CHAPTER 41: YOU WANT TO SLEEP WITH ME?

After brunch, Adrian is now in the TV room, which also works as the living room. Meanwhile, Bianca is resting in the bedroom. Leaning back on the sofa, Adrian tilts his head up, staring at the ceiling, deep in thought. His brows are slightly furrowed, lips pressed together—clearly lost in whatever’s been weighing on his mind.

Without him noticing, Bianca, who just woke up from her late afternoon nap, slowly walks toward him with crutches under both arms. Her steps are careful, the soft sound of the crutches tapping against the floor gradually breaking the quiet. When she finally gets close enough, she pauses, watching him for a moment before speaking.

"What are you thinking about?"

Adrian only notices her presence after hearing her voice. He lifts his head and turns to look at her, blinking as if pulled out of his thoughts. "You’re up?"

"Yeah." Bianca gives a small nod, her voice still a bit hoarse from sleep.

Swinging her crutches forward to support her steps, she continues walking toward Adrian. When her eyes fall on the pillow and neatly folded blanket on the sofa he’s sitting on, a wave of guilt hits her. Her brows pull together slightly, and she presses her lips into a thin line.

"Are you really okay sleeping on the couch? Isn’t your body sore?" she asks, looking a little sorry, her eyes glancing at his face for any sign of discomfort.

Seeing her expression, Adrian can’t help but tease her. He lifts his right hand and starts rubbing his shoulder. "It’s fine. Just a little stiff, that’s all," he says with a small smirk, trying to lighten the mood.

Bianca’s guilt only grows. Her eyes drop to the floor for a moment before glancing back up at him. Adrian’s kindness and the care he’s shown lately have been weighing on her heart. She bites her lower lip, hesitating for a second, fingers tightening slightly on the grips of her crutches, before letting out a soft sigh. She’s made up her mind, even if her heart beats a little faster from nerves.

Feeling a bit shy about what she’s about to say, Bianca clears her throat before speaking, her gaze briefly dropping to the floor again. "How about... starting tonight, you sleep in the bedroom instead?"

Adrian blinks, surprised by the unexpected offer, then raises an eyebrow. "In the bedroom?" he repeats, a playful tone slipping into his voice.

His lips tug into a mischievous smile as he leans slightly forward, studying her face. "If I sleep in the bedroom, where are you gonna sleep then? Surely... you’re not planning to sleep next to me?"

Adrian’s eyes widened all of a sudden when he saw something he never expected. His breath caught in his throat, and his chest rose a little faster. Bianca’s cheeks began to flush, turning a soft shade of pink that deepened by the second. She looked away quickly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, clearly trying to hide her embarrassment.

Without realizing it, Adrian’s mouth hung slightly open, stunned by what he had just discovered. His heart gave a strange flutter as he stared at her, trying to read the sudden change in her expression—shy, flustered, yet not pulling away. A warmth started to grow in his chest, pure surprise.

"You really mean it? I can sleep with you?" Adrian asked again, still unsure, his eyes fixed on her, as if trying to make sure he had heard her right.

His ambiguous words made Bianca’s face grow even redder. She bit her lower lip and glanced at him quickly before looking away. "But there has to be something between us."

Adrian frowned slightly, not quite understanding. "What do you mean?"

"I’m letting you sleep on the same bed with me. But there has to be something in between us."

Adrian blinked. "Ohhh... that’s what you meant. I thought you..." He stopped, his voice trailing off as his eyes darted away.

Bianca’s brows drew together. "You thought what?" she asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously, her tone sharp with curiosity.

"Nothing," Adrian replied quickly, raising his hands in surrender, though the corner of his mouth twitched like he was holding back a smile. His heart beat a little faster, caught between amusement and something he couldn’t quite explain.

Even though Bianca could tell something was on Adrian’s mind, she chose to ignore his words. "So? Do you want to or not? If you don’t, then forget it." Her voice was flat, but her eyes held a challenge, daring him to say no.

"I do! Who said I didn’t want to?" Adrian said quickly—almost too eagerly, as if worried she might take it back if he didn’t answer fast enough.

For some reason, just thinking about the fact that he’d be sharing a room with Bianca starting tonight made Adrian’s heart start to race. A brief, inappropriate thought flashed through his mind—her in that silk nightdress but he immediately pushed it away, clearing his throat and adjusting his position awkwardly. This was not the time to think about that.

Bianca cleared her throat softly, avoiding his eyes. "Alright then. I’ll head back to the room," she said, her voice a little too calm for someone who looked slightly flustered. Without waiting for a response, she quickly turned and walked away, disappearing.

He let out a long breath, trying to calm himself down, but there was still a bit of excitement he couldn’t shake off.

For some reason, he suddenly found himself looking forward to the night. Really looking forward to it, more than he should.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed on the table. Adrian grabbed it and saw his best friend’s name lighting up the screen, Zakari.

Still sounding a little too pleased with himself, he answered the call. "What do you want?"

"Hold up, why do you sound so damn happy?" Zak said. "Oh, wait. That’s right, you’re on your honeymoon. No wonder you’re glowing through the phone. So tell me... you two busy making an Adrian Junior in there?" he teased with a wicked chuckle.

Suddenly, Adrian heard the sound of a glass shattering in the background on Zak’s side of the call.

Then he heard Zak’s voice, speaking to someone nearby. "What’s wrong with you, Raf?"

***8