"I just needed extra pillows and blankets. That's all! I'm totally comfortable, by the way. Completely fine!" He nodded furiously, as if to convince her, and himself, of the statement's truth.
'Don't suspect me, don't suspect me.' He continued to chant while staring at her face.
For a moment, Olaedo almost bought it. But then she noticed the sheer volume of pillows in his arms, and her doubts crystallized into certainty. 'He's not comfortable at all,' she realized, her heart softening at the sight of his stubborn resolve to hide it.
"It's okay," she said gently, sitting up in the bed. "There's no need to pretend. If the sofa's uncomfortable, why don't you take the bed? I'll sleep in the study—"
"No way!" Chibuzor interrupted, his tone firm and his expression unyielding. "I told you, I'm fine. Just go back to sleep."
Without waiting for her response, he fled into the study, slamming the door shut behind him as if escaping a predator.
Olaedo sat back, exasperated yet unable to suppress the faint smile tugging at her lips. 'He's so stubborn,' she thought, shaking her head fondly.
Chibuzor carefully spread the pillows and blankets on the cold, unforgiving floor, muttering to himself with a mix of regret and resignation. "I just had to write that stupid clause about staying as far away from each other as possible. Now, I'm here, about to sleep on the floor, something I've never done in my entire life! Why didn't I just share the bed? It's not like anything would happen! And… I could see how she sleeps." His voice trailed off into a wistful grumble. "Once again, my so called 'loophole proof' contract shoots me in the foot."
The frustration simmering inside him threatened to boil over. With a final huff, he settled down to lie on his makeshift bed. Just as his body met the floor's icy embrace, a sharp knock on the door made him freeze.
It wasn't hard to guess who it was. After all, Olaedo was the only other person in the room.
Dragging himself to his feet, Chibuzor cracked the door open cautiously, just enough for his face to show. "What's up?" he asked, his tone deliberately casual.
Olaedo raised a curious brow at his half-hidden stance but didn't comment. Her gaze darted past him, landing on a corner of the blanket peeking out from the floor.
Realization struck her like a slap. 'He's sleeping on the floor?' Her frown deepened, annoyance flickering in her eyes. 'Why is he so stubborn?!'
For a moment, she studied his face. His expression was a strange mix of pride, determination, and exhaustion, like a man trying too hard to prove himself. Sighing, her heart softened just a little.
"Why don't we share the be—" she started but stopped abruptly. Clause 13 slammed into her memory like a brick wall. Sharing the bed was strictly forbidden! No matter how ridiculous it felt, she had to uphold the contract.
'I can't let him see weakness in me like earlier' she resolved, her earlier softness evaporating. Steeling herself, she shifted into a cold demeanor. "Never mind. Goodnight." The words left her lips with such finality it felt like she was shutting a door in his face.
Chibuzor blinked, his heart dropping at the abrupt shift. For a split second, he had let himself hope. 'Hey! What happened to pitying me and sharing the bed?!' he wailed internally as she turned and walked away, leaving him alone with his disappointment.
Before he could wallow, a tiny voice piped up near his ear. "Clause 13 of your loophole proof contract clearly states…"
Chibuzor jumped, startled. A miniature version of himself, complete with a glowing halo, fluttered above his shoulder.
The pint-sized angel adjusted its imaginary glasses and continued in a snarky tone, ""Separate rooms are mandatory. However, in cases where sharing a room is necessary, both parties must maintain a distance as far as the east is from the west." You wrote it yourself. Own it!"
Chibuzor sighed heavily, nodding in reluctant agreement. "You're right." But a nagging suspicion crept in. 'Why does this angel sound like he's mocking me?'
The angel smirked. "Because I am mocking you! Who writes such a ridiculous contract, gets into a fake marriage, and then starts falling for the other party?"
"I'm not falling for her!" Chibuzor shot back defensively, his voice tinged with indignation.
The angel raised a brow, unconvinced. "Oh? Then why did you want to watch her sleep?"
Chibuzor stiffened, his brain scrambling for an excuse. "I just wanted to see if she still sleeps like a log, that's all! No big deal."
The angel's eyes rolled so hard it seemed like they might fall out. "Sure, sure. And why did you miss her so much last week? Why did it bother you when she didn't answer your calls?"
"Enough!" Chibuzor swatted at the air, his voice rising in frustration. "You're just my imagination. Your conclusions are imaginary too. I don't love her, and I didn't miss her!" He crossed his arms with finality, his tone daring the angel to argue.
"Yeah, right." The angel scoffed, fading into thin air with one last parting shot. "Keep lying to yourself."
Alone once more, Chibuzor shook his head vigorously, as if trying to physically dislodge the angel's words from his mind. Refusing to entertain the idea any further, he spent the next hour brainstorming ways to reinforce his resolve.
Only after exhausting his imagination, and himself, did he finally drift off to a restless sleep, clutching tightly to his denial.
The Next Day.
Chibuzor woke up first, his sleep interrupted by the less than ideal "bed" he had endured all night. As he got to his feet, a sharp pain jolted through his body. Every muscle ached, a relentless reminder of the previous night's discomfort.
Gritting his teeth, he straightened up and cleaned the makeshift sleeping area before heading to the bathroom. After a quick shower, he paused to glance at Olaedo, who lay comfortably in bed, her face serene in sleep.