𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃

Distracting Him

For the past five days, my only job has been to keep Wilde distracted-just enough so he doesn't notice the storm brewing right under his nose. With the zombie pharmacy off my to-do list, my days have been spent attending school with Wilde like any typical couple hopelessly in love. It's... surreal. These mundane moments, stolen and sweet, are something I never had the chance to experience in my original life.

But today feels different. It might very well be the last time I get to play pretend-walking beside Wilde like we're just another pair of lovestruck young adults. Once the zombie virus is eradicated... well, who knows what the future holds? One way or another, everything's bound to change.

So I've been clinging to the normalcy while I can. Case in point: I convinced Villain-sama to join this world's version of social media. It wasn't easy, but now we've got this whole obnoxiously adorable online persona going. We post cutesy reels every day-the kind of sickeningly sweet content that would make people gag from secondhand embarrassment.

A part of me knows better than to indulge. I tell myself I should keep my distance, keep it professional. But every time I'm with Wilde, my reckless, impulsive side wins. He's just... impossible to resist.

And honestly, that scares me. Not just because I don't know where this path leads, but because a tiny, selfish part of me doesn't want it to end.

"What are you looking at?"

A warm breath brushes against my ear, tickling my skin and sending a shiver down my spine. My heart stirs at something unspoken in his voice, but I push the feeling aside. No time for that. My fingers move quickly, closing the message window on my phone-updates from Xavier about the situation at the lab.

Fifteen minutes. That's all we have before the regulatory authorities-pharmaceutical compliance officers, as they like to call themselves-storm the place and chaos erupts.

I barely have a chance to respond before I'm swept off my seat, lifted effortlessly as though I weigh nothing. A soft gasp escapes me. His strong, warm arms cradle me, replacing the cushioned chair with the solid support of his legs as he pulls me into his lap.

It doesn't matter that we share a bed every night; every time he gets this close, my body betrays me. Heat flares in ways I can't quite explain, spreading through me like wildfire.

"You're tense," he murmurs, his deep voice vibrating through my skin. His arms tighten around me, not enough to restrain, but just enough to anchor me.

"I'm fine," I manage to say, but the words come out breathier than I intended.

He leans in, his lips brushing against my temple in a featherlight touch that feels both casual and devastatingly intimate. "You're lying."

This isn't the time to melt under his touch. But, God help me, it's getting harder to remember that every second I'm this close to him.

Snap out of it, Fanyin.

I force myself to shift gears. "How was class?" I ask, the question falling lamely from my lips. The awkwardness is glaring, but I cling to it like a lifeline-a distraction for both him and me from doing something irrevocably stupid.

He raises an eyebrow, his lips twitching into a knowing smirk that sends my pulse skittering. "Class?" he repeats, as though he can see right through my flimsy attempt to change the subject.

I press on, ignoring the heat pooling in my chest. "Did they finally teach you how to keep your hands to yourself?"

That earns me a soft chuckle, warm and rich. He's been smiling a lot more since the first time I came into this world about two months ago. "Not a chance," he replies, leaning back slightly but still keeping me firmly in his lap.

I glance at my phone. Forty-five minutes until Xavier's next update. By then, the virus vials should be in the hands of the rogue scientists, the plan in full motion. In an hour, NextGen Pharmaceutical will be swarming with media, and the virus will cease to exist-along with my purpose for staying in this world.

The thought tightens something in my chest, but I shove it down. There's no room for sentiment here, not when there's so much at stake.

"I hate human resources class," I say casually, as a way to explain my absence in the last class-or at least I try to. What I don't mention is that the "break" was an excuse to safely contact Xavier, far from Wilde's penetrating gaze. His eyes are too sharp, too knowing-like he could dissect me down to my genetic code if he tried hard enough.

Now, though, I need him close. For the next two hours, I can't risk letting him out of my sight.

"You? Skipping class?" he teases, feigning shock. "What's the world coming to?"

I shrug, keeping my tone light. "Thought I'd give everyone else a fair shot at the top grade," which is not a lie, actually.

He smirks again, his eyes gleaming with a challenge. "I'm sure they appreciated your charity."

The banter does its job, anchoring me in the moment, distracting me from the countdown ticking in the back of my mind. But beneath the easy conversation, the weight of everything looms heavy.

Two hours. I can keep him in my sights for two hours. Long enough for the plan to unfold. Long enough to make sure I don't lose control.

Or so I tell myself.

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