When everything ended, Lucian was lying on his back with one arm under his head, Naomi was lying beside him with one leg lazily thrown over his. Their hair was still slightly wet from the shower, and the room smelled faintly of soap.

Lucian stared at the ceiling.

His mind was clear.

His heartbeat was steady.

It was a peaceful, normal state and... normal was something he was content with.

Naomi then rested her chin on his chest and looked at him.

"You look better now."

"I feel better now."

Lucian smiled.

Naomi smiled back, feeling glad that she was able to help but...

"You need to get it checked if it happens again."

She spoke with a serious look on her face.

"Can’t I just come to you?"

Lucian grinned playfully, Naomi, however, looked at him with a serious look on her face and—

"You can come to me anytime you want, but you still need to get it checked."

Lucian didn’t know what he was supposed to say to that, in the end, he just lied.

"I will."

Naomi narrowed her eyes, she was suspicious, but she also knew Lucian had his own struggles, she didn’t want to get more involved than he would like.

Their friendship had just started getting back on track, the last thing she wanted was to lose what they currently had and return to how they were before.

For a moment, both of them stayed silent, then suddenly—

Beep Beep Beep

Lucian’s phone alarm rang from the bedside table, Naomi frowned, Lucian looked at the phone.

Eight o’clock.

And in an instant, his groggy, lazy, peaceful self woke up.

Claire.

The Enclave.

Voss Security Solutions.

The car that would come at nine.

All of that came to his mind and his expression changed.

Naomi noticed the change in him immediately.

"What happened? Why an alarm at eight?"

She asked. Lucian turned off the alarm and—

"I have to get ready."

"For what?"

He sat up slowly.

Naomi used the blanket to cover herself and watched him with a frown.

"I have to leave at nine."

Lucian answered.

"At night?"

"Yes."

Naomi frowned.

"Where are you going?"

Lucian paused.

He had already prepared himself for this part, but as she lay in his bed, with her hair wet, eyes filled with worry and body covered with nothing but a blanket, lying felt... heavy.

But he had no other choice.

"A job."

He answered.

"A job...?"

"Yes."

"At nine at night?"

"It is a night job."

"Don’t state the obvious."

Lucian stood up and picked up his shirt from the floor.

Naomi watched him carefully.

"What kind of job?"

She asked.

"Security."

"You?"

That almost made her laugh, after all, the Lucian she had in her mind was his weak self who could barely lift any weight at the gym.

She still wasn’t used to the new Lucian.

"I look trustworthy."

Lucian joked.

"You look like the reason people hire guards."

Naomi joked as well.

"That is so rude."

Lucian pouted. Naomi just laughed while Lucian wore his shirt. She sat up more properly and began asking more questions.

"When did you get a security job?"

"Today."

"Today?"

"Yes."

"After the lawyers?"

"Yes."

"That is... fast."

"...I had help."

"From your female lawyer?"

Lucian paused and Naomi narrowed her eyes.

"What kind of lawyer also gives you a job? That... doesn’t seem normal."

"Well... she is not a normal lawyer."

"That’s even more suspicious."

"Just..."

Lucian didn’t know how to say it, in the end, he just dropped his shoulders and—

"I have no choice here."

He spoke with a weak, almost helpless smile and the moment she saw that, Naomi froze.

"Is it... because of money...?"

She asked after some hesitation.

He may hide it with his jokes, but Lucian had just lost his parents two days ago, it was a blow that would turn the life of even the strongest man around, let alone a boy who had never once lived alone.

Lucian was dependent on his parents, he always had been, but now that they were gone...

It wasn’t just the emotional trauma he needed to deal with.

He needed to deal with the bills, the university fees, food, and the worst of all, the legal stuff.

Lucian looked at her, he could tell that she had misunderstood, but for now, it helped him so he—

"Partly."

He nodded.

"What kind of job is it...?"

Naomi asked with a concerned look on her face.

"Private security. A company needed a trainee guard and considering my current... physical condition, I was a good fit."

"You really are, huh..."

As odd as it felt, Naomi could tell Lucian really had changed, he was... different from what she remembered.

Very different.

"I wish I could help."

Naomi lowered her head and whispered softly.

"You did."

Lucian nodded.

"What I did was no he—"

Naomi tried to shake her head but—

"You have no idea how much you are doing for me right now."

Lucian spoke with an earnest look on his face and Naomi... she looked away.

"Do not say things like that while I am only wearing a blanket."

"Is that so...?"

Lucian smiled.

Naomi just lay back down on the bed and covered her face with the blanket. Lucian laughed at that, then he looked at the clock.

8:05.

He had less than an hour.

"Alright, I need to leave."