CHAPTER 322: SO WHAT ARE WE NOW?

The warmth still lingered—not just from their skin or the clothes they hadn’t bothered changing out of, but from the quiet hush that filled the room like a slow breath held between heartbeats.

The morning light had grown stronger, slipping deeper across the wooden floor and brushing against the table legs, but nothing else had changed. No one had moved, and no one seemed in a rush to.

Ethan sat with both arms wrapped loosely around the girls, not holding them tightly, just enough to keep them close.

Evelyn’s head remained tucked into the side of his neck, the steady rhythm of her breathing warm against his skin.

At the same time, Everly stretched comfortably along his other side, her fingers still tangled with his, her body draped half across his lap like she belonged there and always had.

The plates were still there. The leftover crumbs, the half-empty cups, the bits of fruit nobody had reached for—none of it had been cleaned up, and none of them had made any effort to pretend it mattered.

Then Everly shifted a little, letting out a soft breath, not quite a sigh but close, and her voice followed a moment later—quiet, not playful, not teasing for once, just soft and honest.

"So..."

Ethan glanced down, his brows lifting slightly. He didn’t speak, waiting for her to finish.

"So what are we now?"

The words didn’t carry weight in volume, but they landed heavily all the same. Not in a bad way—just real.

Evelyn didn’t add anything, but he could feel her attention turn toward him too, her quiet gaze resting against the side of his face, waiting for whatever answer he chose to give.

He didn’t want to say something dramatic or rehearsed. Didn’t want to fumble for a perfect response that would only ruin the quiet understanding already there between them.

So instead, he held her hand a little tighter and glanced toward Evelyn’s, which still rested gently around his wrist.

"You’re mine," he said, not loud or proud—just steady. "Both of you."

He felt them react before either spoke. A small breath caught. A subtle shift. Just enough to let him know they’d heard him clearly.

"Not just for the night," he added, his voice still low. "For as long as you’ll have me."

Evelyn’s chest rose against his side as she let out a quiet breath—more a release than anything else.

She leaned in slightly, closer than before, and murmured with a soft smile forming at the corner of her mouth, "That’s... not fair."

Ethan tilted his head, confused for a beat, but then she continued.

"You’re ours too, you know."

Before he could reply, Everly raised her head, recovered faster, and gave him a mock-stern look.

"Exactly. And if you ever go flirting around without telling us first, we’re hexing your pants off in the middle of the plaza."

Ethan snorted, the laugh escaping before he could stop it. "You really think that’ll stop me?"

She shrugged, grin spreading across her face. "Won’t stop you. But it’ll make us feel better."

Evelyn chuckled—quiet but real—and buried her face deeper against his neck, her shoulders trembling with amusement more than laughter.

The rhythm between them had shifted into something calmer now. Still playful, still familiar, it was underpinned by a sense of something settled, something steady, something claimed.

Everly picked up his hand again and traced one of the lines in his palm with her finger. "I thought it was gonna feel weird," she admitted.

"Waking up today. Like maybe it would feel like a mistake."

Ethan didn’t respond with words right away. Instead, he turned toward Evelyn and brought his hand up to her cheek, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear before kissing her gently.

It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t hungry. It just was.

"It wasn’t," he said, once he pulled back.

Evelyn blinked slowly, then lifted her face to his and kissed the corner of his mouth. "Okay."

Everly leaned in on the other side and kissed the other corner. "Also okay."

They didn’t say much more after that. They just stayed there, still close, still tangled together, letting the quiet keep them company while the sunlight crept higher, warming Evelyn’s bare leg where the hem of the oversized shirt had fallen aside without her noticing.

At some point, Everly tilted her head and glanced up at him again, her expression unreadable but gentle. "So... how long will it stay like this?"

He looked down at her, not confused, just taking a moment to weigh what she meant.

"You mean us?"

"Yeah," she said. "Mornings like this. Laughing. Talking. Feeling like everything’s okay."

Evelyn rested her chin on his shoulder. "As long as we don’t mess it up."

"Are you planning to?" Ethan asked.

"Nope," she replied easily.

"Then we’re fine."

Everly smiled, then leaned in and pressed her lips to his neck, quick and soft, before pulling away again with a smirk like she’d gotten away with something. "Good. I like this."

"Same," Evelyn murmured, the word brushing against his ear like a whisper meant only for him.

Ethan didn’t say anything back—not out of hesitation, but because he didn’t need to. He just nodded slowly and let the moment stay quiet.

There was a peace to it now. A kind of emotional fullness that made everything feel just right.

Even the silence felt meaningful.

Eventually, his eyes drifted toward the side console where the notice still hovered near the top of the display. The tutor’s arrival time was creeping closer with every minute.

He could almost hear Lilith’s voice in his mind, reminding him not to be late, not to fall behind just because life had finally started to feel soft around the edges.

But he didn’t move yet.

Evelyn sat up first, slowly peeling herself from his chest and stretching. Her back arching slightly, the shirt she wore shifting just enough to ride up her thighs.

She ran a hand through her hair and yawned, small and sleepy.

Everly stood next, giving him one last kiss on the lips—quick, sweet, and familiar—before trailing after Evelyn down the hallway.

"We’ll be fast," she said with a small smile.

Ethan nodded and leaned back in the chair again. The room felt a bit emptier now, but not in a bad way—just quieter.

He rubbed the back of his neck and finally tapped the console to open the tutor assignment.