"Goodnight, my dear girlfriend!

", It was half an hour later when I got a message from Ernest., I had no idea what I'd been doing for that half hour. Was I taking a cold shower like they do in the novels?, Thinking back to that abrupt stop earlier, I was too embarrassed to reply to him., I didn't sleep well that night, probably because I didn't take that cold shower. It felt like something was crawling under my skin., The door to desire, an insatiable chasm, I'd learned that lesson firsthand., Restless and uneasy, I woke up early., But no matter how early I was, Ernest was already out for his morning run., The man's energy and stamina were truly admirable., And in that department, I bet he was just as vigorous!, I felt like I was under a spell, my thoughts constantly drifting to...that., And it was all Fanny's fault. Why did she give me such rotten advice last night?, Without caring what time it was, I texted her:

"Hungry? Get up and join me for breakfast.

", I had soup last night, but with all the overthinking, I was already starving., Normally, I'd just tell Ernest, and he'd whip up breakfast, but today..., I figured it was best to avoid him., A bit dramatic, perhaps, but I had no choice., After more than twenty years, experiencing what happened last night for the first time, even though nothing really happened, felt worse than if it had. The more I thought about it, the more awkward I felt., Do other couples feel this way after taking that final step, waking up the next morning as flustered as I am?, Sigh, I'm really losing my edge., I hadn't even lifted my fingers from the keyboard when Fanny's video call came through.,

"Looks like last night was a bust, huh?

" she teased right away.,

"Don't start. If it wasn't for you, would I be starving this early in the morning?

" I blamed her first thing., Fanny, clad in her lab coat and lounging in her office chair, perked up,

"Spill the beans. What happened last night? I need a good story to wake me up.

", I rolled my eyes,

"Dr. Willis, have you no professional ethics?

",

"You can attack me, but don't insult my sacred profession,

" Fanny jabbed at me through the screen.,

"Buy me breakfast, and I'll tell you,

" I got up,

"You're at the hospital, right? I'll come over.

", Fanny yawned,

"Sure, bring me a tofu scramble and some hash browns.

",

"Alright, Dr. Willis,

" I ended the call and sighed as I went to the bathroom., Mirror-me, despite the restless night, looked surprisingly fresh, cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling., It was weird. I thought I'd look like a raccoon with dark circles., Could this be the so-called glow of love?, I quickly freshened up and changed, then tiptoed out the door, hoping not to wake Ernest., Success!, I locked the door and headed downstairs, relieved, and began to walk to my car., That's when Ernest's voice cut through the morning fog,

"Where are you off to so early?

", I froze, gripping my car keys tighter., Without turning, I hurriedly said,

"Going to see Fanny.

", As I finished, Ernest's steady footsteps followed, and instinctively, I sped up., But I couldn't outpace his long strides. Ernest blocked my path, his deep eyes drilling into me,

"Are you not feeling well? Or is something wrong?

" His voice was tense, clearly worried., I couldn't bring myself to meet his gaze, merely shaking my head,

"No, no, it's just... Dr. Willis was hungry, and I'm bringing her breakfast.

", Back in the day, this excuse would have flown. But in the era of food delivery apps, who gets up at the crack of dawn to deliver food? Ernest wasn't fooled, and softly, he admitted,

"I knew you'd avoid me.

", I was taken aback, finally looking up at him., Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.