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Chapter 36: Closer Than Before
The morning light streamed through the window, casting a golden glow over the kitchen. The scent of fresh coffee and toasted bread filled the air, wrapping the room in a quiet warmth.
Ethan moved around the kitchen with practiced ease, setting two plates on the counter. Laura sat on the opposite side, her fingers lightly wrapped around a coffee mug, her expression unreadable.
"You gonna eat?" Ethan asked casually, taking a sip from his own mug.
Laura glanced at the plate—scrambled eggs, toast, some fruit. Simple, but thoughtful.
"You didn't have to do this," she said.
Ethan smirked, leaning against the counter. "I know."
She hesitated for a moment before picking up the fork. She didn't thank him, but she didn't push the plate away either.
For Laura, that was progress.
Ethan watched her from the corner of his eye. She was guarded, always calculating. But this morning, she wasn't pushing him away. Not completely.
Maybe she was starting to realize something.
She wasn't alone anymore.
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Later That Night
The city hummed in the distance, but inside, the townhouse was quiet. Ethan stood near the window, arms crossed as he gazed at the skyline. He wasn't really looking at anything—just lost in thought.
Laura had been different today.
Subtle things.
She let him take care of her, even if she didn't acknowledge it. She didn't tense up every time he got close. She wasn't shutting him out as much.
Small steps.
But important ones.
Soft footsteps made him turn. Laura stood in the doorway, arms folded, her face half-lit by the dim light.
"Can't sleep?" Ethan asked.
She leaned against the doorframe. "Too quiet."
Ethan chuckled. "Most people say this city's too loud."
"I'm not most people," she muttered.
"Yeah," Ethan said, smirking. "I figured that out."
A comfortable silence stretched between them, thick with something unspoken.
Laura shifted her weight. "Lily's a weird kid."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
Laura exhaled, crossing her arms. "Before she fell asleep, she said something strange."
Ethan kept his expression neutral. "Like what?"
Laura hesitated, as if trying to decide whether it was worth mentioning. "She said I'd… end up with you."
Ethan's lips twitched, but he didn't react too much. "And what do you think about that?"
Laura scoffed. "I think she's just a kid with an overactive imagination."
Ethan hummed, amused. "Maybe."
Laura narrowed her eyes. "You don't seem surprised."
"I've been called worse things than your future husband," Ethan teased.
Laura rolled her eyes. "Not happening."
"Sure," Ethan said, his voice light. But something in the way he looked at her made her chest tighten.
The tension between them shifted.
Laura suddenly became very aware of how close they were.
Of the way Ethan looked at her—not with expectation, not with pity, but with something steady. Something real.
Her fingers twitched at her side.
Then, before she could think twice, she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down slightly.
Ethan didn't move—didn't push—just let her lead.
Laura hesitated, her heart pounding. Then, finally, she kissed him.
It was hesitant at first, uncertain. But as Ethan responded, something clicked.
He kissed her back, slow and deliberate, like he had been waiting for this.
Laura didn't realize she had been holding her breath until she pulled away.
Ethan's eyes searched hers, his expression unreadable. "You sure?"
Laura licked her lips, exhaling. "No."
Ethan chuckled. "Want me to stop?"
Laura thought about it. Really thought about it.
Then, in a quiet voice, she admitted, "No."
Ethan's smirk softened, turning into something real.
He reached up, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"Then don't run."
Laura closed her eyes for a second.
When she opened them, she made a decision.
She wasn't running.
Not this time.