Chapter 5: The Stand-In Boyfriend

"Chloe Grace…" Blaine Jackson fumbled with the hairdryer, his usual composure visibly shaken. He wasn't used to situations like this—comforting someone so vulnerable, so openly hurt. 

He'd always known Lily had a younger sister, but nothing could've prepared him for the weight of her grief. Chloe's world must have shattered the day Lily disappeared, leaving her utterly alone. 

"I get it," Chloe said softly, her voice trembling. "I'm just a stranger to you. I know asking you to take care of me is too much. Don't worry. I'll find a new apartment soon, and you won't have to deal with me anymore." 

She tried to bolt to her room, but Blaine's voice cut through the air like a whip. 

"Chloe Grace, stop right there!" 

He dropped the hairdryer onto the bed and chased after her, his long strides closing the distance in seconds. 

"You're not a stranger," he said firmly. "You're Lily's sister. That makes you my sister too. Taking care of you isn't a burden—it's a promise I made to her. And I don't break promises." 

Chloe froze in her tracks, her back still turned to him. "You don't have to say that just to make me feel better," she whispered. "I've heard enough empty promises in my life." 

Blaine's jaw tightened, guilt gnawing at him. He *had* tried to avoid her at first, hadn't he? Her arrival had felt like an intrusion, a disruption to his carefully curated solitude. But the more he learned about her, the harder it was to ignore the ache in his chest whenever he saw her struggling. 

"I'm not saying it to make you feel better," Blaine said, his voice softening. "I mean it. You don't have to go anywhere. You're welcome here as long as you need." 

Chloe turned around slowly, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You really mean that?" 

"Yes. I've been selfish, Chloe. I see that now. But if you're willing to put up with me, I'll do better. I'll look out for you. We're family, right?" 

The word hung in the air between them, heavy with unspoken meaning. 

Chloe's lips quivered, but this time, the tears streaming down her face weren't just from sadness. For the first time in what felt like forever, she felt… safe. 

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice breaking. "You have no idea how much that means to me." 

Blaine let out a small, awkward chuckle, scratching the back of his head. "Hey, don't cry again. You're going to flood the whole apartment at this rate." 

Chloe laughed through her tears, wiping her face with her sleeve. "Sorry. I'm just not used to people being this nice to me." 

"Well, get used to it," Blaine said with a grin. "And for the record, you're not as annoying as you think." 

"Oh, I'm very annoying," Chloe teased, her playful demeanor slowly returning. "I talk too much, I'm messy, and I get clingy. You'll probably regret saying all this in a week." 

"I doubt it. Besides," Blaine said, smirking, "if you're a koala, I don't mind being your eucalyptus tree." 

Chloe blinked, caught off guard by his humor. "Did you just compare yourself to a tree?" 

"Hey, I'm trying here," Blaine said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. 

Chloe's laughter rang out, light and melodic, filling the room with warmth. For a moment, the tension between them dissolved, replaced by something softer—something that felt like hope. 

As the laughter faded, Chloe looked at him, her expression suddenly serious. "You know, my friends always say I need a boyfriend to be happy. Someone to take me out on dates, spoil me, make me feel special…" 

"You don't need a boyfriend for that," Blaine said matter-of-factly. 

"Oh really?" Chloe raised an eyebrow. "And what would you suggest instead?" 

Blaine shrugged. "If you want to go on dates, I'll take you. If you need someone to spoil you, I'm right here. I don't mind being your stand-in boyfriend." 

Chloe's mouth fell open in shock. "Wait… you'd actually do that?" 

"Why not? It's just pretend," Blaine said with a nonchalant wave of his hand. 

"But no one calls their boyfriend 'big brother,'" Chloe pointed out, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. 

"Well, I guess you'll just have to call me Blaine then," he said, grinning. 

Chloe stared at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then, without warning, she burst out laughing. "You're unbelievable." 

"Hey, I take that as a compliment." 

As the laughter subsided, Chloe took a deep breath, her heart feeling lighter than it had in years. For the first time since she'd arrived, she didn't feel like an unwanted guest. 

"Thanks, Blaine," she said softly, her voice full of sincerity. 

"Anytime," he replied, giving her a small, reassuring smile. 

In that moment, something shifted between them. They weren't just two people thrown together by circumstance anymore. They were a team. A family. And maybe—just maybe—something more.