Arranged husband

Chapter-20 (coldness in the air)

The sunlight filtering through the blinds is what eventually wakes him up. His head is pounding from the alcohol, and his mouth feels dry. He groans softly in discomfort as the world slowly comes into focus. He lifts his head a bit, looking at her still in his arms. The early morning light casts a warm glow on her face, making her look especially beautiful.

"you woke up already?"

He startles slightly at the sound of her voice, not realizing that she was awake. He looks down, his eyes meeting hers.

"Yeah...yeah, I just woke up. How long have you been awake?"

"Just now." She sits up straight. He releases his hold on her, rolling onto his back with a slight wince.

"Damn...my head is killing me. Must be the alcohol." He rubs his temples, trying to ease the pounding in his head. He can feel her staring at him, and he turns his head to look at her, a sheepish expression on his face. "Mmh?"

"Nothing." She shrugs. He rolls over to face her, propping himself up on one arm. He studies her face, trying to gauge the mood.

"Are you...are you mad at me? For last night?"

"Did u do something for me to be mad?" He hesitates for a moment, looking away as a feeling of guilt washes over him. He knows he was quite heavily drunk last night, and it's possible he may have done or said something that upset her.

"Well...I don't know. I don't remember much of last night. But I feel like I was quite drunk, and I may have...I may have been a little too touchy with you."

"You don't remember?" He shakes his head slightly, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. His memories from last night are hazy, fragmented.

"No, I don't. I remember drinking quite a lot at the office party, and then coming home. But everything after that is a bit blurry."

"Alright." He looks at her, a worried expression on his face. He can sense that she's being a bit guarded, and he can't shake off the feeling that he must have done something last night that upset.

"Are you sure you're not mad? You seem a bit... distant."

"I'm perfectly fine."

He watches her for a moment, trying to read her expression. He can tell that something is bothering her, but he can't quite put his finger on it. He reaches out, his hand gently cupping her cheek.

"Are you sure? You know you can tell me if something's wrong, right? I would never want to do anything to upset you."

"Yeah...." with that she leaves to the bathroom to fresh up. He watches her walk away, his eyes following until she disappears. He falls back onto the bed, a sigh escaping his lips. He knows something is off, but he has no idea how to fix it. He tries to recall last night, but all he gets are fractured memories of him being heavily drunk and pawing at her.

He lies there, staring up at the ceiling, the guilt and confusion swirling in his mind. He knows he needs to talk to her, to figure out what happened and how he can make it right. But the sound of the shower running from the bathroom tells him to give her some space.

He's still lying on the bed when she comes out of the bathroom. He turns to look at her, his eyes taking in her appearance. She looks fresher, her hair still damp and her skin flushed from the hot water.

He watches her for a moment, his eyes following the movement of the towel through her hair. Then, without thinking, he speaks up.

"Hey...can I help? Let me dry your hair for you."