The bungalow house appeared well-maintained and well-lived in. The living room has a comfortable couch that looked like it was being used, unlike the couches in their house that all look immaculately staged for a photoshoot. But Matthew's house wasn't like that. It has the feel of what a house should be. She could see a trace of him in every nook and cranny of his house.
A familiar business magazine was lying on the couch and the throw pillow next to it was pressed down, a clear indication that it was used. There was a glass with half-empty water on the coffee table—probably he forgot to bring it to the kitchen. If it was in their house, her mother would raise hell even though the forgotten glass of water doesn't make the room unkempt but rather a warm sign of how Matthew lives his everyday life. She wondered if he had a helper.
"I don't have a stay-in helper. My helper comes every other day to clean the house, stock the pantry, and check what food in the fridge needs to be cooked. Laundry is done twice a week," Matthew said as if he read what was on her mind.
"You need to clean after yourself. I'm not very good at it, though." He chuckled lightly. "Follow me," he added.
She followed him and they walked further inside the house. Along the hallway, they passed by a dining room with a table for four that overlooked the right side of the house through a huge arch class window. A kitchen with modern fixtures was right next to it. It also looked like it was being used on a daily basis.
"This house has three bedrooms. One was my bedroom, one was my home office, and the other one will be for you."
Lilly was looking at the painting decorating the hallway along with the three bedrooms that Matthew was talking about. She didn't react when Matthew said that one of the rooms would be hers until he pushed the door open and beckoned her to step inside.
"Wh-what?!" She stammered, furrowing her brows as she stepped inside the room. The first thing that she noticed when she entered was the two large suitcases. They were hers. Before she could ask Matthew what her suitcases were doing in this room he said.
"This is your room. It's adjacent to my study."
"We aren't sleeping together?" She asked, shocked.
Matthew was taken aback and stared at her without a word.
Lilly realized what she had said and blushed. "Err, I mean…we are…uhm," she looked down on her hands as she started fumbling as she tried to find the correct word to reason out to Matthew.
"My room is right across," Matthew said to stop her from stammering. "Your mother had some of your necessary stuff packed and sent over." He nodded to the two large suitcases. With how huge they were, no one would think that what was inside the luggage was just 'necessary'.
"Oh, okay."
Matthew observed the confusion and what seemed to be disappointment in Lilly's face when she realized that they wouldn't be sharing a bedroom. He felt like an ass but it was not like he had a choice.
"For tonight, you use this room. Uhm, Gloria—my helper, wasn't able to clean today because her kid had some school event, so, uhm, my bedroom wasn't clean." He was lying of course. He had no plan to let Lilly in his bedroom, however, when he saw her expression, he changed his mind and lied.
"Okay," she exhaled a shaky breath as she smiled awkwardly at Matthew. Everything was spinning in her head too fast, she had no chance to catch up. In her head, she was just going to sign the marriage contract with Matthew but she didn't think any further than that, hence, everything that was happening, caught her unprepared.
"I have some work to do. If you need something, feel free to look for it in the house. Don't look for it in my study because I don't want to be disturbed while I'm working."
Matthew's tone of voice was cold and impersonal that Lilly didn't have the courage to ask or question their living situation. She just nodded mutely in agreement to whatever Matthew was saying.
"Good night, Lilly," he said, staring at her for a few beats before he turned around and stepped out of the guest room that is now Lilly's bedroom. The guest bedroom that happened to be connected to his study.
He leaned his back against the door as soon as he pulled the door close behind him because he was thinking of taking Lilly in his bed and not letting her out for days!
He slapped his right cheek and shook his head once before pulling himself away from Lilly's door and going to his room.
Meanwhile, Lilly was slumped on the floor, next to her suitcases, rubbing her face and about to freak out. She is now living under the roof of Matthew's house. Being married to him wasn't just an idea that her father proposed as the only way to save the family business.
She slowly got up from the floor and started checking the room that would be her bedroom. But Matthew said that he put him here because his room wasn't cleaned…does it mean that she would go to his bedroom?
She chewed on her lower lip with the idea of sleeping next to Matthew. Her eyes darted to the queen-size bed of the guest room and wondered how it would feel to have him next to her while she slept.
A dry chuckle escaped her mouth. She realized that all she was thinking was the possibility of them sleeping together and she was acting like a woman who could not wait to be devoured. She hoped to god that the disappointment of them not being in the same room on their first night as husband and wife didn't show on her face.