I am 15 chapters ahead on my patreón, check it out if you are interested.
https://www.patréon.com/emperordragon
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Chapter 20: Breakfast
Alex adjusted her bag as she stepped up to her grandpa's front door. Her dad had dropped her off on the way to his open house, and now she found herself here, a little after 8 a.m., in search of peace and quiet to write her history paper. Home was too chaotic today—Luke was running around with some science project that smelled like burnt rubber, and her mom was deep into another "organizational" phase, which meant loud label-making and an aggressive purge of household items no one had agreed to throw away.
Alex rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, the door opened, revealing her grandpa Jay in his classic old-man robe with a cup of coffee in hand..
"Kid, you do know it's the weekend, right?" Jay asked, stepping aside to let her in.
"I'm aware," Alex said, sighing. "But I have a paper to write, and my house is a war zone right now. I just need some peace and quiet."
Jay nodded approvingly. "Smart. This house could use a little more of that. Come on in."
As Alex entered, she saw that Jay, Gloria, and Manny were preparing for breakfast. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and eggs filled the air.
"Have you eaten?" Jay asked.
Alex hesitated. "Uh… I forgot," she admitted.
Jay shook his head. "You kids. No wonder you're always stressed. Sit down, you're eating with us."
"Breakfast will be ready in just a few minutes," Gloria chimed in, smiling warmly.
Alex nodded and set her bag down by the couch. She was about to pull out her laptop when Gloria spoke again.
"Alex, can you tell Jon to come down for breakfast?"
"Sure," Alex said, already heading toward the stairs.
She made her way to Jon's room, knocking once before pushing the door open. "Hey, breakfast is—"
She froze.
Jon was in the middle of doing pull-ups.
Shirtless.
Alex had never seen him without a shirt before, and her brain short-circuited at the sight. His lean, well-defined muscles flexed effortlessly as he lifted himself, his back and shoulders moving in a hypnotic rhythm. But it wasn't just regular pull-ups—he was doing some kind of advanced variation, shifting his body side to side like it was nothing, his control and precision mesmerizing.
The definition in his back, the way his abs tightened with each pull-up—it was impossible to look away.
She had always known Jon was athletic—he was training in martial arts his whole life, after all—but seeing him like this was something else.
Her throat went dry.
Jon finally noticed her, pausing mid-pull-up, still hanging from the bar with one arm. He tilted his head. "Oh, hey, Alex. What's up?"
Alex suddenly remembered how to speak. "Breakfast. Downstairs. Now."
And then she turned and walked—no, ran—out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
As soon as she was out, she pressed her back against the wall, taking a deep breath. Her heart was racing. What the hell was that? She had never reacted to a guy like this before. Ever.
Get it together, Alex, she scolded herself. He's just a guy. A guy who happens to be built like an action hero and does absurdly difficult exercises like it's nothing.
She groaned softly, shaking her head. This was bad.
By the time Jon came downstairs, looking freshly showered and back in his usual comfortable T-shirt and jeans, Alex had mostly composed herself. Mostly.
She sat at the dining table with Jay, Gloria, and Manny, focusing hard on her plate of eggs and toast.
Jon slid into his seat across from her, greeting everyone before grabbing some food for himself.
"Sleep well?" Jay asked him.
"Not really," Jon admitted. "Still too much adrenaline from the game."
"You'll get used to it," Jay said knowingly. "After my first big win, I didn't sleep for two days."
Alex forced herself to act normal.
She failed miserably.
Every time she glanced up, she felt her face heating up all over again. The memory of Jon's bare torso was burned into her mind like a glitch she couldn't fix.
Then, after a while, Jon turned to Jay. "Hey, would you be able to take me to the DMV today? I want to get my learner's permit."
Jay checked his watch. "I have an important meeting. How about this afternoon?"
Jon frowned. "DMV closes at noon on Saturdays."
Gloria sighed. "I'd love to take you, but I have to help Manny with something today."
Jon nodded, disappointed. "Maybe I'll ask Sam—"
Before she could stop herself, Alex blurted out, "I'll take you."
Four pairs of eyes turned to her.
"You will?" Jon asked, surprised.
Alex hesitated for a second, then nodded. "Yeah. I got my learner's permit a year ago. I know how the process works."
Jon smiled. "Thanks, Alex. That'd be great."
Gloria beamed. "Perfect! Here, take my car." She handed Alex the keys, and Alex swallowed as she took them.
"Drive safely, mi amor."
Jon finished his breakfast quickly, excusing himself to grab his documents. Meanwhile, Alex sat there, staring at the car keys in her hand, wondering what the hell she had just done.
Why Did I Do That?
Ten minutes later, Alex found herself sitting in the driver's seat of Gloria's car, gripping the wheel as she waited for Jon.
She still wasn't sure why she had volunteered. Maybe it was the way Jon had looked disappointed when he thought he wouldn't be able to go. Or maybe—just maybe—she had spoken up because of the way his smile made her stomach do an embarrassing little flip.
The passenger door opened, and Jon slid in, grinning at her. "Thanks again, Alex. I owe you one."
Alex forced a casual shrug. "Just don't make me regret it."
Jon chuckled, leaning back in his seat. "I'll try my best."
As Alex pulled out of the driveway, she couldn't help but wonder what she had just gotten herself into.
Because every time she glanced over at Jon, she felt that same flutter in her chest, and she knew—without a doubt—this was going to be a problem.
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