𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟕. [⚠︎︎]

𝐉𝐨𝐫𝐣𝐚'𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐯
I gazed at Ebony, my lips parted in muted shock, as she recounted the chaos at the club. To hear she'd not only engaged in a fight but also quit was overwhelming, leaving me at a loss for words. Disappointed? Far from it; she acted as necessity demanded.

Was I overly surprised? That would be a total understatement. "Did you at least win the fight?" I groaned, burying my face in my palms. Ebony gave me a knowing look and I chuckled immediately understanding what that implied.

"I wouldn't even be telling you this if I hadn't won. That would be so fucking embarrassing," Ebony scoffed, leaning back on the table, opening the bag of powdered donuts, taking took a bite, savoring the sweet treat.

I hummed in response, bringing my hand up to the side of her mouth and gently wiped away the powdered residue from the donuts, before planting a small kiss there.

Ebony gave me a suspicious glance, her eyes narrowing. "You're acting way too calm. What's going on in that head of yours?" she asked, tilting her head curiously. I furrowed my brows in confusion, not quite grasping the implications behind her words.

Honestly, I didn't know how to react to the situation. I was just so relieved that she didn't get hurt or end up in jail with a lawsuit for messing up Camilla's face so badly.

What if the police had arrived, arrested her, and incarcerated her? Obviously, I'd bail her out, if applicable, depending on the extent of how bad she messed Camilla up. But the thought of Ebony enduring the hardships of jail or prison is something I'd wish to spare her from, and I'm certain she'd prefer to avoid it as well—especially since she was defending herself and wasn't entirely at fault.

Was I being dramatic about it?

"I'm simply relieved you're unharmed and not in jail, Ebony," I offered, exhaling a sigh as I rose from my seat. I wrapped my arms around her, my hands caressing her cool skin. It had swiftly become instinctual for me to press my warm palms against her chilled skin, as if I innately knew she was constantly cold and I was determined to envelop her in warmth.

Following that, Ebony remained silent, seemingly comforted by my touch, taking in my thoughts, prompting me to break the silence once more. "What are your plans now? Will you find a new club, or are you considering dedicating yourself entirely to your nail business, and eventually find a shop?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

"I-I think I wanna quit dancing. I have so much respect for you and Solèigh, and keeping up with it just feels like going against my word. I know you're cool with it, but it's just not for me. Working late nights and coming back at 1am isn't something I want to keep doing. Solèigh's starting school soon, and she needs all the sleep she can get with no interruptions," Ebony ranted, her conviction shining through. It was clear that she had made up her mind, and who was I to go against that.

I nodded, completely getting where she was coming from. "If that's what you've decided, I've got your back all the way," I reassured her with pride. I understood that Ebony was besieged by the sheer weight of it all, and that was the last thing I wished upon her. All I wanted was for her to find peace and clarity about what she wanted to do with her life.