Aubree woke up right on time; her internal alarm never failed her, even after a night of heavy drinking. She woke up clutching her pounding head. The hangover hit her like a sledgehammer to the skull, sending sharp, throbbing pains through her nerves. Aubree sat on the bed in a daze for a long moment before gradually coming to her senses. “Carol must have changed my clothes last night…” Aubree muttered to herself, glancing down at her outfit before scanning the room. She vaguely remembered Bowen being the last to show up. “What happened next?” Aubree wondered.
Still holding her head, Aubree paused, her gaze suddenly blank as confusion washed over her face. “Wait… Did I… Did I really kiss Bowen?” As the memories came flooding back, the scene in the car replayed in her mind with painful clarity. Aubree buried her face in her hands and let out a mortified scream. ‘Oh my God! What the hell did I do?’ she thought in horror. ‘OMG! I can’t believe I actually flirted with Bowen while I was drunk! What the hell was I thinking?’ ‘Bowen must have taken pity on me; he actually let me off the hook instead of strangling me on the spot!’
Her mind raced through the logistics. The esports club was already in its formation stage. While Alvin’s place could accommodate a pro team, it wasn’t spacious enough for the entire club. She needed to find a new venue first, then move on to recruiting staff and coaches, and finally announce open tryouts for new talent for the youth training program. With the prestige of being the Autumn Finals champion, none of these would be difficult. But there was one more important thing. ‘I need to move out of Ellis Heights,’ Aubree thought. ‘Now that the tournament’s over and I’ve got my prize money, I’m financially secure enough to rent a high-security place. But after last night’s incident, even if Bowen didn’t mind, there’s no way I could keep living at Ellis Heights; I’d just die of embarrassment. I’d die of embarrassment if I ran into Bowen anytime soon!’
Seeing it was almost time, Aubree scrambled out of bed. As a senior in high school, she no longer had the freedom to skip classes at will since the new term began. With little appetite, Aubree only managed a few sips of breakfast. She didn’t see Bowen around. She had planned to mention she was moving out if he was there. ‘After all, I’ve been staying at his place for quite a while. It just wouldn’t feel right to leave without saying a word,’ she thought.
She didn’t ask, but Carol saw right through her. “Looking for Bowen, Aubree?” she asked gently. “There was an urgent matter at the Odionland branch, so he left last night. He probably won’t be back for a while.” Carol said with a knowing smile, “Don’t worry, Bowen said he’ll definitely be back before your birthday.” Aubree shifted uncomfortably, convinced Carol must have guessed something. Aubree scratched the back of her head. “I just wanted to…” she started, but then thought, ‘Forget it. Bowen’s not even here right now; there’s no point telling Carol I’m moving out.’ Aubree said, “Never mind, I’m off to school. Bye, Carol.”
Aubree grabbed a sandwich, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and saw Zachary already waiting in the car at the door. “Hey, Zachary,” Aubree said, “I’ll be moving out of Ellis Heights soon, so from now on you won’t need to pick me up anymore.” “Miss Miller,” Zachary said firmly, “Mr. Turner’s orders are clear. I’m responsible for your transportation and protection.” This meant that her moving wouldn’t change his assignment. “But I’m not living at Ellis Heights anymore,” Aubree said with a hint of helplessness. “It’ll be a hassle for you to keep following me around.” “I need direct orders from Mr. Turner. Before leaving, Mr. Turner only told me to protect you,” Zachary added firmly. ‘Why does he have to be so damn stubborn?’ Aubree thought in frustration.
Aubree gave up trying to persuade Zachary. After spending some time with him, she realized that if this were ancient times, he’d be the very definition of blind loyalty. He only took orders from Bowen. Nobody else’s words would count. ‘When is Bowen coming back, anyway?’ Aubree thought, gazing absently out the window at the scenery whizzing past, her mind completely blank. The image of Bowen’s smiling face suddenly flashed before her eyes. Aubree shuddered and thought, ‘Did that damn kiss mess with my head? ‘OMG! I can’t believe I’m actually thinking about Bowen!’ That thought was absolutely horrifying. Aubree shook her head vigorously, as if trying to physically shake the idea loose, and began silently reciting Odionlandian vocabulary, anything to distract herself. Aubree muttered under her breath, desperately trying to focus on her vocabulary list instead of that infuriatingly handsome face.