"You have strong pattern recognition, computational speed, and practical intuition. Combined, those traits are… uncommon."
As I stare at him, a strange feeling blooms in my chest.
This really doesn’t sound like him. Or at least not like the version of him I’ve started building in my head.
"You barely know me," I say, more quietly now. "And what you have seen doesn't reflect well on me."
Blue shrugs lightly. "Regardless of what I think about your behavior yesterday, I just don’t like wasting good potential, Gabriel."
I look away for a moment, exhaling slowly. He really doesn’t have to do this, after everything I did.
"Yeah," I say finally. "I would want that."
A slight nod. "Then I will arrange it."
And… he's already looking back at the device, scrolling through the logs. The same disciplined presence, but it no longer feels so cold, just focused.
"Thanks," I say quietly.
For a moment, I just stand there in silence, hands in my pockets, slightly hunched.
I thought I had him figured out, but I realize that he also wants what is good for me, even though I did little to earn his benevolence.
"You are…" I whisper. "Too kind to me. I don’t deserve it."
Blue slowly lifts his gaze, and our eyes lock. "Make sure you do, Gabriel. Be the best version of yourself. We have only one life. Wasting it would be a tragedy."
I nod. But I cannot help it.
I think I’m starting to like him.A lot.
Fuck!
Yep, I learnednothing, obviously.
???
We return home from the lab in silence.
James serves us a late lunch, and throughout the meal I stay lost in thought, unsure how to process any of this. My feelings for him are becoming more and more confusing; I no longer know what to make of them. On one hand, Blue keepspushing me away, and on the other, he makes these considerate gestures toward me.
I just watch him carefully as he leans over his plate and eats with focus.
About twenty minutes after lunch, I get a call from Veyron saying he's waiting in the lobby.
"I will send James for him," Blue says when I ask if I should go down myself.
I already warned Veyron not to offer Blue a handshake under any circumstances, so I am not worried about how the meeting will start.
When my cousin’s tall figure steps into the penthouse, I feel a sudden rush of warmth. I did not even realize how much I missed my family.
I immediately pull him into a hug, pressing him close, the sight of his youthful, handsome face lifting my mood.
"Hey, Gabe! How’s it going, man? I’m glad you found a way out of that crappy… situation, you know," Veyron winks, "the one everyone in the family pretends not to know about," he adds with a silly grin.
"Well, thanks to Blue’s kindness, I got another shot at life," I say, turning slightly toward Blue, who stands by the table in the living room, watching us with a smooth, unreadable expression, one typical for him.
"Veyron, this is Blue Lowen, officially my contract husband, but in reality my boss."
