"What do you think of the idea of sharing the bed tonight?"
What did Lola think? — WOW!
But her face squeezed in the middle as if disgusted by the idea. She could’ve sworn this was not what her heart desired; it didn’t disgust her at all. It was just her facial muscles betraying her, and she was trying to keep them under control.
"Sleep with me tonight," Atlas casually offered his hand to her while she stared at him blankly. "Slater locked the bedroom, and knowing him, he’ll be sleeping with the children."
"Ah?" Again, Lola blinked. She hadn’t heard anything he said.
He frowned slightly. "Come now."
"..." She blinked and blinked again, still trying to piece together what he had just said. "There’s more room in here, right?"
Right?
The angel on her shoulder suddenly poofed into existence. This is your place. Of course, there are other rooms in here! How can you ask that, like it’s not your home?
Lola gasped in horror, looking over her shoulder at her imaginary angel. The problem was, the angel’s face carried Second’s face. Then suddenly, on her other shoulder, appeared the most adorable devil ever.
And what’s so wrong if you sleep with him? the imaginary devil Chacha smirked, eyes snapping to Atlas. Just look at him — DIVINE~! Have you ever met anyone like him? Of course not. It’s why you’ve been single all your life: because he broke the standard and raised the bar!
But she’s not easy! The angel shouted, only for the devil to bark back, She’s not at the age to be picky anymore!
Meanwhile, Atlas crouched in front of her. He stared at Lola’s blank face as if she were blocking out everything around her.
"Attack, attack, attack," he whispered in confusion, tilting his head. "Is this supposed to be a side effect?"
It was... slightly worrying.
A shallow breath escaped him as he shook his head. Still, this was better than Lola trying to justify or reason out his actions. Thinking she had simply blanked out, Atlas reached for her arm and, in one swift motion, pulled her into his arms.
Kyahhh~!
Both the imaginary angel and devil suddenly melted away, exorcised by his action.
The sudden movement made her flinch, clutching his chest on instinct. Her eyes shook as her feet left the floor. For a second, her mind buzzed until her gaze lifted and landed on his face.
"I’ll take that as a yes," he said, gazing down at her. "And no, all the rooms in this place are... occupied."
"By... who?" she blurted.
Atlas narrowed his eyes slightly and shrugged. "By Slater’s things. See how he ran so quickly? Guilty." He smirked. "Don’t move around, or the two of us will fall."
With that, he started walking away with Lola in his arms. He could’ve carried her like a sack, but she was actually very light.
Meanwhile, as Atlas carried her away from the mezzanine, the bedroom door — which Slater had darted into — creaked slightly open. Slater peeked through the small gap, catching his brother’s back as he descended the stairs.
"Why are they abusing my name and blaming me for everything?"
*****
Today should have been a day of tension, of dread, of anger, of fire. That was supposed to be Lola’s day. But somehow, it felt like she had walked into a romance-comedy sitcom instead.
Lying motionless on the bed, she stared at the ceiling in utter confusion. Atlas had just carried her into his room and dropped her. After casually saying, "I’ll be back after a shower," he left!
"My body..." she whispered, clutching her chest. "My dignity..."
Her eyes popped open as she sat up in horror. The sound of running water caressed her ears, making her glance at the bathroom door. She gulped, her heart racing while the heat spread across her face.
"Shit," she breathed, cupping her hot cheeks. "I swear to God... I’m going to harass Derek and Melissa if I suddenly wake up from this."
Because if this turned out to be a dream, she would be furious. That would be messed up. Lola buried her face in her palms, then spread her fingers to peek at the door through the gaps.
"Is this really happening?" she whispered. "No, right?"
Or... yes?
Her breath hitched as she looked up, imagining the possible scenarios from this moment on.
Scenario #1: Atlas would come out of the bathroom with only a short towel clinging to his waist, beads of water dripping down his toned body, eyes drunk with desire. He would saunter toward her, slow and deliberate, then push her shoulder down while his body hovered over her.
Lola nodded at her own thought. "Not bad."
Scenario #2: Atlas, being straightforward, would come out naked. His dragon would stand erect, ready to breathe fire. Instead of being slow, he would pounce on her, pin her hands above her head, and ravish her.
Her face twisted a little.
That’s... a bit much. Why would he be running around naked?
Scenario #3: Atlas would—
Her thoughts trailed off when she felt the bed bounce as the other side dipped under new weight. She turned her head, catching him seated at the edge of the bed, his back facing her. Drops of water dampened his white shirt as he dried his hair with a small towel, careful and precise.
The scent of his soap wafted to her, making her purse her lips. He wasn’t even looking at her, but her heart beat slow and hard.
"Hmm?" he paused and glanced over his shoulder, meeting her eyes instantly. The second their gazes met, her breath hitched. "Couldn’t sleep?"
"Ah?"
His brows knitted as he adjusted his position to face her properly, head cocked to the side.
"Are you thinking—"
"Water!" Lola intoned, cutting him off. She grinned. "I need water to drink. I’ll get—"
"I’ll get it," he cut in smoothly, already on his feet. "Lukewarm, correct?"
"Ye— ahem! Yep!"
He rocked his head and casually strutted out of the bedroom. As soon as he was out of sight, Lola gasped, hand over her chest.
"Did he mean sharing the bed is... literally sharing it tonight? No scenario 1,2, to 5?" Her face soured, glaring at the door. "Tch! Goodness! He’s driving me crazy."