The Royal Contract

After spending more than an hour with his friends at the pool, he decided that it was time to go back to his room. He wanted to check on Dani's condition, and at the same time, take a rest. He already felt fatigued due to a lack of sleep after taking care of Dani last night.

As he walked into the hallway, he bumped into Jacky. She informed him that she was on her way to the pool to swim. He wondered if he should stop Jacky and warned her that Marcus was there.

Then again, should he allow them to meet so they could finally have a conversation and the closure they both needed? Eventually, he decided to let fate took its course. He kept his mouth shut and made his way to his room. 

"You are still awake." It was not a question but more of a statement as he saw Dani sitting up on the bed with a pillow at her back, leaning on the headboard.

"Didn't you just see Jacky came out of the room?" Dani stated as if that should answer his question.

Well, she was right, he thought. Jacky would have fussed around her. That would not have been easy for her to sleep with Jacky in the room.

"Well, since she is gone now, why don't you rest your eyes. You hardly had a good sleep last night." He informed her, remembering her restless sleep. "The doctor said that you need to rest some more so that your body can recover fast." 

"What about you? Did you have your rest?" If she remembered right and if it was not just a dream. He was almost awake all night, taking care of her. She vaguely recalled that every time she opened her eyes, she saw him hovering around her. 

She did not want to think of it, but her mind kept telling her that he took real good care of her. She even remembered how he was careful to wipe her body with the cloth, avoiding his skin from touching hers. 

She wanted to think that she was only dreaming about it, but her mind would not allow her to deny that it did happen. Even during the time, Alex had no choice but to envelop her in his embrace to keep her warm. Her mind would not allow her to forget.

"I'm about to, but I just want to check on you first before I do." He answered her, then Alex started yawning as if his body was reminding him that it was time to sleep.

"Well, you should sleep. I'm feeling much, much better." She repeated the word for emphasis. 

She did not want him to worry about her anymore. It was enough that he did his best to make sure that she did not get worse. And then, brought her back safely to the palace.

"About that. Will you mind if I sleep at your side?" He indicated the space on the other side of the bed. "You see, this is my room, so they will be expecting me to sleep here."

"Yeah, I was going to ask you about that. I just forgot. Why am I in your room?" She suddenly asked, remembering that Jacky mentioned it earlier, but she was afraid to ask their parents about it.

"When we were rescued from the shed and brought back here, the people who took care of you assumed that this is where you are also staying since you are my fiancé. While me, I had to stop by the study room to answer our parents' questions. 

By the time that I looked for you, you were already here. I could not do anything about it anymore. I could not request that you transfer to another room without raising suspicions." He elaborated his explanation of what happened.

"Then, that would mean that we are stuck in here until tomorrow when the doctor declares that I am well enough to go back to the other house." She surmised their situation, more to herself.

"Exactly what I meant," Alex said as he moved to the other side of the bed. "I am willing to sleep on the sofa over there." Pointing to the couch on the other side of the room. It looked very uncomfortable to sleep on for a man like Alex. "But anyone could walk here to check on you and find me there."

"Of course, that again would raise questions." She finally finished what he was about to say. She did agree with him, but things were going more complicated as they moved along with their fake relationship, she realized.

"Besides, I hope you will take pity on me. I am exhausted and want a comfortable bed to sleep on, even for a few hours." He pleaded with her, wanting her to understand his need.

"Fine. I don't mind if we sleep together." She said, then quickly corrected her words upon realizing how she sounded with her statement. "I meant to sleep on the same bed." She knew that she must be burning in embarrassment as she felt her cheeks reddened.

"Don't worry. I know what you meant." He smiled at her, amused again with the way she reacted to her fumble. "But thanks for understanding."

He went to his changing room and put on a comfortable shirt and sweat pants to sleep on before going back to the room. He was too tired to take a shower, so that would do for now. Besides, he believed that he already took a long shower last night.

"I would say good night, but the sun was just up. But you should also rest." He told her as he laid down on the other side of the spacious bed. It was big enough for the two of them. They could even fit another two persons in the middle if they wanted to. 

"Go get your rest. I'll try to sleep too." Dani laid back down on the bed and turned to the other side, opposite him, not wanting to watch him sleep.

She knew that she was not getting any sleep, knowing that he was lying not so far from her. She could still smell his scent from last night. The perfume that he wore still lingered in the air. But she guessed that was just her imagination, playing overtime.

She suddenly longed for his even breathing and the steady rhythm of his heart as she laid her head on his chest, lulling her to sleep. She realized now that she would be craving for him after that night. Every time she would be closing her eyes, she would be dreaming about him.

"Then sleep tight too." He answered back, turning on his side, facing the other way.

But he wondered if he was getting any sleep with her only a few feet away from him. He could still remember the way she felt on his arms last night as he tried to warm her up.

He could still feel the softness of her skin as he rubbed his palm on her arms to warm her up. He would never forget her warm cheek as it pressed on his chest as he breathed. 

He realized that he would never stop dreaming of having her again in his arms after being reminded of what it felt like having her body around his.

He closed his eyes tightly, hoping to force his mind to think of something else. Any subject that would make him shift his attention to another topic. Anything that would stop him from thinking about Dani and their time together. Because no matter how exhausted his body was, his mind seemed to be enjoying the memory lane.

He then remembered his conversation with Marcus. The way Marcus defended what he was doing with his relationship with Jacky. He tried to listen to his friend's rationale, but he found it hard to agree with him.

"It was not as if we are exclusively dating. We had an arrangement." Marcus pointed out that their relationship was an open one. "It is not as if I told her that she was going to be my girlfriend or promise to marry her. I never lied to her about what I wanted in our relationship."

"Still, she is a woman who was expecting you to be a gentleman who would show her even at least a little respect if not your loyalty and love." He tried to understand Marcus and his situation. 

He was his friend, and just like him, a commitment was not on the table for him too, not just yet. But he still thought that his principle about relationships was a bit out of line.

"Ok. I admit. I was a bit drunk that night, and I lost control of the situation. But I had no intention of hurting her in any way." Marcus declared, but he knew that most of what he said might be a lie. He was not drunk at all. He knew what he was doing. 

"You left her at the party to bang another girl." This time, Alex was not careful with his words. 

He wanted his words to have an impact on his friend's narrowed thinking. Hopefully, it would make him hear and understand what his message was, loud and clear.

Marcus was one of the most intelligent people he knew when it came to business and the law. But when it came to his emotional quotient, he was failing miserably. 

Then, sensing the girl not so far from where he was, he made a sudden realization. Maybe he was also falling in the same category as Marcus as he neglected to consider what Dani must be feeling with all this.