"What Are You Waiting For?" || ORIGINAL STORY.

Chapter Eighty-One.

Darren's POV.

What now?

I can't live without her cuddles, warmth, touch..

I slowly had the pills the doctor gave for the pain, and then I ordered some food to eat.

While I was losing my mind, Tanya stayed relaxed, reading a magazine on the couch.

Despite my inner turmoil, I decided to focus on something completely mundane to take my mind off the fact that I wasn't cuddling the love of my life.

I glanced over at Tanya, who was calmly reading a magazine on the couch.

"What are you reading?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

She looked up from her magazine, setting it down on her lap.

"Oh, just some fashion magazine I found in the lobby. It's not that interesting, to be honest."

She studied me for a moment, noticing the tension in my shoulders and the slight frown on my face.

"You okay over there?" She asked.

I forced a tight smile, trying to act normal.

"Yeah, fine. Just feeling a bit restless, that's all."

I couldn't tell her the real reason I was feeling 'restless'. 

That it was because I was desperately craving cuddles and her touch.

She eyed me sceptically for a moment, but didn't press the matter further.

"Alright, if you say so," She said, though it was clear she didn't quite believe me.

She picked up her magazine again and resumed reading, while I went back to staring at the ceiling, silently suffering.

Every minute felt like an hour, and every hour felt like an eternity without her in my arms.

The room was quiet, and my mind kept wandering back to thoughts of her cuddles.

Her warmth, her softness, her gentle touch.. 

It was driving me crazy.

I kept glancing over at her, watching as she casually read her magazine, seemingly oblivious to my internal torment.

Why had I ever agreed to this stupid bet? 

Why did I have to be such a competitive idiot?

I shifted around restlessly on the bed, the sheets rustling with every movement.

My arm was also starting to hurt, and I was basically in some sort of torture.

The pain from my injured arm added to my growing frustration.

On top of being denied cuddles, I had to deal with the constant ache in my arm.

It was a cruel combination of physical and emotional discomfort.

And the worst part... 

I couldn't even cuddle with her to distract myself from the pain because of our stupid bet.

I just turned away from her on the couch and just stayed still.

I felt dreadful.

I felt like I was slowly losing my mind.

The loneliness and emptiness were overwhelming.

I lay there, still and silent, feeling like I was a caged animal slowly losing its sanity.

I'd never realised how much I took her cuddles, presence, and comfort for granted.

In that moment, alone on the bed, I felt a profound sense of realisation.

Cuddles with her weren't just a nice thing to have... they were a necessity.

I needed her cuddles, her warmth, her touch to feel complete and whole.

And now, without them, I felt broken, incomplete, and utterly miserable.

I closed my eyes, trying to push away the thoughts and emotions rushing through my mind.

But it was no use. 

The longing for her presence was too strong, too overwhelming.

I turned my head to the side, sneaking a glance at her on the couch.

She was still engrossed in her magazine, completely oblivious to my internal struggle.

I watched her for a moment, taking in her beauty and grace.

She looked so calm, so relaxed.

Meanwhile, I felt like I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, all because I couldn't just cuddle the love of my life.

The irony of the situation wasn't lost on me.

Here I was, a big, strong man, being brought to my knees by something as simple as being denied cuddles.

What has my life become?

But deep down, I knew that my life would've been nothing without her.

In that moment of realisation, I also came to a deeper understanding.

Without her cuddles, sure, I felt like I was going insane.

But without her in my life, even cuddles wouldn't be enough.

She wasn't just a source of cuddles... 

She was my world, my home, my everything.

She was the air I breathed, the water that sustained me, the very essence of my being.

The cuddles were just a physical manifestation of my love for her, a tangible way to express the depths of my affection.

Without her cuddles, I was incomplete.

But without her, I wouldn't want to be alive.

As this realisation washed over me, I felt a mix of overwhelming emotions.

Love, adoration, devotion... but also fear.

Fear that I would lose her, fear that I wouldn't be able to express how much I loved her, fear that I couldn't be the man she deserved.

The weight of my feelings was crushing, like a heavy boulder on my chest.

Yet, as I watched her from the bed, completely unaware of my inner turmoil, I felt a sense of peace wash over me.

Even though I couldn't hold her right now, even though I couldn't touch her or feel her warmth, I knew she was there... and that was enough.

For now.

I took a deep breath, feeling a sense of resilience take over.

I could do this.

I could endure a month without her cuddles, because at the end of it, she would still be mine.

..

I could do this.