Christian

“Don’t go.” Her unexpected words ring in my ear much to my dislike but as I stare into her eyes, I could see something different, something I had never seen in them before. For the first time, she actually seemed humane. Someone in need just like everyone else and not the perfect little princess she had always portrayed herself to be. Somehow, that stirred a little something up in me.

Suddenly, she let go of my hand and it falls back to its place by my side.

“I… I mean…” She started, an obvious attempt to cover up the mistake she just made.

“… I’ll scream.” She added and I couldn’t help but narrow my brows at her. Now, where on earth was she headed to with this charade of hers.

“Then when people come, they can have in on our little arrangement as husband and wife so it’s best you just do as I say for the night.” She threatened whilst looking back up to me. Her greedy self returning to its former abode. Clearly, I saw wrong there for a minute.

“You’ll tell the world our secret?” I questioned and she nodded after a little hesitation. I stared at her for what seemed like ages before looking away while letting out a tender scoff. I walked past her and towards the bed. I could feel her sight following me.

“Fine. I stay on the bed and you… wherever you please.” I commented as I threw her pillow to her grasp.

“Wherever I please?” She repeated and I took one look at her before getting on the bed, covering myself properly with the duvet. I reached for the lamp and switched it off. Staring up to the ceiling through the darkness, a silent sigh eludes my lips.

What am I doing?

An unpleasant question rings throughout my mind. Here I was letting this strange woman spend the night in my room. Truthfully, this was never part of the plan. The plan was just to get married and then live our separate lives. Somehow, she doesn’t seem to get the memo. First thing tomorrow morning, I’ll explain everything to her. For now, I’ll just have to forget everything and get some sleep.

Slightly, the bed moved and I furrow my brows at that feeling. Regardless of it, I concluded right away that I might have felt wrong but then the same feeling repeated and instantly, I put on the lamp to see what could be wrong. My eyes widened before a slight frown surfaced.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I questioned, staring directly at Harieth who had presumably crawled her way up my bed and was in the process of hiding her legs under the same duvet as me.

“Trying to sleep.” She replied once she was done hiding her legs away. Immediately, I sat up, staring at her with much contempt.

“On my bed?”

“Yes.” She replied with a single nod. For a moment, I stared at her quite speechless. She stared back at me. Suddenly, her eyes widened.

“Wait. You… you were expecting me to sleep on the floor?”

“Yes and if not that, there’s a perfectly good sofa. You can’t sleep on the same bed as I.”

“Why?” She questioned, her eyes boldly staring back at me in an inquisitive manner.

I hated it. Slowly an amusing expression drew up across her face.

“Oh don’t tell me…” she halted for a moment as the amusement on her face grew bolder and her eyes held a naughty look.

“… you actually think there’s a possibility of something happening between the both of us.” She stated amidst a light chuckle and I looked away from her, irritated by what was presently going on.

“Okay look, I think it’s best I make something clear… Yes, we’re married but I… I don’t see you, Christian Hendrix as a man so be rest assured that anything out of the ordinary will never happen between us, well except…. Except if you’ve already fallen deeply in love with me and can’t get a hold of yourself so you find it difficult to sleep right next…”

“That’s enough!” I snapped, shifting my eyes back to her.

“I assure you Harieth Gryffin, nothing of that sort is happening and will ever happen.”

“Prove it.” She demanded almost right away. Her eyes are intense and daring. I stared back, trying to figure out right away what she was heading for.

“Let me sleep right here. You sleep on one side and I, on the other, that way, I’ll believe every word you’ve said. Deal?” She summarised, stretching her hand out for a handshake in the end.

I took one look at her hand then back to her face. My brows a little tensed up. Was she seriously crossing out a deal with me over my own bed? What is wrong with her? What is wrong with me? How could I have even let her stay this close to me, talk this much and was in the process of taking her on her dare?

“Hello?” Her calling divulged my thoughts back to her.

“My hand is hanging here and it’s getting pretty late so…” A slow but definite smile crept up her face.

