Feigned Marriage

chapter 4 🔞

Sky's POV

"Sky?"
I frown at the sound of Grandma Anne's voice behind me and snuggle a bit closer, not wanting to wake up.

"Prapai?"
My muddled mind slowly starts to clear, and I freeze when I realize that I've got a strong arm wrapped around me.

Fragments of last night flash through my mind, and my stomach drops. Oh no.
I twist in P'pai embrace, waking him up, and he blinks slowly, his eyes finding mine as he smiles lazily. "Morning, drunkard," he says.

The smile melts off his face as he looks past me, and I let my eyes fall closed in shame.
"Grandma," he says, his voice tinged with horror. His grip on me loosens.

"What are you doing here?"
P'pai sits up and pulls me up with him, keeping his arm wrapped around me.

I raise my face hesitantly, well aware of what this looks like. My shirt is on the floor, and P'pai is in nothing but his gray sweatpants, while I'm wearing his t-shirt.
Grandma Anne's expression is unreadable. "Big night?" she asks, and I nod.

"Phayu and I, um... we drank way too much, and P'pai ended up having to take care of us."

I can't face him, not after what I did last night. The way I harassed him last night was not okay. I have no doubt he'll be furious, and I've probably done irreparable damage to our friendship, and what for?

"Where is phayu?"
P'pai clears his throat. Does he realize he still has his arm wrapped around me? "In my bed. Best to let him sleep a bit longer. He was really quite drunk."

Grandma nods. "How about you two get some more rest too? You look... disheveled. I will have some breakfast sent over for the three of you later. You can just warm it up once phayu wakes up."

P'pai and I are tense as Grandma Anne walks away, a sweet smile on her face. "I should go too," I say the moment the door closes behind her. I rise to my feet nervously and grab my clothes off the floor, embarrassment flooding me.

"Hold on," P'pai says, and I turn around to face him, my heart hammering in my chest. "Come here, sky," he orders, and I walk back toward him hesitantly, pausing in front of him, his legs on either side of me. He leans back and spreads his arms across the back of the sofa, his eyes on me. I haven't seen him this way in years, with his torso bare and his abs and chest on display. Does he realize what kind of image he's painting?

"How do you feel, ky? I've never seen you as drunk as you were last night. Can you even remember half the shit you did?"

I let my eyes fall closed and nod. "P'pai," I whisper. "I'm so sorry. Nothing I can say will make up for how I treated you last night. I'm so ashamed of my actions, and I can't even imagine how angry you must be. I'm so sorry, truly. I don't know what I was thinking. I never should've... I can't believe..."

He grabs my hand and pulls me closer. "Not so confident today, are you?
Last night you were all too happy to sit in my lap and demand to wear my t-shirt, getting naked in the process."

I sit down next to him and wrap my arms around myself. "Do you really need to remind me of that?" I ask, mortified.

He chuckles. "It's okay, ky. I'm not mad, I'm just confused. You've never acted that way before, and definitely never around me. What's going on with you?"

P'pai runs a hand through his hair and looks away. "I mean, I get being drunk and wanting to go home with someone, wanting that thrill, the release. But that isn't you."

I chuckle humorlessly. "You don't know me as well as you think you do, P'pai," I say, taking the excuse he's handing me. "It's just been a while since I got laid, and I wanted it badly. Anyone would've done."