The Heart System

Chapter 198: Chapter 198

I walked up the narrow concrete steps and knocked on the door. Three taps. Firm, normal. The hallway behind me smelled like damp carpet and someone’s burned dinner. Rain pattered against the thin windows, wind sliding through the corridor like it was trying to get inside.

I waited.

Then the door creaked open.

Cora stood there in a loose gray T-shirt and black shorts. Not really a ”dinner outfit,” but knowing her, this was probably the nicest thing she had clean. Her hair was messy, sticking out in uneven tufts. Her cheeks went bright red as soon as she saw me.

”H... hi...” she whispered, stepping aside. ”W-welcome.”

”Hey,” I said as I walked in. ”Thanks for inviting me.”

The door closed with a soft thump.

Inside... yeah. It was small. Really small.

A single cramped living room connected straight into a kitchenette. No separation, just two tired rooms pretending to be one. The walls were off-white, scuffed in places. A sagging couch with uneven cushions sat against the wall, covered with a wrinkled blanket. A tiny TV rested on a plastic stand that looked like it came from a discount store. Three doors branched off the room: two slightly open, showing beds inside; one closed tight, probably the bathroom.

The space felt poor but clean. Definitely Cora’s doing.

There was no dinner table, only a narrow kitchen counter with two stools tucked under it. The counter had two plates set out already.

She’d cooked something simple. Rice, vegetables, and chicken with a reddish sauce. Nothing fancy, but it smelled surprisingly good.

I rubbed my hands together and sat on one of the stools. ”Looks delicious.”

Cora laughed nervously, her voice shaking. ”I... I made it myself. Hehe...”

”Where’s your sister?” I asked.

”In her room. She’s sleeping. She always sleeps.” Cora glanced toward one of the cracked doors, then back at me. ”Please... let’s eat.”

Her voice trembled, but she smiled anyway.

We sat side by side at the counter, steam rising from the plates. Rain hit the window harder now, the sun long gone. The room glowed under a single ceiling light, warm in color but a little too dim.

Cora picked up her fork, hands shaking like she was trying to hold still and couldn’t.

”Dig in... please,” she whispered.

I nodded, grabbed my fork, and started eating with her, both of us silent except for the sound of rain and the soft clink of cutlery.

I took another bite, chewed, and nodded. ”This is actually really good, Cora. Way better than anything I’d manage to cook.”

Her cheeks flushed. ”Th... thank you. I tried hard.”

”Shows,” I said.

Rain tapped steadily at the window, like fingers drumming on thin glass. The wind pushed against the building, making the frame creak once. The lights flickered for a second before settling.

”Crazy weather,” I muttered.

”It’s been like this all day,” Cora said quietly. ”Storm warning and everything. I kind of like the sound though. It feels safe.”

”Safe. Never heard someone call a storm that before.”

She gave a tiny nervous laugh and kept eating.

Then a muffled sound drifted out from the hallway. A soft, unclear noise, like someone murmuring through a blanket.

I paused, raised an eyebrow.

Cora noticed immediately. ”It’s probably Esme. My sister. She talks in her sleep a lot.”

”Right,” I said. ”Makes sense.”

We kept eating.

The kitchen smelled warm from the food, something simple but comforting. Rice, vegetables, a little chicken. The overhead light cast a soft yellow over everything. The rain kept streaking down the window in crooked lines. The place felt small but lived-in.

Cora was sitting close to me, our stools almost touching. Her shirt was thin and she wasn’t wearing a bra. I didn’t stare or anything, but it was impossible not to notice the outline of her nipples through the fabric every time she reached for the salt or leaned forward. I focused on my plate, trying not to be awkward.

”So,” I asked, ”how’s it going with Charlotte?”

Cora’s lips curved into that unsettling little smile of hers. ”It’s going good. Really good.”

”Alright,” I said, letting it drop. ”G-glad to hear that.”

She kept smiling while she chewed, her feet swinging under the stool. Rain hammered harder against the window. Thunder rolled from somewhere far away.

We sat there side by side, eating in silence, the storm echoing around the small apartment.

We kept eating for another minute, the plates warming our hands, the rain rattling like gravel against the window.