“… are you in love with me?” Her question caused my brows to furrow a bit further than without the second mode of thinking, I accepted her handshake with mine.

“Fine. One night and you’re out. I stay on this side and you, on the other. Do not attempt to touch or cling onto me in any form. Also, I would like it very much if you could disappear before I wake by morning.” I lashed out at once, ignoring the weird look she was giving me at the moment. Right away, I turned away from her, switched off the bedside lamp once more than laid down properly on the bed with my back faced to her.

“It’s not like there’s much to touch.” I could hear her murmur from behind before adjusting herself properly on the bed as well.

A few minutes into the night, my eyes barely made an attempt to shut for a sleep. I was wide awake and couldn’t seem to fall asleep. Also, my consciousness kept reminding me of the fact that a stranger was right behind me. A woman who’s now my wife in the eyes of the world but barely anything to me. I shouldn’t have agreed to a stupid deal. I should have shunned her right away and thrown her out of the room.

“Don’t go.”

I recalled the exact words that made me take the wrong actions but then again there was an ounce of curiosity as to why she made that statement in such a way. Why did the story in her eyes change for a moment? The look in them, a little familiar to me. I know that everyone has their own story but Harieth Gryffin’s has always been pretty clear to the world. She led no secret life and was up on social media with every little detail of an event that goes on in her life. Apparently, she could have faked the look in her eyes, her plea for certain security.

I shook my head as if doing that would stop the thoughts that swirled within my head then I turned on the bed and only recalled her presence when my eyes fell on her face. Thankfully, her eyes were shut and she seemed fast asleep. She had actually kept a pillow in between the both of us. Regardless of the dimness of the room, the illumination from the moon and the compound peeped in through the windows and I could faintly see her face. For a moment or two, I found myself staring at her face. When she isn’t talking or making a strange expression with her face, she actually looked humane which for some reason, seemed a little strange to me. I should look away, right? But no, I didn’t. It felt as if I could discover a lot more by just staring at her face. I know I made a decision to stay clear of each other’s path but I can only handle her if I actually discover a little bit more about her. I don’t even know if this actually makes sense.

She slightly shifts, as if trying to figure out a much more comfortable position and like a fool, I just watched. Less than a second to that moment, her eyes slowly fluttered open and met mine. It took me by surprise but I tried my best to remain calm and so, I stayed in that same position. Hers, on the other hand, slightly widened, definitely surprised to find out we were presently staring into each other’s eyes while lying on the same bed. I stayed strong and expected her to do otherwise. She would have to be the one to look and turn away. After all, this is my bed and my room.

Suddenly, a slow and seemingly mocking smile drew broadly across her face. A little tinge of mischievousness portraying itself within her eyes. My brows tensed up as I began realising what the weird smile drawing on her face was all about. Definitely, she had concluded her absurd theory was right and it angered me to the core so instead of battling words with her or attempting to clear up any wrong assumptions she might have cooked up in that little head of hers, I just turned away from her, my eyes now staring up at the ceiling. Even though I could feel her eyes on me, I pretended not to notice. Thereafter, I shut my eyes in an attempt to catch some sleep.

Harieth

I couldn’t help the smile that played out on my face. It was obvious he had been staring at me while I presumptuously slept. I joked about him having a crush on me but the thought of it actually being true did make it a little amusing. Right up until the moment he let me share this room for the night, I had concluded that he was an awful person and I was going to spend the rest of my life married to him in horror but now, am starting to rethink my own conclusion. Maybe, he wasn’t so bad after all. Maybe… maybe this marriage could go better than I had expected.

I watched him shut his eyes, a great attempt to shut my presence out of his thoughts. A light sigh eludes my lips as I properly rested my head on the pillow but my eyes never left his face. Slightly, I raise my head off the pillow and stretched my hand to his face, I wave them for a moment and when he made no movement, I concluded that he might actually have fallen asleep. Thereafter, I lay my head back on the pillow whilst my eyes remained on him. It felt nice knowing I wasn’t alone.

Even an attempt from my own demons would be impossible at this moment.