Morning light streamed onto my face, warming my skin even through my closed eyelids. I wanted nothing more than to drift back to sleep, so I buried my face deeper into the pillow. There was something comforting about its scent—familiar, soothing. I inhaled deeply, savoring the fragrance, pressing my nose and lips further into the fabric. But something felt off.
Why was my pillow so firm?
Curiosity got the better of me, and I slowly opened my eyes. To my shock, it wasn’t my pillow at all. As my gaze traveled upward to identify what—or who—it was, any lingering drowsiness vanished instantly, replaced by a sharp awareness that left me wide awake.
As I looked up, I found myself staring into a pair of bluish-green eyes, already watching me intently. His hair was a mess, tousled from sleep, and I could smell a mixture of his shampoo, his body, and something else I couldn’t quite place. My gaze drifted to the small mole on his skin right above his lips, as captivating as ever. I lingered on his eyes for several minutes before I finally spoke.
“I told you not to cross the line,” I said, my voice firm, though I was still taking in the sight of him—messy and disheveled, something I wasn’t used to seeing this early in the morning.
“Look around you,” he replied in a husky, deep voice—his morning voice, even deeper than usual.
“What?” I asked, still fixated on him.
“Look at yourself,” he said again, his tone calm but insistent.
I shifted my gaze away from his face and looked around. That’s when I realized my left hand was resting on his arm, and my left leg was draped over his waist. I was hugging him, facing him completely. The memory of what I had been sniffing and pressing my lips against hit me like a wave—it wasn’t a pillow; it was his neck. Horrified, I quickly pulled back, withdrawing my hand and leg, sitting up abruptly. My eyes darted around, searching for the boundary we had set, but it was nowhere to be seen. Worse still, I realized I was the one who had crossed over onto his side. I dropped my face into my hands, silently cursing my habit of turning to the right in my sleep.
“So…” he began, now sitting right next to me, “What was it you said again?”
I remained silent, too embarrassed to even glance in his direction. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks and ears, mortified by how this morning had started.
“It was something about not crossing the line, right?” he teased, his voice playful. “But where is the line now?”
"Umm..." I mumbled, trying to get off the bed, but he caught my wrist and gently pulled me closer. I could feel the warmth of his chest against mine, even through our clothes.
"So..." he began, locking his gaze on mine, though I quickly looked away. "You couldn’t resist your temptation and ended up breaking your own rule."
"It’s not like that," I protested, trying to defend myself. "I told you about my habit of shifting to the right while I sleep, remember?"
"But you buried your face in my neck, kissed it, sniffed it, and did who knows what else," he teased, still holding my hand firmly. "I was watching you the whole time, Azalea."
His use of my name sent a strange but undeniably attractive shiver down my spine. "No..." I stammered, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. "I thought it was my pillow."
"Oh, a pillow, huh?" he said with a sly smile. "Say whatever you want, but you broke the rule, and now you'll be punished."
He kept his gaze locked on mine, and I remained silent, my heart pounding. He began to lean closer, his eyes fixed on my lips. Before he could get any nearer, I panicked, pushed him away, and bolted into the bathroom. I quickly locked the door behind me, resting my head against it as I tried to steady my breathing. My heart was drumming in my ears, and despite the rush of adrenaline, I found myself smiling.
"What kind of punishment was he talking about?" I whispered to myself.
I stood there for a moment, trying to calm my racing heart. The memory of how close he had come to kissing me replayed in my mind, and I could still feel the warmth of his breath on my skin. I took a deep breath and splashed cold water on my face, hoping it would cool down the blush that stubbornly clung to my cheeks.
“What was I thinking?” I muttered to myself, looking into the mirror. I wasn’t sure if I was more embarrassed or exhilarated by what had just happened.
After about an hour, I finally stepped out of the bathroom, cautiously peeking through the door first. Seeing that he wasn’t in the room, I sighed in relief and quickly got ready for breakfast. When I made my way downstairs, everyone was already seated at the table. I moved toward them, deliberately avoiding eye contact with him.
“Morning, Mom. Morning, Dad,” I greeted them as I took my seat.
“You’re late today,” my mother remarked, raising an eyebrow.
“Umm…” I started to explain, but I couldn’t find the right words.
“She was in the bathroom for about an hour,” Eden chimed in with a grin. “I think she used up all the hot water in the house.”
“It’s nothing like that,” I said, shooting Eden a glare. “A rat ran across my hand, so I had to take another shower,” I added, lying through my teeth while mocking him at the same time.
“A rat?” Mom asked, surprised. “Jenna told me this house was free of all insects and pests.”
“I don’t know, but it was in my room,” I insisted, glancing pointedly at Eden. “A big one!”
“Oh!” my mother replied, her concern evident.
“I’ll take care of it soon and kick it out, making sure it’s out of my room,” I teased, looking directly at Eden with a smirk. He just stared back at me, his eyes daring me to continue.
“Mom…” I drifted my gaze toward her. “I invited Ava and James over for dinner.”
“Good. I was going to ask you to meet her—I haven’t seen her since your wedding,” she replied.
“Sure thing,” I said.
After breakfast, Eden left for the office, and I got busy with my parents.
“I heard about your hickeys at Mrs. Lopez’s birthday party. Gosh… I missed that party.” Here she goes again.
“Yes!” I blushed. I know I have to reply ‘yes’ to all her questions.
It was evening, and Ava and James were here. Eden was still at the office, so we were just talking and laughing. James was chatting with my parents while Ava and I sat on the couch, a little distance from them, munching on snacks. Then, Ava started on that wild topic.
“So, Eden’s back from his business trips.”
“Yes.”
“He’s even more handsome now.”
“Yes.”
“More hot.”
“Yes.”
“He loves you very much.”
“Yes.”
“And he’s very good in bed.”
“Yes.”
“Like a wild, hungry wolf.”
“Yes…”
Wait, what? I shot her a glare, but before I could say anything, she burst into laughter—and we were interrupted.
“What am I good at?”
My eyes widened. I turned my head to see Eden standing right behind us. I had no idea how much he had heard.
YOU ARE READING
FATE - can a person in one lifetime fall in love with the same person twice?
RomanceDo you believe in fate? Azalea Taylor, who lost her job due to her stubbornness, was searching for a new job when her best friend suggested one to her. However, on the day of the interview, she bumped into someone and criticized him. Guess who he is...
