My eyes fluttered open to Kim's gaze, her face close. She smiled, scooting closer, wrapping her arms around me. I hugged her back, still groggy, resting my chin on her shoulder, chasing a few more moments of sleep.

"Morning," she said, her voice soft, her face pressed to my chest. She wore just a loose shirt, no bra, and panties, her warmth seeping into me.

"Morning," I replied, yawning. "Sleep well?"

╭───────────╮

EVENT

===============

Kim's Interest +2

╰───────────╯

"I did," she said, her breath tickling my skin. "Thanks for carrying me to bed. Hope I wasn't too heavy, huh?"

"Hey, unrelated, but I think I carried something heavy yesterday and broke my back," I said, chuckling.

She smacked my leg with her foot, laughing. "Jerk."

"Ouch," I grinned, pulling her closer.

We stayed like that, tangled in each other, the morning quiet except for the distant hum of the city. Her warmth, the soft press of her body—it was peace, a rare fucking moment of it. I could've stayed there all day.

"Sorry I fell asleep," Kim said, her voice muffled against me.

"It's fine," I replied, brushing her hair back. "We'll do it tonight."

"Oh, we will," she said, lifting her head, her lips meeting mine.

Her kiss was slow, her tongue swirling around mine, warm and teasing. Suddenly, she climbed onto me, pinning my hands above my head, her lips trailing to my neck, nipping softly. My cock hardened, throbbing through my shorts, rubbing against her pussy through the hem of her shirt, the friction electric.

"No, no," she chuckled, kissing me once more, pulling back. "Save your energy for tonight, Mister."

"This is called blue-balling," I groaned, exhaling.

"Or edging," she teased, her eyes glinting.

"Tomato, tomahto," I shot back.

We both laughed, her giggle bright, easing the tension. Kim rolled off, yawning and stretching, her shirt riding up, revealing the curve of her hips. I sat up, scratching my neck.

"How about breakfast out?" I suggested. "There's that diner down the street."

"Sounds perfect," she said, smiling, hopping off the bed.

"Cool. I'm gonna grab a shower," I said, standing. "You good?"

"Yeah, I'll clean up the kitchen," she replied, already heading out.

I walked to the bathroom, stripping off my shirt and shorts, my mind churning. Vanessa. Sarah's hidden camera. Those fucking coworkers. I had to find Vanessa, figure out what she had on Sarah, and shut it all down. Delilah didn't deserve this shit.

I turned on the cold water, the spray hitting my skin, sharp and bracing, as I stepped into the shower. I grabbed the shampoo bottle, squeezing a dollop into my palm.

That Sensual Massage Oil saved my ass last night—turned Sarah into a squirming mess, gave me the upper hand. Without it, I'd have been stuck, no leverage, just me and her smug face. The oil was a fucking cheat code, and I was damn glad I had it.

I worked the shampoo into my hair,, then tilted my head under the spray, rinsing it clean, the cold water keeping me sharp. Vanessa's name still burned in my mind—her pulling Sarah's strings, the hidden camera, those fucking videos. I had to find her, shut her down. But for now, I let the water wash away the night's grime, the club's stink, the weight of it all.

I stepped out, grabbing a towel, drying off quick, the chill of the apartment biting my skin. I moved to the mirror, running a hand through my damp hair, then grabbed the hairdryer.

"Fucking Sarah…"

I dried my hair, letting it fall loose, a bit longer than usual, curling at the ends.

Stepping out of the bathroom, towel around my waist, I saw Kim in the kitchen, carrying a stack of plates from the dishwasher, her blue dress swapped for jeans and a sweater, her short brown hair tucked behind her ears. She glanced up, smiling. "You should tie your hair up," she said, setting the plates down. "It's getting wild."

I shrugged, running a hand through it. "Never tied it before. No clue how."

She laughed, walking over, pulling a black hair tie from her wrist. "Come here, you caveman," she said, her voice teasing. She stepped close, her fingers quick and gentle, gathering my hair into a messy bun, some strands still falling loose around my face. Her touch was soft, her breath warm as she worked, her sweater brushing my bare chest.

I turned back to the bathroom, checking the mirror. The bun was sloppy but cool, a few loose strands framing my face, giving me a kind of rugged vibe. "Huh, looks good," I said, turning to her, grinning.

"Of course it does," Kim said, smirking, hands on her hips. "I did it."

I stepped closer, cupping her face, and kissed her, slow and warm, her lips soft against mine. "Thanks," I said, pulling back, grabbing my jacket from the chair. The weather was cold as hell today, the window showing a gray sky, the city looking bleak.

"Jasmine and Tessa coming?" Kim asked, grabbing her new jacket—the one I'd bought her at the mall, a sleek black thing that fit her perfectly.

"Nah, they're at work," I said.. "Just us."

"Okay," she said, slipping on her jacket, her smile bright.

