Emmett sat quietly on the edge of his hospital bed, staring out the window as the events played over and over in his mind like a broken record. The fire, the confrontation with Perry, Valerie's condition—it all seemed like too much to process at once. His body still ached from the smoke inhalation, and though he was no longer in danger, the weight of everything lingered heavily on him.
His thoughts were interrupted by the soft sound of footsteps approaching. Larissa stood in the doorway, a gentle smile on her face as she carried a small bowl of peeled fruit. The concern in her eyes was clear, though she tried to hide it with her usual warm demeanor.
"You're not going online tonight to cultivate?" Emmett asked, his voice sounding more tired than he intended. He was used to seeing Larissa spend every possible moment working on her cultivation. Seeing her here, at night when she could go online, instead of preparing for the next mission in Saga, felt strange. As she had confided to him before that Saga was a form of therapy for her, to break out of her shy coccon.
Larissa shook her head as she approached him, setting the bowl on the small bedside table. "No, not tonight," she replied softly. "After everything that's happened... how could I focus on cultivating? I just wanted to be here and make sure you were okay."
Her words were sincere, and Emmett could feel the concern radiating off her as she pulled up a chair and sat beside him. Without saying another word, Larissa picked up a piece of fruit from the bowl and gently held it to his lips.
Emmett hesitated for a moment before taking a small bite. The sweetness of the fruit contrasted with the bitterness in his heart as his mind continued to wander. Larissa was kind, beautiful, and devoted. Any guy would be lucky to have someone like her in his life. But there was something missing—something he couldn't quite put into words.
As she peeled another piece of fruit, her delicate hands moving with practiced care, Emmett found himself thinking about how perfect Larissa seemed on paper. She was shy yet loyal, gentle yet determined, and had a grace that charmed almost everyone around her. Earlier in Valerie's hospital room, Larissa had effortlessly won over Valerie and his parents and made the room feel lighter with her kindness.
If he were being objective, Larissa was everything a guy should want in a partner—someone who could easily become a loving wife, the type of person his parents would undoubtedly approve of. She was modest, polite, and knew how to make adults smile. In many ways, she would make the perfect daughter-in-law.
But as much as Emmett respected and cared for Larissa, she didn't make his heart race the way he thought love should feel. He could appreciate her beauty, her kindness, but she didn't stir that sense of excitement in him. Sometimes his heart would beat faster around her, but it wasn't the thrilling, head-spinning kind of feeling he thought it should be. It was more... anxiety, a nervousness that came from not wanting to hurt her feelings.
He had tried to let her down gently, multiple times in fact, but every attempt only seemed to bring her closer. How was he supposed to navigate this without damaging their friendship, or worse, their whole group dynamic?
Larissa's voice brought him back to the present. "Emmett, you've been so amazing through all of this," she said, her voice soft and filled with gratitude. She smiled shyly as she placed another piece of fruit in his hand. "I just wanted to thank you... for always being there for me."
Emmett swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond. Before he could think of something to say, Larissa stood up and walked over to her bag, rummaging around for a moment. His curiosity piqued as he watched her closely. What was she looking for?
A few seconds later, she returned, holding a small box of condoms in her hand. She set it down casually on the bedside table, right next to the fruit bowl, and gave him a playful smile.
"Better to be prepared, right?" she said, her tone light, but the implication behind her words hung heavily in the air.
Emmett's eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat as his mind raced to catch up with what was happening. This wasn't the shy and normal Larissa. "Uh, Larissa... I don't think—"
Before he could finish, Larissa leaned over and gently pushed him back onto the bed, her hand resting firmly on his chest as she straddled him. She moved with a surprising amount of confidence, her shy demeanor momentarily replaced with determination.
Without giving him a chance to protest, she bent down and kissed him deeply, her lips soft yet insistent. Emmett's mind went blank for a moment, caught completely off guard by her sudden boldness. Larissa had always been shy and reserved, so this side of her left him utterly confused and unsure of how to react.
