Garvin reached out, gently taking Scarlett’s hand in his. His grip was warm but hesitant, as if he feared she might slip away. His voice was thick with emotion as he pleaded, "Will you just give a chance? A chance to make up for my mistakes? A chance to prove that I’m not like him?"
Scarlett sighed heavily, her shoulders sagging under the weight of emotions she wasn’t ready to confront. "Nobody said you’re like him," she murmured, her gaze drifting away. Her voice was soft, but there was an unmistakable finality to it.
"It’s not about you, Garvin. It’s about . To be honest, I do love you, but I just don’t believe it can work between us. I don’t want a relationship, don’t want to be tied down by love or expectations. I just want to make my own money, travel the world, and live my life to the fullest, on my own terms."
Garvin’s grip on her hand tightened slightly, his eyes burning with determination. "Then do all of that with , Scarlett," he urged. "If you want to travel the world, I’ll go with you. If you want to make money, I’ll build an empire with you. Whatever your dreams are, I want to chase them by your side. And I promise you, no rules will be broken. I will follow every single one of them, as long as it ans I get to be with you."
His words sent a shiver through Scarlett, but she forced herself to remain unmoved. However, when he reached out and gently tilted her chin upward, her breath hitched.
Garvin leaned in slowly, giving her a chance to pull away. But she didn’t.
And so, he kissed her.
The mont their lips t, Scarlett’s eyes fluttered shut. The kiss was intense, filled with passion, longing, and unspoken words. She felt herself lting into his embrace, her resolve slipping through her fingers like sand. Every part of her wanted to resist, yet her body betrayed her, responding to him in a way she hadn’t expected.
But then, clarity struck like a cold gust of wind.
She rembered why she had pushed him away in the first place.
She rembered the pain, the fear of losing herself in soone else, of giving her heart away only to have it shattered.
With a determined expression, Scarlett placed her hands on Garvin’s chest and pushed him away, breaking the kiss. Her breath ca in quick, uneven gasps as she took a step back.
"Garvin, stop," she said firmly, her voice laced with frustration. "I an it. I’m not going to change my mind just because you’re good at kissing ."
A smirk tugged at the corner of Garvin’s lips. "So, you admit I’m a good kisser," he teased, his voice low and husky. But before she could respond, his expression softened. "But, Scarlett... I’m not just good at kissing you. I’m good at loving you. And I’m not going to give up on us that easily."
Scarlett’s heart skipped a beat. She saw the sincerity in his gaze, the quiet determination in the set of his jaw. He wasn’t just saying empty words, he ant every single one.
For a mont, she hesitated.
For a mont, she allowed herself to want him.
And then, before she could overthink it, she closed the distance between them and kissed him again.
This ti, she was the one who initiated it, pulling him into her. Their lips moved together in perfect sync, their passion igniting like a fla catching firewood. In that mont, nothing else mattered. Not the past. Not the fear. Not the doubt.
Just them.
Lost in each other.
Until....
"Ahem."
A pointed cough broke through the intimate haze, shattering the mont like glass.
Scarlett and Garvin pulled apart abruptly, turning toward the source of the interruption.
And there, standing with crossed arms and an unimpressed expression, was Ethan.
Ethan stood beside a tree, his gaze fixed on Scarlett and Garvin. His expression was unreadable, but the slight tension in his stance suggested he had been there for long.
"You can continue," he said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. He clearly realized how uncomfortable he sounded because he quickly added, "I’m only here to inform you that Louise and Hunter are awake. They asked for you both."
Then, as if desperate to escape the tension, he turned on his heels and hurried away, leaving Scarlett and Garvin alone once more.
Scarlett let out a heavy sigh, her fingers brushing over her lips as if still feeling the remnants of Garvin’s kiss. "He saw us," she muttered, shaking her head. "Well, I’m sure they’ve already suspected that sothing is going on between us."
She turned to Garvin, a frown tugging at her lips. "Do you think he was standing there for long? He didn’t look like he just arrived." Her brows furrowed, her expression laced with confusion. After a mont, she exhaled and shook her head. "Anyway, I’m just glad Louise and Hunter are conscious now."
Garvin let out a deep breath before lowering himself onto the forest floor. He patted the space beside him, and after a short hesitation, Scarlett sat down as well. They both stared straight ahead, letting the quiet stretch between them.
After a long pause, Garvin finally spoke.
"I’m glad they’re okay too," he said, his voice softer now. Then, shifting his gaze toward Scarlett, he added, "But before we go check on them... does you kissing back earlier an my proposal has been accepted?"
