Chapter 75: One...Big Shiny Mess

He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "You’re staying. That’s final."

Chloe leaned back with a dramatic sigh. "Fine. Whatever. Not my problem if I starts nesting here like a lost puppy."

Silence settled. The night air hummed.

Chloe turned to him, fingers still lazily entwined with his.

"So..." She dragged the word out again, smug. "You would be happy if I moved in?"

Justin didn’t answer. Just looked at her.

And then?

He got out of the car.

Chloe let out an exaggerated gasp. "Oh, so we’re ignoring me now? Bet. Bet."

She hopped out too, chasing after him, already plotting her revenge.

The mansion was quiet as hell when they walked in—lights dim, hallways stretching out like something from a dream. Everyone was already asleep, which suited Justin just fine. No unnecessary conversations, no interruptions. Just him and Chloe, heading straight upstairs.

The last floor was his domain. And when they stepped inside his bedroom, Chloe did what she always did—took a slow look around, like she was seeing it for the first time.

Justin’s bedroom was big—like, rich-people big. The kind of space that made you wonder what the hell someone even did with all this room. Chloe stepped in, her eyes doing that quiet little sweep, taking it all in.

She didn’t say anything, but you could tell she liked what she saw. Not just liked—admired.

Then she drifted toward the massive floor-to-ceiling window, her movements slow, almost drawn to it. Outside, the small forest swayed under the night breeze, dark and endless. Beyond it, the distant road still pulsed with life—occasional roars of engines slicing through the quiet. The city never truly slept.

Justin stepped closer.

No words. Just movement.

Then, without warning, his arms came around her from behind, pulling her against him.

Warmth. Steady. Unshaken.

Chloe didn’t move. Didn’t resist. Just breathed.

The heat of him bled into her skin, spreading slow and deep. His chest against her back, his hands resting easy on her waist. No pressure, no rush.

Just there.

She leaned in. Barely. Just enough to let him know she wanted this, wanted him without saying a damn thing. Outside, the world kept moving. Cars flew down the road. The leaves rustled.

Inside?

Time just...stilled.

Justin exhaled against her hair, and fuck, if that wasn’t the softest damn thing. No teasing, no smug comments. Just them, in the silence, holding onto something neither of them needed to name.

Chloe let her head tilt back slightly, resting against his chest. His warmth felt too good, too steady, like he was some kind of anchor keeping her in place. Outside, the wind brushed against the trees, the city’s distant hum barely breaking through the silence of the mansion. It was just them, wrapped up in this quiet little moment, like the rest of the world didn’t exist.

Justin’s arms tightened just a bit, his fingers grazing over the soft fabric of her top. Not groping, not teasing—just there. Holding. Like she was something worth holding onto. His breath, steady and warm, fanned against the top of her head, and she swore she could feel his heartbeat through his chest, like a slow, confident rhythm syncing with hers.

She let out a small sigh, her hands lifting just enough to brush against his forearms. She traced slow, absentminded patterns over his skin, like she needed to remind herself that he was real, that this moment was real.

Alright, so there they were, Justin holding Chloe from behind like he was the human equivalent of a blanket, and honestly? It was cheesy as hell, but Chloe wasn’t exactly pushing him away. She just leaned in more, and in a way, it felt like she was getting comfortable in his warmth—kinda like when you finally hit the sweet spot on a couch and just know you’re not moving for the next hour.

Outside, the city was still doing its thing, like some kind of background soundtrack that wasn’t even trying. You had the distant roar of cars speeding by on the highway, and Chloe couldn’t help but roll her eyes a little.

"You ever think this is just... too much? Like, it’s all just one big show?" she murmured, but there was no bite to it. She wasn’t trying to be deep or anything.

Justin chuckled low, his breath warm against her neck. "I mean, it’s your world now too. Might as well get used to it. One big shiny mess." He sounded almost lazy about it, like he couldn’t care less, but she could feel his arms tightening around her just a little.

Chloe snorted. "Big shiny mess... You know, you’re a walking cliché."

"Yeah?" Justin tilted his head, his voice shifting into something playful. "Well, you’re the one staying here, looking all cute and all, so guess you’re just as messed up as me."

She turned her head just enough so she could smirk at him. "Messed up? Please, I’m the definition of perfectly sane."

He raised an eyebrow, squeezing her side lightly. "Says the girl who’s letting me hug her like I’m her damn personal heater even after those women I fucked which I bet you witnessed the last one."

"Shut up," she said, but it was playful, like she was trying to sound annoyed, but her body was practically melting into his. Her fingers traced over his arms again, slow, casual, like it was no big deal—except the fact that it was a big deal.

Then Justin’s chin rested on her head, and for a second, neither of them said anything. The quiet wasn’t awkward, though—it was just... comfortable.

"You’re making me soft, you know that?" Justin muttered after a while, his voice low and teasing, but his hands were still holding her close, like he didn’t mind being caught in the cliché.

She rolled her eyes. "You? Soft? Hah. Nah, don’t think I’m buying that. You’re more like... the bad-boy-in-the-movie type who pretends not to care."

"Yeah, except in this movie, the bad boy’s definitely not getting any sleep," he said with a smirk. "But for real, you’re still here. That’s gotta count for something, right?"

Chloe just let out a little laugh, her lips curving in a way that made her feel lighter than she had all day. "Fine, fine. You win. For now."

It was cheesy. It was cliché as hell. But damn if it didn’t feel like the kind of thing you’d see in a romance movie—but way less corny.

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