Chapter 240

Jace's POV

I deliberately kept my shoes on, making a conscious effort to avoid looking in Eleanor's direction. The delicate design of her slip dress demanded extra caution from me, though my peripheral vision betrayed occasional glimpses that I immediately suppressed.

Supporting Drew's stumbling form, I guided him through the apartment. "Which room should he sleep in?" I asked, keeping my voice neutral and professional.

"Mine," Eleanor pointed down the hallway. "This way."

I felt my throat tighten involuntarily but quickly regained my composure. The situation was already awkward enough without my discomfort becoming apparent. As I half-carried, half-dragged Drew's considerable weight toward Eleanor's room, I couldn't help but notice the subtle fragrance of lavender that seemed to permeate the space. It was so different from the expensive perfumes she used to wear at the Harrington residence.

Just as I managed to lower Drew onto Eleanor's bed, careful to maintain my balance-

"Urgh!"

Drew suddenly lurched forward, emptying the contents of his stomach all over my shirt and pants. Wave after wave of sick splattered across my clothing, the warm, acidic smell instantly making my own stomach turn. After what felt like an eternity, he finally stopped, rolled over, and immediately started snoring. In his drunken stupor, he mumbled, "I need to go to my girlfriend's... It's her birthday... Need to be there..."

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence, broken only by Drew's gentle snoring and the distant hum of the air conditioning.

I watched as Eleanor carefully climbed onto the bed to check on Drew, her movements cautious and measured. The scene before me felt surreal-Eleanor Yates, who once wouldn't even pour her own water, now tending to a drunk friend with such natural concern.

"I should go," I said, already turning toward the door. "He's your responsibility now." The words came out harsher than I intended, perhaps betraying my discomfort with the whole situation.

"Don't you want to clean up first?"

Her voice stopped me in my tracks, my fingers instinctively clenching at my sides. The mess on my clothes was becoming unbearable, the fabric sticking uncomfortably to my skin. My obsession with cleanliness was screaming at me to get out of these clothes immediately.

"Drew keeps some clothes here," she continued, her voice careful and measured. "You could take a shower, and I'll find something for you to change into."

I knew she was being considerate of my well-known germaphobia. The thought of traveling home in these soiled clothes was already making my skin crawl.

"Don't overthink it," she added quickly, perhaps noticing my hesitation. "It's just because Drew ruined your clothes... Of course, if you'd rather leave, that's fine too. Just make sure to lock the front door on your way out..."

"Thank you," I turned to face her, keeping my tone politely distant. "I appreciate it."

My response seemed to surprise her, and I realized she might have only been making a perfunctory offer. But before I could backtrack, she said, "I'll go run the water for you."

I watched as she moved between the bathroom and bedroom, gathering towels and clothes with an efficiency I wouldn't have expected from her a year ago. The Eleanor I knew from the Harrington household would have called for a maid at the slightest inconvenience. Now here she was, handling everything herself with a quiet competence that was somehow more elegant than all her previous affected sophistication.

The transformation fascinated me. Was it the change in environment that had shaped her into this more grounded person? Or was it Drew's influence? The thought of Drew's role in her life created an unexpected tightness in my chest that I chose not to examine too closely.

Eleanor's POV

I watched as Jace turned and walked away. When I caught his gaze for that brief moment, all I saw was his cold, retreating figure.

A bitter smile crossed my lips. Jace probably never imagined I would become like this. Back at the Harrington residence, I was indeed spoiled and willful.

After cleaning up the floor, I went to get a warm washcloth for Drew, gently wiping his face and hands. I removed his shoes and jacket to make him more comfortable as he lay there. The sight of him so vulnerable tugged at something inside me - this man who had shown me nothing but kindness, even at my worst.

Once I finished taking care of Drew, I walked into the bathroom and caught my reflection in the mirror - I was still wearing that alluring slip dress. A wave of emotion rippled through me, but I quickly pushed it aside. What attraction could I possibly hold for Jace now? Even if I had stripped bare, it wouldn't have mattered. Why should I care anymore?

Still, I changed out of the dress. There was clearly no chance of things progressing with Drew tonight, not in his current state. I couldn't pretend I wasn't disappointed - all my romantic plans for the evening had quite literally been thrown up on. But because it was Drew, I found I could tolerate almost anything. His kindness made it impossible to truly be angry at anything he did.

After changing into sleepwear, I went to the kitchen to make some honey water for Drew and heat up the sweet dumplings we'd brought home earlier. Just as I finished preparing everything in the open kitchen, the bathroom door opened. Jace emerged wearing Drew's pajamas, his hair still damp from the shower.

Drew's clothes hung loose on Jace's frame - Drew had lost weight recently, and I'd bought these pajamas to fit his current size. Jace was actually slightly taller than Drew. Perhaps it was my imagination, but Jace seemed thinner than I remembered...

"Excuse me, is there a hair dryer?" Jace asked politely.

I snapped out of my thoughts, realizing I'd been staring too long. Someone like Jace, who took such meticulous care of himself and knew exactly how to climb the social ladder, would never neglect his health. If he had lost weight, it would only be in pursuit of his career goals. As long as he deemed the trade-off between his body and the wealth and status he craved worthwhile, who was I to judge?

"Yes, I'll get it for you." I set down what I was doing and walked from behind the counter to fetch the hair dryer from my bathroom.

As I handed it to him, our arms came into view side by side. My eyes flickered slightly as I glanced down at my sleepwear, suddenly aware that I was wearing the matching set I'd bought with Drew. I'd placed them in the bathroom earlier, planning for us to wear them together after... well. I'd put them on without thinking.

Once upon a time, I'd dreamed of living under the same roof as Jace, wearing matching clothes - all those things I'd wanted so desperately but could never have. Now that I'd completely given up on those dreams, here they were, manifesting in the most ironic way possible. The universe really did have a twisted sense of humor.

I handed Jace the hair dryer without comment. There was no need to explain - he wouldn't care anyway. To someone without feelings, what you wear means nothing. Besides, I'd made it clear earlier that these were Drew's pajamas. It was only natural for Drew and me to have matching sets.

Back at the counter, I continued preparing the sweet treats for Drew. I noticed Jace glance at me, his eyes lingering on my matching sleepwear. For a moment, I thought I saw a hint of color rise in his downcast eyes.

Jace returned to the bathroom to dry his hair. I placed the honey water and sweet dumplings on Drew's bedside table, but seeing him sleeping so deeply, I decided not to wake him. After a moment's consideration, I walked to the bathroom and knocked: "Jace, give me your clothes."

Jace opened the door, his hair half-dry. "What?"

Without further explanation, I walked in. His clothes lay on the counter, still covered in Drew's vomit. As I reached for them, he quickly moved to stop me. "What are you doing?"

I gave him a hard look. "I'm going to wash them. Unless you plan to go home wearing Drew's pajamas?"