18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 91

Now that Stella knew what they were thinking, and she couldn’t be oblivious to Jasper’s action. She was not slow. It was something about Jasper that made her confused. Was he interested in her or was she simply overthinking?

But how could she possibly refuse him without solid evidence of his feelings? And what if she was misreading the signs? Living next door to him and having to work together made the situation even more awkward.

Her friends, too, seemed to be at a loss.

“Love can’t be hidden,” said Lukas, trying to lighten the mood. “Maybe we could help you figure it out?”

“No need,” Stella replied, slightly irritated. “I can handle it.”

Back at her room, she flopped onto her bed. She touched her face, acknowledging her own attractiveness but questioning whether it was enough to capture the attention of someone like Jasper. In her mind, they belonged to separate worlds, and the only thing that brought them together was the ongoing crisis.

Before she could sort out her feelings, Stella received a call. “Stella, are you up for some practice today?” It was Jasper.

“Yes,” she decided, eager to get a better read on him.

As they practiced, Stella kept a close eye on Jasper, even feigning a stumble to see his reaction.

True to form, Jasper was quick to help her up, showing no signs of inappropriate behavior or hidden intentions.

She stayed a bit longer, helping Rosie make dinner, but Jasper seemed to be focused on training her dog.

Feeling frustrated, Stella decided that Lukas’ advice was misguided. There was nothing to suggest that Jasper had romantic feelings for her.

Stella served dinner onto plates, relieved. But as she turned around, she found Jasper watching her. Startled, she almost dropped the plate. “Why are you staring at me?” But after she said that, she immediately felt her outburst was a little too much.

“Looks like the snow is getting worse,” Jasper noted, effectively changing the subject.

Stella turned and looked outside. Well, Jasper was right. He’s got really got eyesight!

Refusing Rosie’s dinner invitation, Stella returned home with her dog. Her mind was a whirl of confusion and suspicion.

It took her a long time to fall asleep. Her dreams were filled with scenarios of Jasper confessing his feelings for her and him finding out Arcadia.

After three days of careful observation, Stella was still uncertain. There seemed to be something, but she couldn’t tell for sure.

Worn out by her own indecisiveness, Stella finally decided to ask Jasper. “Do you like me?” she asked, with her heart pounding in her chest.

Jasper didn’t answer immediately. His gaze was steady on her. “A little,” he admitted, sending Stella’s heart into overdrive.

“I’m actually against marriage,” she blurted out. “I’ve always been happy living alone.”

Jasper nodded, understanding her position. “I’m sorry if I’ve disturbed you. I won’t pressure you into anything, so don’t worry.”

Relieved by his response, Stella felt a weight lifting off her chest. “You’re a great guy. You’ll find someone who truly loves you.”

“Same to you,” he replied.

“Can we still be a team?” she asked, eager to maintain their friendship. Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

“Of course, if you’re okay with it.”

“I am. You’re the best partner I could have.”

Having cleared the air, Stella felt a sense of relief, but there was also a pang of regret. If the ongoing crisis didn’t exist, she would seriously consider a relationship with Jasper.

As Stella returned to her room, Jasper found himself drenched in sweat. His feelings for Stella had been extinguished in the most unexpected way. With no end to the natural disasters in sight, he hadn't considered confessing his feelings to Stella. After all, he was still taking care of his sister, and nobody knew what the future held. He didn’t expect that Stella was the one who ended up voicing her feelings first.

Rosie rushed over, calling out, "Jasper."

Jasper bent down, his deep eyes full of warmth as he gently patted her head, "Have you done your study today?"

"I did, but there are some words I don't understand. Can I go to Stella for help?"

"Which part don't you understand? I will teach you."

...

With the tension resolved, Stella slept soundly, catching up on lost sleep. When she woke up, she heard the faint sounds of commotion from the floors below.

As she stepped out of her room, she saw Jasper emerging from his at the same time. They exchanged awkward greetings before realizing that a group of violent intruders was attempting to break into their building.

With a serious look on his face, Jasper murmured, "This doesn't bode well."

Stella, having anticipated such a day would come, returned to her room to grab her weapon.

In order to save time from the imminent disaster, researchers ate and slept in their workplaces, returning home only once every half a month, so Joey and Mikey weren’t home

Amber had also reported to work. A few days ago they had started collecting the bodies.

Yesterday, more than a dozen people had come. Aside from the bodies stacked up on the icy surfaces, they also entered every building to clean up and transported the dead to a central place for incineration to prevent the spread of plague or other diseases. It was apparent that the government was actively fighting the disaster.

Now, on the 18th floor, only Stella and Jasper were capable of fighting, along with a combat-ready Cooper.

Stella had a bad premonition; it seemed the intruders were prepared for this. She put on her bulletproof vest and locked the dog in the room.

"Woof, woof!” Cooper, deceived and anxious, scratched at the door relentlessly. ‘Human, open the door quickly!’ If the door was not opened soon, he would start smashing it.

When Stella came out, Jasper was also locking a door, with Rosie trapped inside.

"Stella, stay here and keep an eye on Rosie for me." Jasper lowered his gaze, loading his gun.

Stella also took out her firearm, "You can't avoid what's bound to happen. You can't protect everyone."

Jasper hesitated for a moment before responding, "Alright."

As the two headed downstairs, the intruders were already at the entrance, prying the door to the 16th floor open.

Katie, from the 17th floor, was visibly worried. Standing next to her was a man holding a bat, Korey, the head of the household from apartment 1703.

"Stella, they're here. What are we going to do?" Katie fretted.

The intruders were really informed. Joey and Mikey had left quietly and aside from the people of 18th floor, no one knew they weren't home. Angela's family was also away. Only Stella and Jasper were left, facing more than a dozen intruders.

Stella glanced at Korey without answering.

Sensing the awkwardness, Korey voluntarily explained, "We were out gathering supplies last time."