Both dashed for the stairs, Alise struggled a bit due to her dress, making her slower. She began lifting the dress up as she ran, trying to gain some speed. However, Auston's unexpected burst of speed surprised her when he pulled her back.
He dashed up the stairs while Alise, feeling a bit exhausted, decided to stop midway. She muttered to herself, " I'm too tired for this shit." She began heading down the stairs when Auston ran back down, catching up to her.
He said, "Fine, you take the upstairs one, and I'll take the downstairs one."
Alise responded with a hint of attitude, saying, "No, you take the upstairs one."
Auston, insisted, "Just take the upstairs. I'll take the bottom one. I'm a gentleman here."
Alise responded with a playful tone, "Hmm, if you were going to feel guilty you should have let me have it in the first place."
Auston chuckled and replied, "No, I like to make things a little bit more of a challenge."
Alise remarked, "So all that running was for nothing, huh?"
Auston responded with a grin, "Yes." But In truth, he had his eye on the upstairs bathroom for a relaxing shower also, but he chose to let her have it.
That's when Alise spoke up and said, "Are you sure? I don't mind taking the downstairs one, after all, it's your house."
Auston smiled and said, "I'm sure," as he added, "It's not for long."
Alise replied with a "yeah," and as she started ascending the stairs, she paused and said, "Wait." Auston stopped in his tracks and looked back up the stairs. That's when she requested, "Can you unzip the back of my dress for me before you go?"
Auston nodded and walked back up the stairs to assist Alise. He stood behind her, his fingers gently gliding over the zipper, creating a palpable tension in the air as he began to unzip the back of her dress.
As he continued to unzip the dress, he couldn't help but stare at her exposed back and the curves of her body, much like he had admired earlier in the car.
However, he stopped when the zipper reached her buttocks, not wanting to linger on the sight. He quickly said, "There you go," feeling a peculiar sensation coursing through his body. Alise expressed her gratitude with a soft smile and mentioned her intention to take a shower.
Auston returned the warm smile, his hand staying on the zipper slightly longer than necessary, their eyes locking in a lingering moment. Eventually, he stepped back, Trying to stop his thoughts from lingering on matters that went beyond just the dress.
She started heading up the stairs, carefully lifting her dress as she went. He thought The more he got to know her, the more he found himself drawn to her personality. However, he remained rational, realizing that first impressions weren't always indicative of the future, and people could change over time.
So Despite his attraction, Auston was determined to maintain the purity of their relationship and avoid complicating things, particularly since the marriage had originated from mutual self-interest.
He couldn't escape thoughts of the contract he had made with his grandfather. His love for his siblings, particularly his brother Liam, who was trapped in a complicated situation, had influenced his decision.
Their grandfather had pushed Liam into marrying Alise, oblivious to the incompatibility due to Liam's sexual orientation.
In a selfless act, Auston had intervened, declaring, "I'll marry her," to alleviate the pressure on his brother. At the time, Alise hadn't agreed and had fled, leading Auston to believe the marriage would never happen, which a relief for both himself and his brother easing any burden.
However, a year and a half later, their grandfather's call shattered that assumption: "Your marriage is in three days." Auston had no choice but to proceed since Alise was now willing, and it was a matter of either him or his brother.
"That's how I found myself here now," he muttered as he reached the downstairs bathroom. He continued into the bathroom, turned on the shower, undressed, and stepped in, letting the warm water wash over him. The steam filled the bathroom.
As Auston stood in the warm shower, the steam filling the bathroom, he remembered his initial frustration when Alise returned. He found himself thinking, "Why did she have to come back?"
He contemplated the idea that if Alise hadn't returned, the marriage might never have proceeded, sparing him from being thrust into it and keeping his brother out of the equation.
Standing in the warm shower, Auston had a moment of clarity. He realized that blaming Alise for their situation, just a couple of days ago, was unfair. He felt relieved that he hadn't shown any animosity toward her because he had willingly agreed to this marriage.
Regardless of when it happened, whether in the past or now, he had signed a contract. Even though it didn't come into effect until recently, it still meant he played a role in making this decision from the start.
As Auston finished his shower and wrapped a towel around himself, he made his way out of the bathroom and up the stairs to his room. Inside his room, he grabbed out a shirt from his dresser. Just as he was about to put it on, he heard Alise calling his name, "Auston, Auston."
Auston, still in his towel, swiftly donned a shirt upon hearing Alise's voice calling his name from outside his room. He then moved toward the door.
"Yes?" he replied and followed her voice back to the bathroom.
She stammered, "I, um… Well… I don't have any clothes."
He replied, "Ah... well, I'll give you some of mine for tonight. Is that fine?"
Alise replied, "Yes, please. Thank you."
Auston replied with a simple "Sure," and as he walked away, his footsteps receded into the distance. She then peeked her head out of the door, her body halfway out, draped in nothing but a towel.
Rushing to his room to fetch some spare clothes for her, Auston returned to see her, halfway out the door, with wet hair and visibly cold, wearing just a towel.