Ella shook her head, feeling like it was a blasphemy to even associate that word with this person.
Ella cleared her throat and leaned forward, "Is there something you want?"
Ella blanked out for a moment before she spoke again, "No... I mean... Is there something you want from me?"
Ella blinked, "Oh? What do you want from me?"
"Everything of yours."
She looked at the man speechlessly, inwardly blaming herself for expecting a straightforward answer from him in the first place.
With a soft sigh, Ella leaned back on the headboard and reached out to stroke his hair, "This time... for how long do you want to stay here?"
Adrian opened his eyes and met her gaze, "Do you want to leave?"
Had it been before, Ella wouldn’t have batted an eyelid before saying ’yes’.
Staying in such a private place, alone with Adrian, with nothing to do and nowhere to go, she would feel nothing but suffocated.
Even now, the day was mostly uneventful. Ella was merely doing mundane stuff.
Also, Adrian was a man of few words. When she wasn’t talking, they were mostly silent.
But when she reflected upon it, Ella realized that it was not as bad.
And if she had to be honest then—
"I don’t want to leave."
When she did not get a response, she looked down at the man lying on her lap.
His eyes were closed and he was breathing evenly.
Who falls asleep without waiting for an answer to their question? Or did I take too much time thinking?
Ella sulked as she reached out and poked the tip of his nose gently.
’Hmm, feels good,’ Just as Ella moved her hand to do it again, the man stirred, his eyelashes moved.
Ella held her breath.
Adrian moved on her lap slightly, without waking up.
Ella heaved a sigh and adjusted a pillow behind her back.
As she leaned back on the pillow, her gaze landed on his bandaged wrists, and his visibly pale face.
’He is behaving like the past few days did not happen and he wasn’t sick. And it seems like he has always done it this way...’ Before she realized, she had already raised her hand to stroke his hair.
Looking at him, Ella couldn’t help but think, ’You did not seem to be willing to talk about it, so I did not push you. But one day... would you tell me what happened after I left Country A?’
That was a thought she did not linger on.
Adrian was like a bottomless pool.
Even with all the answers he gave her, there were a million questions left.
Tangled in her thought, Ella did not realize when she drifted off to sleep.
The pillow pressed against the headboard slipped and her head tilted back, about to hit the headboard.
But at that moment, a palm captured the back of her head.
A pair of dark eyes sparkled in the pale glow of moonlight.
The man who was supposed to be asleep on her lap, pushed himself up while supporting her head.
He pulled towards him before laying down on the bed. Up so close, he observed her features keenly.
And he couldn’t help but fall into a reverie as he touched the tip of his nose, right where she had touched him.
His heart replayed her words:
’I don’t want to leave.’
’I don’t want to leave.’
’I don’t want to leave.’
Again and again, he could hear it loud and clear.
She did not want to leave.
She did not want to leave this place.
She did not want to leave his side.
"I won’t let you leave, Elle,’’ His words were like a promise, branding itself on both their souls.
Sunlight streamed through the windows from the gap of the curtains, brightening up the dark room.
Ella covered her eyes with the back of her hand and rolled to the other side of the bed.
But feeling the coldness on the other side, she slowly opened her eyes, only to find the bed empty.
She was just about to look for Adrian when she noticed some movements from the corner of her eyes.
The moment she turned, Ella was rendered speechless by the sight.
In front of the tall mirror, Adrian was standing half naked. His back muscles glistened under the sunlight with every slight movement of his body.
Before Ella could take a longer look at the scene, Adrian pulled up his black shirt, obstructing her view.
After a moment, she opened her mouth, "Baby, are you going somewhere?"
"Work," Adrian turned around and walked towards her as he spoke.
"_" Why was his reaction so normal? Did he already know she had been awake for a while now? Did he... see her ogling at him?
"I thought..." Ella trailed off when he bent to her level and kissed her temple.
Adrian ruffled her hair as he grabbed his suit jacket, "What did you think?"
Ella touched her forehead, "I thought we are staying here for a while."
Adrian paused for a moment.
The corner of his lips curved slightly, "I will be back after work."
Ella fell into contemplation.
She spoke up only after a while, "But that defeats the purpose..."
"Oh?" Adrian raised a brow, "How is that?"
"I would stay here if you stayed here to recover. But now, you are going to work... How is it good for me if I put all my work aside and stay here by myself?"
Ella continued in a very righteous tone, "I might not look like it but I am a very busy person myself..."
The sound of a deep laughter reverberated in the room, cutting her words off.
As she watched him laugh like that, she fell into a daze.
"Then, what do you suggest?" Adrian asked suddenly.
A/N: If you have made it so far, please take some time to write a review <3 And drop some golden tickets to support the book~