As she pressed her body against his, Emmett's heart raced—not with excitement, but with panic. His hands fumbled at his sides, desperately searching for something, anything, to stop the situation from escalating. He had to think fast. He cared about Larissa, but not like this. Not in a way that would lead to what she clearly wanted.
Her hands started to wander, trailing down his sides and slipping under the thin hospital gown. Emmett's mind screamed at him to stop this, but his body felt weak, still recovering from the day's events. He finally managed to reach the emergency call button and pressed it without hesitation.
The door to his hospital room swung open a minute later, and a nurse stepped inside, her concerned expression quickly turning into one of amusement as she took in the scene.
Larissa jolted upright, her face flushed bright red as she hurriedly stepped away from the bed, clearly mortified by the interruption. She wiped her lips with the back of her hand, her confidence crumbling as quickly as it had appeared.
"I-I'll come back tomorrow," Larissa mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper as she gathered her things and rushed out of the room, avoiding the nurse's gaze.
The nurse raised an eyebrow, clearly trying to stifle a laugh as she approached Emmett's bedside. "Should I have given you two a little more time alone?" she teased, her tone light and playful.
Emmett let out a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "No, trust me, you came in at the perfect moment. Things were getting... a little too intense." He shot her a cheeky grin. "Besides, I'm not really into kids."
The nurse smirked, folding her arms across her chest. "Kids, huh? And what about someone more... mature?" She winked at him, clearly enjoying the banter.
Emmett laughed, feeling the tension in the room finally begin to dissipate. "Well, if it were someone as lovely as you, I wouldn't have pressed the button so fast."
The nurse chuckled, shaking her head. "You're quite the charmer, aren't you?" she said, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
After checking his vitals and ensuring that everything was in order, the nurse gave him one last teasing smile before heading toward the door. "Try to behave yourself, okay?" she called over her shoulder.
"I'll do my best," Emmett replied with a wink, feeling a little more at ease now that the awkwardness with Larissa had passed—at least for the moment.
But as the door clicked shut, and the nurse's footsteps faded down the hallway, Emmett let out a long, exhausted sigh. The humor of the situation did little to soothe the complicated mess of emotions swirling inside him. Larissa's advances had caught him completely off guard, and while he knew she meant well, he couldn't help but feel uneasy about the entire situation.
She was a wonderful girl, no doubt about that. But this wasn't how he wanted things to go. This wasn't the path he wanted their friendship to take, and the pressure of trying to let her down gently was becoming overwhelming. Every time he thought he was being clear, Larissa seemed to interpret his actions as something more. And every time he tried to pull away, she found a way to draw closer.
He didn't want to hurt her, but he was starting to realize that no matter what he did, someone was going to get hurt. If he kept letting this go on, he'd end up leading her on, and that wasn't fair to her. But rejecting her outright? Maybe that was the only way.
Emmett rubbed his temples, feeling the beginnings of a headache form. Why couldn't things be simpler? Why couldn't he just feel for Larissa the way she clearly felt for him? It would make everything so much easier.
But no matter how hard he tried, his heart just wasn't in it.
Lying back on the bed, Emmett stared up at the ceiling, his thoughts spinning in endless circles. He didn't want to lose the friendship they had, and he definitely didn't want to create awkwardness within their close-knit group. But with each passing day, it felt like the tension was building, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out before something snapped.
As the exhaustion from the day finally began to take its toll, Emmett closed his eyes, hoping that sleep would bring him some much-needed clarity. But even as he drifted off, the weight of the situation lingered in the back of his mind, refusing to let him rest.
A few hours later, the soft creak of the door opening stirred Emmett from his sleep. His eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, he was disoriented, not quite sure if he was still in the hospital or back in the game world of Saga. The room was dark except for the faint glow from the hallway filtering in through the open door.
His initial grogginess faded as he squinted into the darkness, trying to make out who had come into his room. "Is it time for a check-up?" he mumbled, half expecting to see the nurse from earlier.
