6:00am (3:00am SEQUEL) // Jori fan fic

Chapter 29 - Peace

Hey guys, back with another wholesome chapter before chaos ensues 💕 hope yall enjoy!

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Tori and I ended up back at my place after a few drinks at that winery—you know, the kind of place that slaps string lights on a patio, charges $14 a glass, and suddenly you're supposed to pretend you're not slowly unraveling. Ice and Midnight greeted us like emotionally needy doormen—barking, meowing, full-on body-checking us with affection like they hadn't seen us in years. Or at least since this morning.

"My babies!" Tori beamed, crouching down like she was about to burst into a Disney musical, petting Ice and letting Midnight crawl all over her like a clingy ex.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I suck. I haven't been home all day," I muttered, sighing like a haunted Victorian widow as I tossed my jacket on the hook. "Gotta feed the gremlins and let Ice out on the balcony before he decides to use my carpet as a revenge toilet."

"You hungry?" I asked, already halfway to the kitchen and emotionally unavailable.

"Actually, yeah. Where are your parents?" Tori followed me down the hall like she belonged there. Because maybe she did. Or maybe I just wanted her to.

"They're in Alaska with some friends. Celebrating their engagement. Cute, right?" I said flatly, like I wasn't bitter at the concept of love, commitment, or anyone who wasn't spiraling at least a little bit. "They'll be back tomorrow. Wanna watch a movie or cry into the void together?"

"A movie sounds safer. Can I take a shower first? I feel kinda icky," she said, cringing like she just made eye contact with someone from middle school.

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead. Don't slip and die. I'm not emotionally equipped for that kind of trauma tonight." I tried to laugh it off, but it probably sounded a little too honest.

"Pizza okay, or do you want something more... elevated?" I asked, already pulling up the app on my phone.

"Pizza's perfect!" she called, jogging up the stairs.

I placed the order—two pizzas, extra cheese, and all my dignity—and locked the door like I wasn't still afraid of abandonment and burglars.

Ice and Midnight devoured their food like they'd been starved for centuries, which, knowing them, was about four hours.

I pulled the wine bottle from my bag—the same overpriced bottle we picked at the winery because the label had cool gothic lettering and we're both suckers for aesthetic—and wrapped it in a wet paper towel before chucking it into the freezer like I was punishing it for my feelings.

Living room: moody and dim, with the city lights doing their whole romantic-noir thing through the windows. I queued up Friends because there's nothing like watching other people make worse decisions than me.

Snacks? Check.

Vibe? Accidentally seductive.

Mental state? Somewhere between "fine" and "five seconds from an emotional monologue."

I made my way upstairs to change—shorts, Metallica hoodie, peak sadgirl chic. I wiped off my makeup at my vanity like I was scrubbing away every decision I'd made since freshman year.

And that's when it happened.

Tori walked out of the bathroom. Naked.

Just... full-send. Skin, curves, and a heart-stopping moment of pure oh-my-god-what-is-happening.

"He—OH SHITBALLS! I'M SO SORRY!" I shrieked, faceplanting into my duvet like a cartoon ostrich with a fear of intimacy. My whole body went full thermostat meltdown—cheeks on fire, heart rate like EDM at Coachella.