Chapter 60: 60 | Navigating the Minefield of a Single Shared Wall

Really looked at him this time. Not the quick glances from earlier. Full eye contact that lasted longer than two seconds.

"I’m not mad at you," Chloe said.

Jordan’s throat closed up. "You should be."

"I know."

"I basically told you I need three girlfriends like I’m collecting Pokemon."

"You did."

"That’s insane."

"It is."

"And you’re not mad."

Chloe crossed her arms over her chest. The movement made her hoodie ride up slightly, exposing a strip of pale skin above her leggings. Jordan forced his eyes back to her face.

"I’m not mad," Chloe said slowly. "I’m processing."

"Processing."

"Yeah."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I spent all night thinking about what you said. And I still don’t know how I feel about it."

Jordan nodded. Fair.

"But I know I don’t want to pretend you don’t exist," Chloe continued. "That would be stupid. You live twelve feet away from me."

"Through one wall."

"One wall." She uncrossed her arms and shoved her hands in her hoodie pocket. "So I’m not gonna ignore you. But I also can’t just be normal about this yet. So we’re gonna eat leftovers and watch anime and not talk about the inheritance thing until I figure out what I actually want."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah. That works for me."

Chloe studied his face like she was looking for hidden cameras. "You’re not gonna push me to decide right now?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because that would be a dick move."

Her expression softened. Just a little. The hard line of her jaw relaxed. Her shoulders dropped half an inch.

"Follow me home," Chloe said. "And don’t drive like a grandma this time. You were going five under the speed limit yesterday."

"I was not."

"You absolutely were."

"That’s called being a safe driver."

"That’s called being boring." She climbed into her car and shut the door. The engine turned over with a quiet purr.

Jordan walked to his own Civic three spaces down. Unlocked it. Slid into the driver’s seat.

His phone buzzed again. He pulled it out.

System: Chemistry update detected.

Chloe Kim: 43% → 45% (+2%)

Note: Small progress through honest communication. Continue building trust.

Jordan locked his phone and tossed it onto the passenger seat.

Chloe’s white Civic backed out of its spot. She pulled forward toward the exit ramp, brake lights flashing red in the shadowy garage.

Jordan started his car and followed.

They drove in convoy down the ramp, out of the structure, onto Campus Drive. Chloe took a right at the light. Jordan stayed two car lengths behind her.

The drive to The Cooper Garment Lofts took fifteen minutes in light traffic. Chloe’s Civic moved smoothly through lanes, signaling every turn, obeying every speed limit.

Jordan kept pace.

They pulled into the resident parking garage at 11:14. Chloe parked in her usual spot. Jordan parked in his.

They got out at the same time.

Chloe grabbed her backpack and walked toward the elevator without waiting. Jordan followed, his sneakers echoing off the concrete.

The elevator doors opened. They stepped inside.

Chloe pressed the button for the fourth floor.

The doors closed.

Silence filled the small metal box. Just the hum of the elevator cables and the faint music playing through the ceiling speaker. Some instrumental jazz that belonged in a hotel lobby.

Jordan’s phone buzzed again.

He left it in his pocket.

The elevator dinged. Fourth floor.

The doors opened onto the familiar hallway. Grey carpet. White walls. Identical doors stretching in both directions.

Chloe turned left toward Unit 403. Jordan walked beside her.

She stopped at her door. Unlocked it. Pushed it open.

"Shoes off," Chloe said.

Jordan kicked off his sneakers and left them by the door next to her white pair.

Chloe dropped her backpack on the kitchen counter and headed straight for the fridge. She pulled out two containers of leftovers from last night. Bibimbap and fried chicken.

"Microwave or cold?" Chloe asked.

"Microwave."

"Good choice."

She popped the lids off both containers and stuck them in the microwave. Two minutes thirty seconds.

Jordan stood in the middle of the living room, hands in his pockets, feeling like he’d walked into someone else’s life. The grey sectional still had the blanket bunched up on one end from last night. The coffee table still had their empty water bottles sitting on coasters.

The microwave beeped.

Chloe pulled out the containers and grabbed two forks from the drawer. She walked over to the couch and sat down, setting one container on the coffee table.

"You gonna stand there all day?" Chloe asked.

Jordan sat down next to her. Same spot as last night. Same cushion. Same distance between them.

Chloe handed him a fork. "Eat."

Jordan stabbed a piece of chicken. Brought it to his mouth. Chewed.

Still good. Maybe better than last night.

Chloe ate her bibimbap in small bites, her fork scraping against the container. She pulled her legs up onto the couch and tucked them under herself.

They ate in silence.

Jordan’s phone buzzed. He ignored it.

Chloe set her empty container on the coffee table and leaned back against the couch. Her eyes closed. Her ponytail fell over one shoulder, the blue streak bright against her grey hoodie.

"I’m tired," Chloe said.

"Didn’t sleep much?"

"Not really."

"Me neither."

"Because of what you told me?"

"Yeah."

Chloe opened her eyes. Turned her head to look at him. "Why did you tell me? You could have just kept it secret."

Jordan set his own container down. "Because that would have been worse."

"How?"

"Because you’d find out eventually. And then you’d hate me for lying."

"I might hate you anyway."

"Maybe. But at least this way I gave you the choice."

Chloe stared at him for a long moment. Her dark eyes searched his face like she was trying to read something written in invisible ink.

"I don’t hate you," she said quietly.

Jordan’s chest loosened. Just a little. "Good."

"But I also don’t know what we are right now."

"That’s fair."

"Is it?"

"Yeah."

Chloe pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. The movement made her hoodie ride up again, exposing the waistband of her leggings and the curve of her lower back.

Jordan looked away. Stared at the fake fiddle-leaf fig in the corner instead.

"Can I ask you something?" Chloe said.

"Sure."

"The inheritance thing. Is it real? Like, actually real? Or did you make it up because you panicked?"