Cee Wakes Up & Sees Carlos' Softer Side
Cee stirred awake, her body feeling unusually heavy. Her head ached, and there was a dull throbbing in her cheek. As she blinked, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings, memories of last night hit her all at once—the attack, Carlos saving her, his warmth as he carried her, the way she clung to him like he was the only solid thing in her world.
She turned her head and spotted Carlos sleeping on the couch across the room. His usually sharp features were softened in sleep, his breathing steady. It was strange seeing him like this—relaxed, almost peaceful.
Her gaze shifted to the bedside table, where her phone lay. She picked it up and turned it on. Immediately, it vibrated with 15 missed calls and countless texts.
> Ava: Where the hell are you?!
Ava: If you don't call me back, I swear I'm filing a missing person report!
Ava: ANSWER YOUR DAMN PHONE, CEE!!
Cee sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. Before she could call back, a deep voice interrupted.
"You're awake."
She turned sharply to see Carlos sitting up, his piercing eyes scanning her as if assessing whether she was still in pain.
"Yeah… Sorry for the trouble," she said quietly.
"It wasn't trouble," he replied, his tone firm. Then his gaze flickered to her phone. "Your… 'LOML' was calling all night."
There was something off in his voice. A flicker of emotion she couldn't quite place. She frowned, confused, but before she could question him, Lucas walked in, grinning.
"Damn, Cee. You've got this guy breaking all his rules for you," Lucas teased. "Did you know he didn't leave your side all night?"
Cee's eyes widened slightly, glancing at Carlos, but he said nothing—just stared at the floor like he hadn't just done something completely out of character.
Before she could process it, her phone vibrated again—Ava. She quickly picked up.
"AVA, I'm fine!"
"Fine?! FINE?! I thought you were kidnapped!" Ava yelled. "Where are you? Why didn't you pick up? And WHY is your phone suddenly off?!"
Cee blinked. Off? She hadn't turned it off—then realization dawned on her.
Carlos.
She turned to glare at him, but he looked unbothered, like he hadn't just cut off her only lifeline last night.
"Wait a second," Ava continued, her tone shifting. "Who were you with?"
Cee hesitated.
"Cee. Don't tell me…" Ava gasped dramatically. "Holy shit. You were with Carlos?!"
Cee groaned. "I'll explain later. I'm coming back soon."
After freshening up, Cee insisted she could return on her own.
"I'll take you," Carlos said flatly.
"You don't have to—"
"I wasn't asking."
Lucas snickered. "Bro, at least pretend to be polite."
Carlos ignored him and grabbed his car keys.
On the drive back, silence stretched between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Cee stole a few glances at him—he was calm, but there was an edge to him, like he was holding something back.
Before she got out of the car, Carlos finally spoke.
"If anything like that happens again, you call me. Understood?"
There was no room for argument in his voice. Cee hesitated, then nodded.
The moment Cee stepped into her dorm, Ava tackled her with questions which she in turn answers telling her everything that happened.
"YOU STAYED THE NIGHT WITH CARLOS MILTON?!"
"Ava, relax—"
"Relax?! Cee, the guy's practically untouchable! His family doesn't just own companies, they own politicians! Do you realize how insane that is?!"
Cee blinked. "I… know all that."
Ava groaned, then smirked. "Well, he's totally into you."
Cee snorted. "No, he's not."
"Then why was he the one who picked you up when you needed someone?" Ava shot back.
Cee opened her mouth to argue but had no answer.
Later that day, while heading to class, Cee bumped into Ryan—a popular, well-liked senior who had been subtly flirting with her for weeks.
"Hey, you weren't at work yesterday. Everything okay?" Ryan asked, his voice warm with concern.
Before she could respond, a familiar deep voice cut in.
"She's fine."
Cee turned in shock—Carlos was standing there, his gaze cold as he sized Ryan up.
Ryan raised a brow. "And you are?"
"Someone who doesn't like people wasting her time," Carlos replied smoothly.
Cee shot him an incredulous look. "Excuse me? I can speak for myself—"
But Carlos wasn't listening. He turned and walked away like the conversation was already over.
Ryan chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, that was intense. I didn't know you two were close."
Cee sighed, already feeling a headache coming. "Neither did I."
That night, Carlos sat in his apartment, scrolling through his phone when Lucas walked in, smirking.
"So, you are jealous."
Carlos didn't look up, but his grip on his phone tightened.
"I don't care about that guy," he muttered.
Lucas laughed. "Right. And I'm the Pope."