”Hey,” I said, wiping my mouth with a napkin. ”Sorry for not bringing that wine I promised. I forgot. Had a bunch of shit to take care of today.”

Cora shook her head quickly. ”It’s okay. I don’t really like wine anyway. It tastes weird. I prefer coffee.”

”Same,” I said. ”Wine tastes like someone squeezed grapes through a sock and then charged fifty bucks for it.”

She let out a soft snort and covered her mouth, shoulders shaking a little.

Another muffled sound came from one of the closed rooms. I glanced toward the hallway, but Cora casually kept eating, so I decided to let it go. Probably Esme, like she said.

A bright flash tore across the window. Lightning. For a second, the entire room turned white.

”Damn,” I said with a low whistle.

Cora looked toward the window and nodded once. ”It’s getting stronger.”

Yeah... strong enough to match the stupid storm building in my head. Penelope. Those thoughts weren’t going away. Perfect timing too. Sitting next to a girl with no bra in a tiny apartment while a storm raged outside. My brain was running laps I couldn’t control.

I forced myself to focus, cleared my throat, and set my fork down gently. ”Thanks for the food. Really. It was great.”

She only ate half her plate, but she smiled like I’d just handed her a trophy. ”Do you want to... relax a bit?” she asked softly, hesitant, almost whispering.

”Sure,” I said.

We got up, plates still warm on the counter. She shuffled over to the couch in the living room, and I followed her. The couch was small, some old fabric with tiny tears along the seams. When I sat, the cushion dipped more than I expected.

Cora sat beside me. Not too close, but close enough that I could feel the heat from her arm.

The storm kept humming against the glass.

The TV was off. The lights buzzed a little. And we just... sat there.

Awkward. Quiet. The kind of silence where neither of us knew what to do with our hands. Cora’s fingers fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. My knee bounced once, then stopped. Her eyes kept darting between me and the floor.

And the storm outside just kept getting louder.

I was dying to hold back. After Penelope’s teasing, my cock was a live wire, every nerve screaming. But Cora’s place was calm, the food warm in my stomach, the couch soft. I didn’t want to ruin it.

Deep breath.

Cora scooched closer. She turned her back to me, and laid her head on my chest, stretching out. Her t-shirt rode up, revealing the smooth of her breasts, skin pale and perfect.

Her big puppy eyes met mine.

I couldn’t hold back.

I leaned in and kissed her, soft at first, then hungry. My hands found her tits, thumbs circling her nipples, pinching just hard enough to make her squirm and moan into my mouth.

The kiss deepened. She chuckled, eyes wide, staring up at me.

My cock throbbed.

Cora broke the kiss, slid off the couch, and knelt between my legs. Fingers on my zipper, she tugged it down. My cock sprang free, heavy and aching.

She devoured it, tongue swirling the head, lips stretching around the shaft. Her mouth was small, couldn’t take it all, but she tried, gagging softly, saliva dripping from her chin.

I pushed her head further. ”Fuck yeah. Take it all in, Cora. Mmh... fuck.”

She laughed around my cock, a muffled, throaty sound, then gagged harder as I thrust. A thin rope of spit trailed down her chin. Fuck. She looked so cute, mouth stretched wide, eyes watering, trying so hard.

I grabbed her hair, yanked her back. She landed on the rug with a soft thud, immediately shimmying out of her shorts, no panties, legs spreading wide. Her pussy glistened, pink and ready. She was... waiting for me.

I dropped to my knees, crouched over her, and slid inside in one smooth thrust.

Fuck. After Penelope’s blue-balling, this was heaven. Tight, wet, perfect.

I drove into her hard, hips snapping, the slap of skin on skin filling the quiet living room. Cora’s back arched off the rug, legs wrapped tight around my waist, heels digging into my ass like she was trying to pull me deeper.

”You planned this, didn’t you?” I growled, one hand sliding up her stomach to grip a tit, pinching the nipple between my fingers. ”Laid your head on my chest, flashed those big eyes, let your shirt ride up. You wanted me to fuck you right here on the floor.”

She moaned, loud and shameless, head thrown back. ”Yes, fuck, yes, Evan. Been thinking about your cock all night.”