Chapter 57 Be Nice to Miss Ellie

Chapter 57 Be Nice to Miss Ellie
Tyler casually spread out a blanket on the floor and lay down.
In the darkness, Ellie lay on her side, facing him, her eyes wide and troubled.

Her fingers clenched the sheet as she wondered, How did he end up here?
The familiar, gruff voice came from the floor. "What are you looking at? Go to sleep."
Ellie rolled over and closed her eyes.
In the middle of the night, Tyler was awakened by her ragged breathing.
He sat up, heart thudding, and found Ellie curled up on the bed, gasping for air, her face twisted with distress.
He stood up, sat down beside the bed, and reached out to pull her into his arms.
Careful, avoiding her wounds, he placed his palm gently on her thin, trembling back and rubbed slow, reassuring circles.
Her breathing gradually evened out; Ellie's lashes fluttered, and she finally slipped into sleep, her brow smoothing.
Tyler tiptoed out to the balcony.
He sent a message to Patrick: [Found anything yet? Hurry up.]
Patrick replied quickly: [Found some of it, but not everything. I'll have it all sorted out by tomorrow night."
A few seconds later, another message arrived.
[Mr. Torres, be nice to Miss Ellie. Don't cheat on her. Consider this a personal plea from me.]
Tyler frowned.
[Are you out of your mind?]
After typing those four words, his finger hesitated.
What exactly had Patrick found?
The next morning——
Ellie woke up.
Breakfast was waiting on the table.
The toast was lightly toasted, the scrambled eggs were steaming, and a cup of black coffee sat beside them.
Ellie had just finished washing up and taken a bite of her toast when the door opened.
Tyler came in, wearing only a cardigan with the collar open.
The contours of his chest were faintly visible through the fabric.
Ellie set down her toast and stared at him.
"What's wrong? I went for a morning run."
She stood up and walked toward him.
Tyler froze, a muscle jumping in his jaw, startled by her closeness.
Before he could react, her fingers parted his collar and slipped inside.
Tyler's breath caught in his throat.
Ellie pointed to the bruise on his chest. "What's this?"
His gaze followed her fingertip as his Adam's apple bobbed. "I got shot."
She looked up, her eyes flashing with shock and concern.
"Body armor only stops the bullet from entering," he explained. "It doesn't stop the impact. It's just a bruise. It'll heal soon."
Ellie frowned, her thoughts swirling.

A bullet wound?
What had he been up to?
What a thrilling life.
She looked back at the bruise and gently pressed her finger against it.
Tyler's eyes darkened, emotions flickering across his face, caught between control and longing.
Ellie tilted her face up, meeting his gaze.
"Did it happen at Bluewater Cove?"
"Mm-hmm," he replied, his gaze settling on her lips.
"What does it feel like...to get shot?"
Tyler looked away. "Through the body armor, it's just a jolt."
"Does it hurt?"
He didn't answer.
Ellie lowered her eyes and stared at the bruise for a moment longer.
"Aren't you afraid of dying?"
Tyler looked at her, pausing for a moment.
"I'm a little scared right now."
Ellie withdrew her hands, smoothed out his collar, and turned.
Tyler stood rooted to the spot, glancing down, clearly flustered and conflicted.
He sighed helplessly.
"I'm off to class," Ellie said, her bag in hand.
Tyler slipped on his jacket. "I'll drive you."

Neither of them spoke on the way.
They drove all the way to campus and then pulled over.
Tyler opened her door. "What time are you done? I'll pick you up."
"I'm going to the art studio today."
He frowned. "Are you painting until eleven again?"
"Not sure. Maybe ten, maybe eleven."
"Your body can't handle it. Don't stay out that late."
"Everyone does it. Some even stay out until the early morning hours."
"Are they all that driven?"
"Anyway, it'll be late," Ellie said. "You don't need to worry about me."
"I'll bring you dinner tonight," he said.
She didn't respond.
Once he had driven off, campus sounds faded in the distance as Hazel, who had stood not far away, rushed over and bumped her shoulder against Ellie's.
"Hey!" Her eyes sparkled. "Are you living together now?"
A hint of exasperation flashed in Ellie's eyes. "Keep your curiosity to yourself."
"No way," Hazel said, hooking her arm through Ellie's. "I'm sticking with you for this class. You have to fill me in during class."
Ignoring her, Ellie walked straight to the classroom.
Hazel followed her all the way to class, squeezed into the seat next to her, and bombarded her with questions.
"What's his name?"
"Mason."
"What does he do?"
"He's a rich kid."
"So he has a lot of free time? Is he married to a student?"
"I don't know."
"He's clearly the tough-guy type. Why'd he pick that car? It's dreamy yet elegant."
"He gave it to me."
"He gave it to you?" Hazel nearly jumped out of her seat. "Where's the key? Let me drive it! Right now!"
"Get lost."
"I'm going to take it for a spin around the city to show it off!"
"No way."
By nightfall, long after classes were over, the lights in the art studio turned on.
Most of the students were still in the architecture building.
Even Hazel was hunched over at the far end, hard at work.
Dinnertime.
Tyler pushed the door open.
Ellie froze for a moment.
"What's with that look?" Tyler set down what he was holding. "We agreed I'd bring you dinner."
"How did you get in?" Ellie asked, confused. "Security is tight."
"I just managed to get in," Tyler said, pushing the dinner tray toward her.
Ellie opened the tray, took a couple of bites, then stopped.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
She tilted her head and replied, "It doesn't taste like the food from the restaurants nearby."
He smiled.
Of course it wasn't.
He'd consulted a nutritionist and had every meal custom-made to suit her current condition.
He'd also flown in a chef from Sunny City to prepare and deliver the meals fresh.
Ellie finished eating and turned back to her paintbrushes.
She'd missed a few days of class, and her desk was piled high with homework.
Tyler slipped out.
Her phone lit up in the hallway.
It was a message from Patrick: [Mr. Torres! You'd better brace yourself.]