Chapter 32
Chapter 32
“Mm.” Doris nodded slightly, making up her mind. “Tell me what you want to eat, and I’ll make it for you.”
“With Nadia here, you don’t need to worry about that.” Margaret flashed a gentle smile and said to them. “You should go get some rest. You’ve got an early morning tomorrow.”
As she spoke, Margaret took Doris’s soft hand and placed it into Lewis’s big one. The heat from Lewis’s palm transferred to Doris’s skin, which was warm like fire, making her heartbeat race a little faster than usual.
“Come on, Lewis, take Doris to rest. Margaret seemed eager to get them out of her hair.
Under Margaret’s watchful eye, Lewis had no choice but to lead Doris upstairs.
He stopped at the door of the bedroom. Without even looking back, he could feel Margaret’s gaze on them from downstairs. He pushed the door open and stepped inside with Doris. The moment the door closed, he caught a glimpse of a victorious grin on Margaret’s face.
Lewis took a sigh in his mind and thought, ‘Oh, what a naughty old lady‘
Once the door clicked shut, Lewis pulled his hand away and explained, “Don’t be mad at Margaret. She’s just like a little kid sometimes. Her thoughts are simple, and she doesn’t mean any harm.”
“I understand that. No need to explain.” Doris clasped her hands together, her fingers still tingling with his warmth.
They both looked at the neatly made bed, with two sets of pajamas laid out perfectly–one in gray, the other in pink–both with little black–and–white kitten designs. It looked like something straight out of a couple’s set.
They both realized just how thoughtful Margaret had been.
“Take a shower and go to sleep. We gotta get up earlier than usual tomorrow morning,” Lewis said while picking up his pajamas. “I’ll use the bathroom downstairs.”
With that, he grabbed his clothes and headed downstairs, leaving Doris in the room alone. She relaxed a little and went to the bathroom.
When she got out and climbed into bed, there was a knock at the door. Doris answered, “Come in.”
It was Lewis, but this time, Margaret and Nadia followed him in. They clearly forced Lewis to come back.
“Doris, Nadia prepared a cup of milk for you. It’ll help you sleep,” Margaret said, placing the cup on the nightstand. “We won’t bother you further.”
Lewis wiped his damp hair, his tone a bit playful. “Guess it’s a bit of a hassle tonight. We have to share a room.”
Doris pressed her lips together and said nothing. She watched as Lewis went to the closet, pulled out a blanket, and headed for the lounge chair near the window.
He settled into it, but his long legs hung awkwardly off the edge. The chair was way stiff, and there was no doubt that he wouldn’t have a good sleep on it.
Doris thought back to the night he’d let her stay at his place. He slept on the couch that night, but at least it was soft.
“Why don’t you take the bed? I can sleep on the chair. My legs are not as long as yours, so I don’t have to curl up on it,” Doris suggested, not wanting him to suffer.
“Letting you sleep on the chair is not what a gentleman should do,” Lewis replied, his voice firm, though there was a hint of humor. “Especially you’re my wife now.”
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27 Feb
70%
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Chapter 32
He leaned back, using his arm as a pillow and turning his face away from the bed. “Turn off the light. Good night”
Doris studied his broad back for a moment before switching off the light.
The room fell into complete darkness. Doris shut her eyes, but sleep didn’t come. She could even hear the rustle of the leaves outside the window and Lewis’s steady breath.
She lay there for an hour, tossing and turning, unable to drift off. Finally, she opened her eyes again and shifted in bed.
“You can’t fall asleep?” Lewis’s deep voice sounded from the darkness.
Doris was startled, thinking she’d been trying to move as quietly as possible. She whispered, “Sorry, did I wake you?”
“Nope,” Lewis replied. Actually, he wasn’t really in the mood to sleep. This was the first time in his 28 years that he had to share a room with a woman, and the whole atmosphere felt subtle.
The chair was too short and too hard, and the blanket wasn’t thick enough. It dug into his skin, making him uncomfortable. There was no way he’d be getting any sleep on it.
He had no idea how he was supposed to survive this long night with just him and Doris in the room.
Then, Lewis let out a gentle cough.
“Hey, you’re gonna catch a cold like that. Why don’t you come to the bed? I’ll give you half of the space,” Doris said in a sincere tone.
She immediately regretted it as the words left her mouth. As she was about to explain herself when she heard Lewis’s voice in the dark. “You really wanna share a bed with me that much?”
Lewis’s eyes gleamed in the dark. His mind flashed back to that night when Doris was drunk and tried to kiss him.
In his life, Lewis had met plenty of flirtatious women who threw themselves at him. He absolutely hated that kind of direct, almost desperate approach. But as for Doris, he wasn’t sure if she was like that. He really hoped she wasn’t.
“Yeah, sure, you’re good–looking, and with a frame like yours, you’re the dream guy of every woman. I know you’re confident in your charm.
“But you can’t just assume everyone’s out to get you. Some people actually want to be nice. Too bad you look so good but don’t have a brain to match. I don’t like idiots.”
Doris felt a bit offended by his words, and she added, “Forget it, that was my mistake. Just ignore what I said. Night.”
After venting, she turned to her side, curled up under the blanket, and drifted off to sleep.
Lewis closed his eyes, a slight smirk playing on his lips. He couldn’t help but think Doris had quite a temper. He just gave a teasing comment, and she went off like that…
The next morning, a knock at the door woke Lewis up. His eyes snapped open, and in a flash, he leaped from the chair, clutched his blanket, and jumped onto the bed.
Doris stirred awake at the commotion, and seeing how frantic Lewis was, she almost burst out laughing.
Margaret opened the door and stepped in, only to find Lewis and Doris both sitting on the bed. Lewis, ever the actor, stretched dramatically.
Doris couldn’t help but think, ‘What a drama king.
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Chapter 32
“Doris, did you sleep well last night?” Margaret asked, completely ignoring her grandson.
Doris got up from the bed and walked over to Margaret, Slipping an arm around her, Doris replied, “Yeah, the bed is so big and comfy, and the blankets are warm. I slept like a baby. Didn’t even have a dream before it was daylight”
She finished with a sweet smile and turned to Lewis, who was still standing by the bed with one hand on his waist. “Honey, how about you?”
The way Doris said “Honey made Lewis almost buckle at the knees. His eyes flashed with a look of annoyance as he glanced at her, but he didn’t say anything.
Doris shot him a playful, knowing glance and raised her eyebrows, her smile growing even brighter.
Lewis quickly dropped his hand from his waist, his voice as cold and flat as stone. “Yeah, it was fine?
Though he said it was fine, in reality, he’d spent the night tossing and turning in that chair. Ifis body was sore, his muscles ached, and he felt like his bones had been crushed.
“Well, hurry up and get ready for breakfast,” Margaret said with a beam, clearly enjoying the playful banter between them. “Lewis, Nadia made your favorite wattles. Come on and eat.”
With that, she left the room, leaving just Doris and Lewis behind,
Their eyes locked, and sparks practically flew. They silently communicated with a look, neither one saying a word,
You said that on purpose, didn’t you?‘ Lewis said through his mind,
Yeah, so what?‘ Doris replied the same way,
‘Heh!‘
‘Humph!‘
‘You’re so childish!‘
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