Instead, the figure stepped further into the room, and as the soft light from the hallway illuminated the person, Emmett's eyes widened in surprise. It wasn't just anyone—it was the nurse from earlier. But something about the way she moved, slow and deliberate, immediately woke him up.
"Uh, hey... everything okay?" Emmett asked, his voice still hoarse from sleep, but now tinged with uncertainty.
The nurse didn't answer right away. She just smiled, a slow, almost predatory grin that sent a shiver of excitement down Emmett's spine. Without saying a word, she began unbuttoning her uniform, her eyes never leaving his.
"Wait, what are you...?" Emmett's voice trailed off as his brain struggled to catch up with what was happening.
The nurse let her clothes drop to the floor, revealing a black lace bra and panties underneath. She moved with the confidence of someone who had done this before, stepping closer to Emmett's bed as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"My shift is over, and it's time for a... deep check-up," she whispered, her voice low and sultry. Her eyes gleamed in the dim light as she slowly climbed onto the bed, her movements graceful and deliberate.
Emmett's heart raced, his body caught between instinct and shock. Was he winning the lottery once again?
"Uh, you sure about this?" he asked, his voice shaky, trying to keep things light despite the awkwardness of the situation. "I mean, last time you asked if I wanted to hit the button. You still offering me that option?"
The nurse leaned in closer, her face just inches from his, and smiled. "I don't think you'll want to hit the button this time."
Her breath was warm against his skin, and as she pressed her body against his, Emmett's mind went blank for a moment, unsure of what to do. He hadn't expected this—hell, he hadn't even seen it coming. The situation was spiraling fast, and he needed to get control, but for some reason, his body refused to cooperate.
Before he could react, the nurse leaned down and kissed him deeply, her lips soft but demanding. Emmett's hands instinctively went to her shoulders, pulling her in.
After a long, breathless moment, the nurse pulled back, her lips glistening in the dim light as she looked down at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Still want to press the button?" she teased, her voice barely above a whisper.
Emmett swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. He wasn't sure what to say or how to react, but one thing was clear—he would not press that damn button.
"Uh... I think I feel bad, you should do another deep check," Emmett finally managed, his voice shaky but firm. He tried to sit up, but the nurse gently pushed him back down, her hands surprisingly strong as they held him in place.
"Relax," she purred, her fingers tracing down his chest. "You've had a long day. Let me take care of you."
In the early morning, the sun shined in through the window, Emmett was asleep with with a beautiful woman in his arms.
Suddenly the door swung open, this time with a loud creak that startled both Emmett and the nurse awake. The nurse froze, her eyes wide with shock, as another figure stepped into the room.
It was Larissa.
She stood in the doorway, her eyes wide with disbelief as she took in the scene before her. For a moment, the room was deathly silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.
Emmett's heart sank, realizing how this must look. He quickly covered the nurse and his naked body with a blanket, his voice cracking with panic. "Larissa, this isn't what it looks like—"
But Larissa didn't wait to hear his explanation. Her face flushed with a mixture of anger and hurt, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room without a word.
The nurse, now just as flustered, scrambled off the bed, quickly grabbing her clothes and dressing herself. "I... I should go," she mumbled, clearly embarrassed by the sudden intrusion.
"Good idea, and sorry for making you feel embarrassed," Emmett muttered under his breath, feeling a knot of frustration tightening in his chest.
Without another word, the nurse hurried out of the room, leaving Emmett alone once again, his mind racing with the fallout of what had just happened.
He leaned back against the pillows, running a hand through his hair as the reality of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks. Larissa had seen everything. This was going to be a disaster.
As the adrenaline from the encounter began to wear off, Emmett felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion wash over him. He had no idea how he was going to explain this to Larissa—or if she would even listen.
Closing his eyes, he let out a long, frustrated sigh. This was not how he had imagined his day to start.
Not even close.