Chapter 84: 84 | I Chose Sleep Over Sex and Now We Have to Talk About Her Job

Chloe kissed him. Hard. Her mouth slanted over his with desperate urgency.

Jordan responded immediately. His hands slid up her back under the sports bra. Found bare skin. Warm and smooth beneath his palms.

Chloe’s tongue swept into his mouth. Tasting like chamomile tea and something sweeter underneath.

She rolled her hips again. Grinding against him with purpose now. Creating friction that made Jordan groan into her mouth.

"Bed." Chloe broke the kiss. Her breathing ragged. "Now."

Jordan stood with her still wrapped around him. Her legs locked behind his back. Her arms around his neck.

He carried her to the stairs. Took them carefully. His muscles protesting slightly but his body more than willing.

When they reached her loft Chloe unwrapped herself and dropped onto the mattress. She bounced once. Her chest moving beneath the sports bra.

"It’s one am." Jordan glanced at his phone. "We should probably sleep."

"We will." Chloe pulled back the white covers. Slid beneath them. "Get in here."

Jordan obeyed. He climbed under the sheets and Chloe immediately plastered herself against his side.

Her head on his chest. Her leg thrown over his thighs. Her arm wrapped around his waist.

Complete and total octopus mode.

"Clingy." Jordan’s voice held amusement.

"Shut up." Chloe’s breath warmed his skin through his shirt. "You like it."

"I do."

They lay in silence for a moment. The only sound their breathing and the distant hum of the building’s heating system.

Jordan’s hand traced patterns on her back. Slow circles. Up and down her spine.

Chloe made a soft sound. Half sigh, half purr.

"Can I stay here tonight?" she asked. Her voice muffled against his chest.

"You’re already in your bed."

"I mean with you." Chloe tilted her head up. Her chin resting on his sternum. "Sleep together. Actual sleep."

Jordan’s chest warmed. "Yeah. Course."

"Good." She settled back down. "I want you here."

"Bossy."

"You like that too."

"I really do."

Chloe laughed softly. The vibration traveling through her body into his.

Jordan pressed a lazy kiss to the top of her head. To her damp hair with its blue streak.

She responded by lifting her face. Seeking his mouth.

He obliged. Kissed her slow and deep. No urgency. Just connection.

When they broke apart Chloe stayed close. Her lips an inch from his.

"I’ve been thinking about something." Her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah?"

"About making extra money." Chloe’s fingers played with the hem of his shirt. "Different kind of income stream."

Jordan’s stomach tightened. "What kind?"

"Twitch streaming maybe?" She said it like a question. Testing his reaction. "Kumiko’s been bugging me about it forever. Says I have the personality and the setup already."

"You’d be good at it." Jordan meant it. He’d watched her perform. Seen how naturally she commanded attention.

"You think?"

"Yeah." His hand continued its path up and down her spine. "What would you stream?"

"I don’t know. Games maybe? Or just chatting?" Chloe shrugged against him. "Kumiko does cosplay stuff. Fashion and makeup tutorials. She makes decent money from it."

"How decent?"

"Couple thousand a month. Plus donations during streams." Chloe’s voice went quieter. "It’s not Calypso money but it’s something."

Jordan’s chest tightened at the name. At the reminder of what she did. What he paid for.

"You thinking about quitting?" He tried to keep his tone neutral.

"Maybe." Chloe shifted. Her thigh pressed higher against him. "Feels weird now. After this."

"After what?"

"After you." She lifted her head again. Met his eyes in the darkness. "Dating you while maintaining Calypso doesn’t feel right anymore."

Jordan’s heart kicked against his ribs. "You don’t have to quit because of me."

"I know." Chloe’s fingers traced his collarbone. "But I want to. Been thinking about it even before you knocked on my door."

"Your income though."

"I know." Frustration bled into her voice. "That’s why I’m considering Twitch. Build it up while I transition away from OnlyFans. Overlap both for a while until streaming takes off."

"Smart."

"I have to be." Chloe’s expression hardened slightly. "I can’t afford not to be."

Jordan pulled her closer. His arms wrapping fully around her. "I’ll help if you need it."

"No." Immediate. Firm. "That’s not why I’m telling you."

"I know but—"

"No Jordan." Chloe pushed up on her elbow. Looked down at him with intensity. "I’m not Eliza. I won’t take your money."

"That’s not what I meant."

"Yes it is." She cupped his face with one hand. "And I appreciate it. I do. But I need to figure this out myself."

Jordan wanted to argue. Wanted to point out that he had money sitting in his account. That helping her wouldn’t hurt him.

But her expression stopped him. The pride and determination written across her features.

"Okay." He conceded. "But if you change your mind—"

"I won’t."

"Stubborn."

"Realistic." Chloe kissed him quick. "Now stop trying to fix my problems and kiss me properly."

Jordan smiled against her mouth. "Properly huh?"

"Mmhmm." Chloe’s tongue traced his bottom lip. "Show me what that voice can do when you’re not singing."

Jordan groaned. Low and rough. His hands sliding down to cup her ass through her tiny shorts.

Chloe gasped. "There it is."

"You’re trouble."

"You like trouble." She bit his jaw. Not hard. Just enough to sting.

"I really do."

They kissed slower this time. Lazy and deep. Tongues meeting and tangling without rush.

Chloe’s hips rolled against him. Grinding her center against his hardness through layers of fabric.

"Mmm." The sound vibrated in her throat. "Want you."

"We should sleep."

"We will." Chloe’s hand slid down his chest. Over his stomach. Lower. "After."

Jordan caught her wrist. "It’s one am. We’re both exhausted."

"So?" Chloe pouted. "You don’t want me?"

"I always want you." Jordan’s voice came out strained. "But you need rest."

"I need you more."

Fuck. How was he supposed to argue with that?

"Rain check?" Jordan pressed a kiss to her forehead. "We can pick this up tomorrow when we’re not half-dead."

Chloe sighed dramatically. "Fine. But you owe me."

"I’ll pay up tomorrow."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Chloe settled back against his chest. Her body warm and soft along his side.

"You’re too responsible." She grumbled. "It’s annoying."

Jordan smiled into her hair. His hand resumed its path up and down her spine.

Within minutes her breathing evened out. Deep and slow.

She’d fallen asleep still clinging to him. Her leg hooked over his. Her arm wrapped around his waist. Her face pressed against his chest.

Jordan stayed awake longer. His mind churning through the evening.

The failed quest. The forfeited rewards. The decision to wait. To ask Chloe before registering anyone else.

His phone sat on her nightstand. The screen dark.

Inside it the System waited. Ready to track every interaction. Ready to quantify every moment of connection into percentages and multipliers.

Ready to remind him that none of this was real. That he’d built their entire relationship on a foundation of lies and gamification.

Except Chloe felt real. The weight of her body against his. The warmth of her breath on his skin. The trust in how completely she’d relaxed into sleep.

That felt real.

Everything else could be bullshit. The System, the inheritance lie, the slots and quests and gacha mechanics.

But this. Her. Them.

This felt real.