me, boring into my side profile. I didn’t look up at him as I said, “I’ll go change.”

I turned away, making my way into the bedroom, and shut the door behind me with a thud. A rush of blood made my head swim in a circle. Wasn’t this what boyfriends were supposed to do?

Does it mean that Ian is my–

I heard the front door shut, and after a minute, a car pulling away from the garage. I let out an unsteady breath then walked to my bed, plopping down on it. My fingers traced the fabric of Ian’s shirt, still clinging to my body. And I was made aware of his manly scent filling my lungs once again. He left shirtless, because of me.

I wanted to text him a thank you. For taking the trouble, coming all the way to here, and making my heart flutter uncontrollably.

But what if he was upset? And my text might make him think that I was involved in that prank?

I sighed and dropped my face in my hands. How was I going to figure out things between me and Ian, when I couldn’t even figure out my own emotions?

There was a knock on the door, and I braced myself for Chloe Inquisition as I straightened on the bed. “Yes.”

Two pairs of clear blue eyes met mine as the door opened, then shut soundlessly.

Not Chloe.

“I thought you were going to change,” Ian said, striding toward the closet and pulling out a hand towel from a corner. Very casually.

Was that Chloe who left?

I just stared at him. His back. All the muscles flexing and bulging with a single move of his hand. All the dips and dents flowing down his skin. I had seen him shirtless before, but not in this angle, and definitely without the layer of sweat beading his shoulder and spine.

Ian turned around, patting the towel down his neck and studied my face for a moment. “Yeah, sorry for rubbing my sweat on you. I was just…out of my head for a moment.”

Out of his head because he was worried about me. Something about that realization made my chest ache.

He threw me a small smile, then strode toward the bathroom. But I didn’t want him to leave. I didn’t want him out of my sight. I didn’t want him to wash away his sweaty sexy self and come out as normal Ian.

Those were definitely inappropriate prompts to say out loud, but the words that fell from my mouth next, made him halt.

“I liked it.”

My voice came out as a seductive whisper. Unintentionally. Ian briefly stood motionless at the bathroom door, then turned to meet my eyes; blues burning into browns. “You liked that I panicked?”

“I liked that you panicked for me.”

Something shifted in the atmosphere as those words left my lips. Ian lowered the towel and I slowly rose to my feet. The temperature had shot up by two notches, and before I knew, my bare feet were moving along the cold hardwood floor, toward him. His eyes followed my every step with fervor and as soon as I was before him, I melted under the intensity of them.

This sexy man had his mouth on me yesterday, and not just once. I was never getting used to it.

“So, you weren’t lying when you said you work out on weekends.” I reached forward and pressed a hand against his chest, feeling the hot sweat under my palm, absorbing its warmth, then trailing it down, over his nipple, down his abdomen, and back up. He was silent for a moment before he spoke.