Scarlett remained silent, her posture unreadable. Then, she slowly turned her head to et his gaze.
"Maybe," she replied, a teasing glint in her eyes.
Then, without waiting for his reaction, she looked away and let out a small chuckle, a playful smirk tugging at her lips.
Garvin arched a brow, amusent dancing in his eyes. "Maybe?" he repeated, shaking his head. "Well, at least I’m confident that I’m accepted."
His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled, his heart racing with excitent. Unable to resist, he reached out and gently tucked a stray strand of Scarlett’s hair behind her ear.
"I’ll take that as a yes," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.
Scarlett felt her cheeks warm, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she leaned into his touch, her lashes fluttering shut for a brief mont as she savored the tenderness of the gesture.
A heavy silence settled between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was filled with tension, charged and electric.
Finally, Scarlett opened her eyes, a sly smile curving her lips.
"Don’t get too excited, Garvin," she teased, her voice barely above a whisper. "I said maybe, not yes."
Garvin’s grin faltered for half a second before he let out a chuckle, his amusent returning in full force. "I’ll take my chances," he said confidently, his gaze lingering on her.
Then, as if sothing had just occurred to him, his brow furrowed slightly. "That reminds , now that we’re officially a couple, what kind of skills did we awaken?" He leaned forward slightly, his curiosity evident. "I can’t help but think we’ll need every advantage we can get in this monster-infested world. And if there’s anything we can distribute to the other chosen mbers, that would be even better."
Scarlett nodded thoughtfully. "You’re right, though I doubt it’ll be anything that benefits others. Mated couples don’t usually get skills they can share. If anything, the abilities will likely be sothing we can only use between ourselves." She sighed and stretched her legs. "Still, we should check them out before heading over to Louise and Hunter."
Just then...
Ding!
A faint blue light flickered in front of them, and a holographic screen materialized, hovering in the air.
{Congratulations on becoming a couple in the apocalypse! You’re not just any couple, you are the most powerful. As a reward, you have awakened several new skills.}
Scarlett rolled her eyes at the system’s dramatics and cut straight to the point. "Yeah, yeah. Before you go on, tell this, are these skills capable of imdiately eradicating monsters without causing harm to the survivors?" Her tone was impatient, clearly uninterested in unnecessary explanations.
{Yes, Host. Since you’ve discovered the location of the Safe Haven, your next objective is to build and secure it. The skills you’ve gained are tailored to assist you in leaving this apocalyptic world as soon as possible.}
Scarlett’s brows shot up, her curiosity now fully piqued. "Good."
Ding!
Loading skills obtained...
{Skill 1: Monster Attraction – Increases the likelihood of attracting high-level monsters within a 5-mile radius.}
{Skill 2: Spell Casting – Grants the ability to cast spells that can exterminate a designated number of monsters in a single action, regardless of your location.}
Scarlett and Garvin’s eyes widened as they read the descriptions.
Garvin let out a low whistle. "These are exactly what we need to wipe out the monsters!"
Scarlett’s lips curled into a triumphant grin. "With these abilities, we’re unstoppable. The spell-casting skill alone is a ga-changer, we don’t even have to physically fight the monsters. We can eliminate them from a safe distance with a single command."
Her mind was already racing with ideas. "All we have to do is instruct the survivors and the other chosen mbers to stay indoors. Once we activate the spell, the monsters will die instantly, and we won’t even have to risk our lives in close combat."
Garvin’s excitent mirrored hers. "Exactly! We don’t even need to see the rest of the skills, we’ve already found the one we were hoping for." His expression softened as he turned to her, his voice lowering slightly. "And another thing... we won’t have to, you know, ’renew our visas’ every now and then just to maintain our bond."
Scarlett blinked, then laughed as she realized what he ant.
"Oh? So, you were worried about that, huh?" she teased.
Garvin chuckled, shaking his head. "It’s not that I wouldn’t enjoy it," he admitted with a smirk. "But I want more than just that. I want to actually get to know you, to go on dates, to share als, to have conversations that don’t revolve around survival." He exhaled, glancing at the screen again. "If we slay the monsters tonight, we’ll be able to start building the Safe Haven imdiately. Once it’s ready, the survivors can move in. And when that’s done... I believe we’ll all finally have the chance to return to Earth."
Scarlett’s heart softened at his words.
"Then let’s do it," she said, determination flickering in her eyes. "Let’s end this apocalypse once and for all."
Garvin reached for her hand, giving it a firm squeeze.
"Together."
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