The Heart System

Chapter 835: Chapter 835

I was lying with my head on Kayla’s thighs while watching TV, and she was gently playing with my hair. Nala was at the dinner table as usual, sitting with her laptop open while working on something. The others, except for Minne, were sitting around the living room as well. Our little maid was taking a shower.

”Minne visited her mom?” Tessa asked, resting her foot on the coffee table while watching the news.

”Nope,” I replied. ”Seems like her mother is actually doing well. Her doctor is having her do more physical therapy.”

”She can’t walk, right?” Jasmine asked.

”No, she can,” I said. ”She just gets tired after a while. Like a minute or so. But Minne told me she was doing well.”

”That’s good,” Kim said. ”I hope she gets better.”

We kept watching the news in silence, letting the quiet settle over the room. Huh, this was cozy. With the snow falling outside, the whole city looked like it had finally remembered which month it was and decided to act accordingly. No more beach days for a while, huh?

”Should we fuck?” Tessa asked, sounding bored.

”Nah.” I exhaled. ”I’m tired.”

”Same.” Jasmine nodded. ”I’m pooped.”

”Booooooring. You two are Mr. Limp Dick and Ms. Dry Pussy.”

Jasmine and I chuckled, and the others soon joined us. As our laughter faded, Mik came out of the kitchen and hopped onto my chest. She turned around a few times before settling down, then stretched herself out comfortably. I moved a hand up and began scratching her head, her purring filling the room along with the sound of the news.

”Mik?” Kayla asked. ”Weird name.”

”Her name was Kim,” Kim explained. ”So we changed it. It’s Mik now.”

”Who names their cat Kim anyway?” Tessa asked.

”Minne, apparently.” I shrugged. ”And what’s wrong with Kim? It’s a good pet name. Short and efficient.”

”He’s calling you a pet.” Tessa nudged Kim’s arm. ”I think you should look for a deeper meaning in that.”

”Yeah.” Kim chuckled. ”I probably should.”

”Phew, dinner was good.” Jasmine rubbed her belly. ”Did you like it, Eleanor? You didn’t eat that much. I know Esme did.”

Esme shyly smiled, sitting next to Jasmine. ”Y-yes.”

”Oh, I just don’t like eating a lot at dinner.” Eleanor shrugged from the single couch. ”I can’t sleep well if I do.”

”Lying down with a full belly puts me right to sleep.” Tessa leaned back. ”It’s the opposite for you, huh?”

”How can I sleep while my stomach is digesting all that food?”

”Man, you’re not eating dinner and then falling asleep two seconds later. You eat dinner at, I don’t know, six or eight, then go to bed around midnight. There are a whole lot of hours in between.”

”Still, I don’t like it.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out. ”Oh, shit. Ivy.”

I immediately sat up and looked at the screen. Fuck, she was calling me? For what? I hadn’t seen any system update, so she was still technically hating my guts, just not as much as when her score had been at minus ninety-nine. At least things were salvageable now. Probably.

”You don’t get that excited when I fucking call you.” Tessa glanced at me. ”I’m actually thinking about taking your offer and getting the fuck out of here.”

”I need to take this.” I stood up. ”Be right back.”

”She still doesn’t know you’re fucking her mother, right?” Jasmine asked.

I shook my head. ”Of course not.”

”Well, that will eventually...” Jasmine left the thought unfinished, but I knew exactly what she meant.

”Yeah.” I rubbed the back of my head. ”I don’t know what to do.”

”Well, you’d better figure something out.” Kim gave me a sympathetic look.

I exhaled, feeling completely defeated, then walked toward the balcony. I stepped outside and pulled the door shut behind me before answering the call.

”Hey, Ivy.” I leaned against the railing. ”What’s up?”

”Evan.” Her voice was calm. ”Let’s meet tomorrow. I’ll text you the details.”

”Okay. Sure.”

”Mm. Bye.”

The call ended.

That was it?

I stared at my phone for a few seconds, wondering if I had somehow missed something. She wanted to meet me tomorrow. After everything that had happened tonight, she still wanted to see me face-to-face.

Good. At least she could tolerate being around me.

It wasn’t exactly good, considering the circumstances, but it was better than nothing. I’d take that for now.

⟁ ⟁ ⟁

So, meeting with Ivy. I was excited, hell, I couldn’t sleep properly yesterday. But here I was now, sitting at the coffee shop across from her apartment building. I was early, actually. I was halfway through my black coffee, a cigarette between my fingers as smoke curled upward toward the ceiling.

The door opened behind me, and I glanced back. Ivy had just entered, standing near the entrance as she looked around at the customers. Once her eyes landed on me, she walked toward my table.

”Ivy.” I greeted her with a smile. ”Uh, welcome.”

”Mm.” She settled into the chair across from me and pulled it closer to the table. ”Sorry for being late.”

”Yeah, no problem. So, what did you...”

”I’m going to end this.” Ivy blurted it out before I could finish. ”This thing we have between us. I don’t want it anymore, not after what I saw yesterday.”

”I...” I swallowed. ”Okay.”

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WOMEN - INTERACTIONS

──────────────────

Jasmine: Interest: 40 / 60

Kayla: Interest: 38 / 40

Tessa: Interest: 40 / 60

Kim: Interest: 100 / 100

Delilah: Interest: 100 / 100

Cora: Interest: 100 / 100

Mendy: Interest: 24 / 40

Nala: Interest: 100 / 100

Penelope: Interest: 25 / 40

Minne: Interest: 38 / 40

Ivy: Interest: 25 / 80

Eleanor: Interest: 25 / 40

Amelia: Interest: 14 / 20

Esme: Interest: 72 / 80

Carrie: Interest: 4 / 20

Layla: Interest: 24 / 40

Emma: Interest: 20 / 40

══════════════════

Twenty-five points? So that meant we were still on good terms, but she didn’t want to hang out with me that way anymore? Hey, I’d take that. I was sad, sure, but it was better than having her hate my guts. At least we could still be friends.