Vixen - a dark romance story

Chapter 20

Ray Valentino

Ray's eyes fluttered open, her heart thudding against her ribcage. She strained her ears, trying to identify the source of the noise. After a few moments, she heard it once more - a soft, pained groan coming from the direction of the couch.

Ray sat upright and saw Chan lying there, shifting restlessly to find a suitable position. He was obviously uncomfortable as the hard couch wasn't providing any support for his taller frame.

She hesitated for a moment. She shouldn't care, he had made his choice and should have been prepared for the discomfort. She should just turn over and go back to sleep, ignore him, and focus on her own rest instead.

But the sound of his groans of discomfort echoed in her ears, making her insides clench with unease. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep now when he was in pain just a couple of feet away from her. With a sigh, Ray turned on a lamp and got up from bed, knowing she would regret this decision in the morning.

Chan was facing the back of the couch, his body curled up as much as possible on the narrow surface. Even in the dim light, she could make out the scowl on his face and the furrowed brow, both signs of his unease.

Without thinking, she reached out and touched his shoulder, gently shaking him awake.

"Ray...?" 

She ignored the strange fluttering in her chest at the sound of her name on his lips, and removed her hand. He looked confused, his eyes bleary from sleep as he tried to figure out what was happening.

"You're making noises," she whispered. "It woke me up. You should just take the bed. The couch isn't doing you any favors." She tried to keep the concern out of her voice and to act as detached as possible.

Chan blinked up at her, still half-asleep. When he seemed to process her words, his hand came up to rub his stiff neck.

"I'm fine, I'm good." He mumbled hoarsely.

Ray lifted an eyebrow, giving him a disbelieving look. Of course, he was too proud to admit his discomfort.

"You're far from fine." Ray retorted with a firm voice. "Just get up and take the bed."

He let out a huff, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. "I'm not taking the bed, Ray. I told you I'm fine. He then tried to roll over on the couch, unsuccessfully.

Ray felt a flash of irritation at his stubbornness. Why was he always so difficult?

"You're being ridiculous," she crossed her arms over her chest. "You're hurting, and it's keeping me awake. Just take the bed."

"Why do you even care? Shouldn't you be happy that I'm uncomfortable? Don't you enjoy seeing me suffer?" The words seemed to slip out before he could stop himself, and there was a hint of bitterness in his voice despite the teasing.

Ray scoffed, stung by the insinuation. "Don't be dramatic. I care about my sleep and you're disturbing it."

Did the idiot just smirk?

Chan let out a soft chuckle, his lips curving into a hint of a smile. "Ah, so it's all about your sleep, huh? And here I thought you had a heart."

Ray felt her annoyance grow at his mocking tone, but she kept her voice level as she replied. "Whatever. I'm taking back my offer."

Chan's smirk widened, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Too late. You already offered. You can't take it back now."

"Pfft."

"C'mon, Ray," he said, his voice dripping with feigned innocence. "You know you want me to join you. Just admit it."

"Please. As if I'd want to share a bed with you." She rolled her eyes.

His smirk turned into a devilish grin, "Oh, but you did want it, once upon a time."

He then shifted on the couch, wincing slightly as his back protested. Despite his bravado, his eyes betrayed his weariness.

Ray grimaced a little, as a rush of memories washed over her uninvited. She paid no attention to his taunts and walked back to the bed.

Chan sighed, the smile dropping from his face. "Ray... "

Her body stiffened at the tone of his voice. Sensing his piercing gaze on her, she slowly turned to meet his eyes

"What?" She asked, her voice coming out a bit more snappish than she intended.

"Why do you always have to make everything so difficult?"

Ray bristled at his words, "Me? I'm the one making things difficult? You're the one being stubborn by sticking to that couch."

"I'm not talking about that."

"Then what are you talking about?" She raised a brow.

"You know what I'm talking about. You always make things harder than they need to be, always pushing me away and refusing to open up."

Her chest tightened with a sharp ache as his words hit her, stirring up that all-too-familiar blend of anger and frustration in the pit of her stomach. The last thing she wanted was to have this conversation, to dredge up the past and everything that came with it.

Ray took a deep breath, trying to push down the emotions bubbling to the surface. "It's been two years, Chan. A lot has changed."

Chan let out a harsh laugh, the sound bitter and devoid of humor. "Two years. As if that changes anything."

He ran a hand through his hair, his fingers clenching in exasperation. "You act like I'm a stranger. Like we never meant anything to each other."

Ray felt her jaw tighten, his name sounding almost foreign on her lips. "What do you want me to say, Chris? That I miss you? That I still think about what we had?"

"No. I want you to stop pushing me away. I want you to stop acting like none of it meant anything, that I meant nothing to you." he snapped.

"You want me to stop pushing you away? Why? So you can make me care and then leave again? No, I don't think so."