As I stood on the brink of uncovering the truth, the door suddenly swung open with a jolt. Benjamin strode in, his words dripping with icy disdain, "That's enough, mother. It's time for you to leave. It's getting late."
I never saw it coming. Benjamin barged in without warning. Could he have been listening in on our conversation? I wondered anxiously, my mind racing with questions. How much did he actually hear?
"Alright then, I'll be on my way. But remember, make sure to bring Emila this weekend so she can visit us," she uttered softly, her eyes meeting mine. "Goodnight, Emila."
"Goodnight, mother," I replied, a warm smile gracing my lips. The affectionate words slipped effortlessly from my tongue, carrying with them a sense of gratitude.
She leaned in to give William a sweet peck on the cheeks before making her exit, leaving the two of us alone in the room. Without wasting a moment, I plopped onto the bed, pulling the cozy duvet over my tired body. Any conversation between us could wait until morning; I needed some peaceful rest for now.
I shut my eyes tightly, feigning sleep, yet my ears caught the sound of his footsteps. He disappeared into the walk-in closet, the rustle of fabric indicating his intention to change into a more comfortable attire. I smiled to myself, knowing that he, too, sought solace in the embrace of cozy pajamas after a long day, just like me.
Within moments, he reappeared, and I sensed the gentle dip of the mattress as he settled beside me. Here I was, once again, sharing a bed with this incredibly attractive and enigmatic man.
Since I wasn't facing his direction, I couldn't quite discern his actions, but one thing was certain: he wasn't asleep. A wave of nervousness washed over me as I pondered the possibility of him watching me from behind. This unfamiliar situation had me on edge, as I wasn't accustomed to such experiences.
As I pondered my next move, contemplating the possibility of rolling to the other side to maintain my charade of sleep, his voice broke the silence from behind.
"I know you're not asleep, quit pretending. You definitely suck at it," he playfully remarked.
Caught off guard, I couldn't help but let out a surprised chuckle. It seemed my attempts at feigning slumber were not as convincing as I had hoped.
I cautiously adjusted my position, turning towards him to meet his gaze. There he lay, on his back, his hands casually resting behind his head on the pillow. The sight of him in that alluring pose, with the buttons of his pajama shirt slightly undone, revealed a glimpse of his strong chest. It was as if he were a captivating portrait, one that you could gaze upon for hours on end without ever growing weary.
I couldn't help but be astounded by his sheer handsomeness. It was a perpetual mystery to me how his face managed to exude a fresh allure every single time. In an attempt to divert my attention from his mesmerizing features, I discreetly cleared my throat, fearing that my growing fascination might be misconstrued as something more inappropriate.
"Do I really look that handsome?" I heard him say with a soft chuckle, his words filled with a hint of playful curiosity.
My cheeks flushed slightly, betraying my embarrassment as it became evident that he had caught me in the act of staring. Trying to play it cool, I replied, "I'm not sure what you mean. I wasn't staring, I promise!"
"You've been staring," he said, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "You really do admire your husband, don't you?"
"Don't flatter yourself Ben," I retorted, a playful smile tugging at the corners of my lips. He was definitely being shameless now.
In that moment, the thought of the new set of low heels he had gifted me flooded my mind. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to express my gratitude.
"Thank you for the new set of heels! I honestly didn't think you'd go through the trouble of getting them for me," I expressed with genuine gratitude in my voice.
"No need for gratitude; I've mentioned this before. Besides, I gave the task to someone else rather than undertaking it myself."
All I could muster was a soft "Oh…." as the response I sought remained elusive.
He slowly withdrew his hands from his head and eased himself into the comfort of the bed. There was a certain expression in his eyes that left me puzzled, as if there was something he wanted to convey.
And then, in a hushed tone, he uttered, "We're going to visit my parents this weekend, try not to be too friendly." His words held a hint of caution, leaving me to wonder about the reasons behind his request.
"Why?" I asked, feeling a bit confused by his request. I genuinely didn't understand why he wanted me to hold back from being friendly during our visit to his parents. It seemed like an unusual thing to ask.
"Why don't you just sleep for now," he said, his words dripping with a hint of mystery. With a dismissive gesture, he closed his eyes, as if I were nothing more than a fleeting specter in the room. The feeling of being ignored washed over me, and I couldn't help but find it incredibly vexing. It's moments like these that make you question your worth and wonder why you're being treated as insignificant.
But his words echoed in my mind, leaving me with a whirlwind of questions. What secrets lay ahead on our journey?
He always had this way of shutting people out, abruptly ending conversations when he no longer wanted to engage. I let out a tired sigh, feeling the weight of exhaustion settling in. I didn't have the energy to dwell on my thoughts any longer.
I turned away from him, facing the opposite direction, and settled back into my former position. As I lay there, I eagerly awaited the embrace of sleep, uncertain of what challenges tomorrow's work would bring. I just longed for a better tomorrow, one that surpasses the drama I faced today.