After wearing my clothes, we headed out the door, descending the creaky apartment stairs.

Outside, the cold hit us like a slap, the wind cutting through my jacket, making me shiver. Wish I had a car—would've made this trek easier, no question. Walking to the diner was fine, but fuck, the chill was brutal, and Kim's cheeks were already pink from it.

We started down the sidewalk, our breath fogging in the air, the city buzzing around us—cars honking, people hustling…

"Where were you last night?" Kim asked, her voice muffled by her scarf, her new jacket zipped tight.

"Drinking with buddies," I lied, keeping my tone casual. "Not with Richard, if you're wondering. Fuck that guy."

"Yeah…" she said, her voice soft. "I'm glad that whole thing with Mendy and Richard died down. Cops came and took him."

"Yeah, he's out of control," I said as we stopped at a red light, cars whizzing by. "Wish I'd gotten back earlier… was dying to see you in that dress. Missed the damn bus."

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere, and neither's the dress," she said, leaning up to kiss my chin, her lips warm against the cold. "Don't worry, you big baby."

The light turned green, and we crossed the street. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out, the screen glowing with a notification. It was the fake account I'd made to follow Vanessa Harding—she'd accepted my request.

I tapped into her profile, her photos loading. Thirty-four, long brown hair, huge tits, a little chubby, with a smug face that screamed she thought she was better than everyone. Her posts dripped with confidence—selfies in tight dresses, captions about 'living her best life.' Fucking bitch.

"What is it?" Kim asked, glancing over.

"Just some stupid ad," I lied, pocketing the phone, eager to change the subject. "Cold as hell today, huh?"

"It is," Kim said, exhaling a cloud of breath. "This city's weather is just too abnormal, I swear."

I chuckled. "Yeah, it is."

We walked through the city's gray sprawl, past shuttered storefronts and a bodega with neon signs flickering in the cold. People hustled by, heads down, scarves tight against the wind. The diner came into view—Rusty's Grill, a squat building with faded red paint, its "Open" sign buzzing faintly. Big windows showed a glimpse of checkered floors and worn booths inside, a classic greasy spoon vibe.

We pushed through the glass door, a bell jingling above. The inside smelled of coffee and bacon, the air warm, heavy with grease. Booths lined the walls, red vinyl cracked, tables scratched but clean. A jukebox in the corner played some old rock tune, low and tinny. We slid into a booth by the window, taking our seats from across each other.

An old waitress came up to our table, her apron speckled with stains but her smile wide and friendly. "Hey there! Welcome," she said, glancing at both of us like she was sizing up what we needed. "What can I get you folks?"

I glanced at Kim before ordering. "I'll take the bacon-egg sandwich," I said, trying to keep things simple.

Kim hesitated for a moment, then spoke up. "Uh, yeah, I'll have the pancakes, and… coffee. Lots of coffee."

The waitress scribbled the order, still grinning. "Got it. You two need anything else?"

"Nope," I replied with a smile. "Thank you."

"Alright," The waitress said. "I'll be right back."

Kim shifted in her seat as the waitress walked away. She looked down at her hands, picking at her napkin, her fingers twitching like they were caught in some sort of anxiety trap. I could tell she was working up to saying something, but she didn't meet my eyes right away.

"I… feel like a beggar, Evan," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, like she was ashamed of the words. "Can't lie."

I leaned forward slightly, lowering my voice so only she could hear. "You're not a beggar, Kim. You're just eating breakfast."

She laughed, but it didn't sound like it came from anywhere good. "Yeah, but… I don't know. I guess I'm not used to this kind of thing."

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it, Kim. Really, just stop that talk. Please."

"Yeah… it's just… you know," she mumbled, looking down.

"I know," I said, my voice soft. "I get how you're feeling."

Kim looked up, her eyes searching. "You know, huh? Did that girl, Julia, betray you? Like Tom did to me?"

"Nah, Julia's decent," I said, shrugging. "Broke up with her because I was broke as fuck, Kim. Couldn't keep up. It was… someone else. Let's not talk about her now, though."

Kim nodded. "Sure."

The food came quick—my sandwich steaming, Kim's pancakes stacked high with syrup. We dug in, forks clinking, the diner's hum wrapping around us. I chewed, staring out the window at the gray street, cars crawling by.

Vanessa's smug face flashed in my mind, her posts taunting me. She was behind Sarah's camera, the videos, Delilah's humiliation. I'd find her, dig up her dirt, make her regret it. Maybe the system could help—Honeyed Words, that oil, something to break her. Whatever it took, she was going down.

"R mvvw blf gl svok nv."

A chill ran down my spine. I whipped around, heart racing. Who had just spoken? My eyes darted around, searching the empty room, but there was no one in sight.

"Are you okay?" Kim's voice broke through my panic.

I nodded, forcing a shaky breath. "Y-yeah... I'm fine."

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