Chapter 33

MADDIE

"What are you doing?" I asked, my eyes widened in shock. What's funny is it seems like I was mimicking what he was asking me a while ago.

"Getting ready for bed?" he replied with a hint of sarcasm.

I took a deep breath as I tried to calm myself down while staring at his almost naked body. I wasn't expecting him to remove the last piece of fabric that covers the intimate part of his body. Though he was still wearing boxer brief underneath, it still doesn't change the fact that I can see the bulge in between his legs.

I started to panic when he was about to get on the bed without putting anything on to cover his almost naked body.

"W-Wait, you can't sleep like that!" I opposed.

"First, I can’t kiss or touch my own wife. Second, I can’t even enter my own bathroom without knocking. And now, I can’t sleep the way I usually do?" he said, his voice tinged with frustration as he rubbed his hands over his face. His exasperation was clear, and it made me falter for a moment.

"A-At least put a shirt on!" I stammered, trying to regain control of the situation.

"Maddie, I’m exhausted. I’ve been trying to go along with your rules, but I’m not going to let you dictate how I sleep," he replied, his tone firm but not unkind. He pointed to his boxer briefs, raising an eyebrow as he added, "Consider this..." His finger pointing at his boxer brief. "...as me trying to be considerate."

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" I shot back, my voice sharper than I intended as I raised an eyebrow at him.

He looked at me with a lazy gaze and a mischievous smile that sent a shiver down my spine. "I sleep naked, love," he said, the words rolling off his tongue like a slow, deliberate tease.

My eyes widened in shock, my mind scrambling to come up with a response. But all I could do was stand there, speechless, as the image of him sleeping naked flashed through my mind, refusing to go away. I opened my mouth to argue, to say something—anything—but nothing came out. My thoughts were a chaotic mess, filled with images I had no business entertaining.

"Argh! Fine," I uttered in exasperation. "Just make sure that you're not going over this line, understood?" I repeated.

"Sure. But what about if you were the one who go over the line?" he asked with a mischievous smirk playing on his lips.

I squinted my eyes at him. "That will never happen," I replied.

He chuckled, "Let's see, and find out."

I just roll my eyes at him and lay on my side of the bed. I pulled the blanket up to my neck to cover every inch of my body. My back was facing to his direction. Though my eyes were closed, my senses were heightened as I listen to his every move. I heard him switched the lights off before he finally lay on the other side of the bed.

"Would you mind if I work on the bed?" he asked, his voice soft yet determined.

I turned around, frowning at him. "I thought you said you were exhausted?"

He smiled, and even though I tried to hide it, I felt my heart skip a beat. There was something about that smile, the way it softened his features and made him seem more human, more vulnerable. "I am," he admitted, running a hand through his hair. "But there are a few things I need to finish tonight."

I sighed, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice. "Fine," I relented, though I wasn’t thrilled about it. "Just don’t stay up too late, okay?"

He nodded, his smile lingering as he settled onto his side of the bed with his laptop. I watched him for a moment longer than I meant to, my eyes tracing the lines of his face as he focused on the screen. There was something oddly comforting about his presence, even though I knew I should be keeping my distance.

With a deep breath, I turned my back on him and pulled the blanket up to my neck. I was trying my best to ignore the quiet sounds of his typing, and the way his scent seemed to surround me. I closed my eyes with a hope that I will finally fall asleep, but somehow, sleep was elusive. My mind was racing, filled with thoughts of him just a few inches away.

As I lay there, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was how it was going to be from now on—constantly trying to maintain the barriers between us while being painfully aware of his every move, his every breath. It was exhausting, this push and pull, this dance we were caught in. And yet, despite all my efforts, I couldn’t deny that a part of me didn’t want it to end.

After what felt like an eternity, I finally turned over, unable to stand the tension any longer. "Are you almost done?" I asked, my voice softer than I intended. I hated how vulnerable I sounded, how much I seemed to care.

He glanced up from his laptop, his eyes meeting mine. "Almost," he replied, his tone gentle, as if he knew exactly what was going through my mind. "I’m sorry if I’m keeping you up. I think it's better if I finish this outside," he suggested.

He was about to stand up from the bed when I quickly reached out, my hand gently gripping his arm. "It’s fine," I said, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. We both knew it was a lie, but I couldn’t bring myself to admit it. I didn’t want him to leave, even though I knew I should. "Just turn off the bed light when you're done," I added.

He looked down at me, his expression softening, "I will," he promised.

I let go of his arm and watched as he settled back down on the bed, picking up his laptop again. The room was quiet, with only the soft clicks of his keyboard and the faint hum of the night outside. I tried to focus on the darkness behind my eyelids, hoping the rhythm of his typing would help me fall asleep. But my mind was spinning, caught in a tangle of emotions.

I knew I should be glad he was keeping his distance, staying on his side of the bed. But there was a part of me that secretly wished he would cross that invisible line between us.

I sighed quietly, pulling the blanket tighter around myself, as if it could shield me from the confusion swirling inside me. I wasn’t ready to face the truth, wasn’t ready to admit that I was losing the battle I’d fought to protect my heart. So, I kept my eyes closed and waited, hoping sleep would come soon and chase away the thoughts that were too risky to dwell on.

*******