The Royal Contract

1079 Money that bought silence

She stared at the ceiling, thinking of the man lying on her couch, just a few meters away from her bedroom door. He insisted on staying and camping in her living room to guarantee she would be ok for the night.

She wanted to offer the comfort of her bed, but she did not want him to think she was moving too fast in their relationship. But she could not help but wonder if he was comfortable on her couch since he seemed too big.

“No, don’t do it.” She whispered to herself, stopping her from sliding out of bed and exiting her room.

Deep sleep seemed to deprive her as she kept waking up at all hours. Maybe it was because she had been sleeping all day, or it could be the medication. Whatever it was, she was ready to give up.

But compared to yesterday, she was feeling so much better. It was as if she was almost a hundred percent back to her usual self. Still, she was proceeding with caution, not wanting the sickness to come back.

But that was not the problem, as her body won over her better judgment. “Traitor.” She thought to herself.

She sneaked out of her room and walked to the living room, staring at the sleeping man who seemed uncomfortable in his position, basing it on how his body bent on the couch.

She debated whether to wake him up or leave him be. Still, she felt guilty if she left him in such a situation. She could imagine the stiffness of his muscles when he woke up in the morning.

But then again, should she invite him to share her bed since she had no spare room or bed to offer him? After a few seconds of observing his face, he stirred, making her step away.

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She also did not want him to catch her watching him sleep. It would be awkward to explain herself in that kind of situation.

“Just get some water and go back to your room.” She could hear her mind instructing her body, reminding her that she was also thirsty.

Slowly, she moved away from him, stepping on her tiptoes to avoid creating too much noise. Then, she finally reached the other room without waking him up.

She went straight to the refrigerator, getting some cold water inside. She needed something that could replenish the thirst she felt. Then, after refilling her glass, she brought it back with her on her way back to her room, just in case she felt parched again.

But before she could pass the living room undetected, on her way to her bedroom, somebody called her attention. “Did you need anything?” He asked her, making her face him. “I told you to wake me up if you need anything.”

“I am sorry.” She uttered, feeling like a child caught with her hand on the cookie jar. “You seem so tired. I did not have the heart to wake you up. Besides, I was feeling so much better now. Thanks to you.” She added the last part, grateful for all his help.

“Still, you should have woken me up.” He insisted as he stood up and walked over to her. Then, his hand automatically checked her temperature, feeling her skin for warmth.

But the only heat she felt came from his skin as it made contact with her. She could not help it as her eyes automatically closed, savoring the warmth radiating from him. She was not sick, but still, she could feel a different kind of fever building inside her.

“I am ok. You don’t have to worry about me. But I am more worried about you.” She admitted. “I don’t think you are comfortable with my sofa. I don’t mind if you sleep in my bed, beside me. If you want.” She shyly offered.

She could not help it since she had never shared a bed with a man, except for Edison. She had been sleeping alone since Edison mostly slept in his room. She would offer Edison’s room to him, but the kiddie bed would only fit half of his body.

“Are you sure it is fine?” He also seemed to hesitate. “But I prefer to sleep on your bed since my back is killing me.” He touched a portion of his lower back to make his point.

She could tell that he was not making it up. She did see how he twisted his body to fit on the couch. Therefore, his claim had a solid basis. Anyway, she already offered it. She could not take it back.

“Yeah, come on. The bed is wide enough for the both of us.” She told him.

She bought a wide bed intending to share it with Edison from time to time. Besides, she had more than enough space in her room for it. It would be nice to sleep on something she did not have to bend her body to fit.

Then, she opened her door to him, allowing him entry to her private area. Suddenly, she could feel the sizzling heat surrounding her, but she chose to ignore it. She did not want to put malice in her invitation since she was unsure if she was ready to take this to the next level.

“So, you can take that side,” She said, pointing to her right while facing the bed as she walked over to the left.

Soon, they were both lying on the bed, with the blanket covering their bodies. Then, their eyes stared at the ceiling above their heads, both temporarily lost in their worlds.

Stillness filled the room as no one seemed to want to talk since nothing appeared to come to mind, but neither felt the desire to close their eyes and allow the darkness to consume their consciousness.

“Are you asleep?” Somebody suddenly spoke, breaking the awkward silence.

Ria realized it was not him but she who first uttered the question. She could not sleep, and she did not hear him breathing evenly. Therefore, concluding that he was still wide awake, just like her.

“No, not yet. What about you? Are you sleepy?” Zach returned the question.

“No. Not really.” She truthfully responded as she expelled a big sigh of air from her body. “I think I had already overslept.” She explained, not feeling a hint of fatigue as she continued to stare at the blank ceiling.

Suddenly, she could imagine a painting of his face displayed on the white surface above her. Then, she realized it was just her illusion since she had always wanted to see him.

“Do you want to talk instead? I am not sleepy too. We can kill time by learning more things about each other while we wait for sleep to come around.” he suggested instead, which she believed was a good idea.

She thought about it, nodding in agreement. She believed she had many things she wished to know about this man beside her, just like his likes and dislikes, etc. But that would also mean he had to ask questions that she had to answer honestly.

Was she ready for that? She guessed she had no choice. She could not keep hiding from her past since it would reveal its nature eventually to haunt her even if she buried it in the deepest part of her mind.

“Ok. I think I like that.” If they were going to be a couple, she would have to learn to open up to him.

“Great.” This time, he turned to his side, facing her as he cradled his face in her soft pillow.

She knew she had no choice but to follow his sample and face him. It was weird to see a man lying next to her. But it was a nice kind of weird. She believed she liked it.

“Shall I go first?” He asked as he stared into her eyes. “I hope you will not mind, but I need to ask this.”

Suddenly, she felt wary about his question. But if she would work out this relationship with him, she should be ready to share more intimate things about herself, or this entire thing would be doomed before it hardly began.

“Is it ok if I ask who Edison’s father is?” He finally voiced out what probably had been brewing in his mind.

She could not blame him. If she was in his situation, when he was the one with a child, she might also ask the same question. She would be curious about the woman’s identity, even if it had been in the past.

“I...” She had no idea how to answer his first question. Honestly, she had decided never to bring up this topic. Never again in the rest of her life. But now that he was asking. Was she ready to tell him?

“I am sorry. But I can’t tell you that.” She finally said to him. First, it was a past that she did not want to dig up. Then.

She also remembered signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement where she could not disclose the identity of her child’s father in exchange for the enormous financial support she received.

The clause stated that she could only spend the money on her child’s medical treatment and future needs, including securing a house for her child. But she barely touched most of the money when she started working.

She was saving it for future use. In such a case, Edison got sick again. Or for his education. Besides, she barely needed the money since she could not care much for material things.

But basically, it was money that bought silence.