Someone cursed under their breath. “Don’t touch it. We don’t know what it is.”
Interstitial
TROUBLE IN QUEENS? GAL PALS INÉS AND CHLOE BREAK UP BEFORE SET POINT
Flushing Meadows witnessed more than just fierce competition yesterday, as tennis stars and rumored couple Inés Costa and Chloe Murphy reportedly ended their relationship shortly before taking the court.
Sources close to the players say the emotional breakup may have fueled the intense energy seen during the match, with Costa delivering a particularly aggressive performance against her now-former partner.
In a disturbing turn, Murphy was reportedly assaulted by a fan believed to be supporting Costa. An unidentified liquid was thrown on the American player as she exited the stadium. Security quickly intervened, rushing Murphy to a nearby hospital. Fortunately, officials later confirmed the substance was harmless, and Murphy has since been cleared medically.
Authorities have arrested the alleged assailant and investigations are ongoing.
47
Chloe
Finally // Beautiful Stranger—Halsey
The shower rained down on me, ice-cold droplets pelting my back as I sat shivering on the tiled floor, legs pulled up into my arms.
I could still see her features, twisted in anger. The scent and taste of the liquid she’d thrown at me felt like it had washed over every single one of my senses.
Security followed protocol, using the on-hand medical wash to clean my face. In the car, Calvin held me down in a panic as they all but waterboarded me.
When we’d gotten to the hospital, it was clear that there was no damage and confirmed after the person responsible was caught that it was a mix of vinegar and lemon, a mix only supposed to scare me.
Calvin had taken me back to a private apartment, the security firm recommending a more secure location after the near miss.
It could’ve been anything in that cup. They could’ve done anything to me.
I jumped at the sound of a soft knock at the door, my heart racing in my chest until I heard her voice.
“Chloe?” Inés’s panicked accent rang around the white marbled bathroom. Even the sound of her voice was a basic comfort. “Can I come in?”
“Yes,” I managed to croak, watching as the bathroom door opened. I nearly broke again at the sight of her. Her face two shades paler than normal, eyes wide, I could see the restrained fear across her face, a sadness I couldn’t erase. She didn’t hesitate, walking around the glass partition, braving the shower fully clothed.
Inés sank to the floor, bundling up my naked body in her arms and pulling me impossibly close.
“Joder, Chloe, the water is freezing,” she murmured, my head buried in the crook of her neck.
“It was the only way I felt better.”
After a checkup in the hospital, I still hadn’t felt clean, the sensations still prickling against my skin, the smell still held in my hair.
The second I’d convinced Calvin to leave me alone, I’d crawled inside the shower and sat under the water. Even with the hospital’s confirmation that I was unharmed, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something still clung to me, seeping into my pores.
Her hands held me tight, the safest I’d felt in hours as I relaxed into her.
“Can we get out?” she asked. I could hear the chill of the water in her voice, but I still wasn’t ready. Wasn’t clean.
“I haven’t washed my hair.” I could still smell the sharp scent, still needed to erase it.
“I’ll do it for you.” She warmed the water up gradually, enough that I stopped trembling.
Starting with my neck, her fingers caressed the tight muscles there, working each one as they relaxed under her touch, my body slowly unwinding from the stress.
My breathing relaxed, shallow breaths turning deep as Inés gently lathered the shampoo into my hair. Her delicate fingers massaged my scalp, taking her time to give me all her attention, a luxurious and relaxing scent replacing the vinegar.
