Tonight, Lola had seen another side of Atlas: his slyness. After debating with him that sharing the bed was a no-go—especially since she was "hard" to pursue—he casually let her win the debate. But as if to tease her, he went with her to check the other rooms.
Much to her dismay, this guy had been doing black magic in her own place.
They first went to Slater’s room, which had been converted into a full wardrobe. She couldn’t even get in because of the racks and racks of clothes. So, she checked the other room.
There was a sign outside the second room that read, "Out of Order."
Lola remembered giving Atlas a blank stare before she opened it. Her expression died the second she opened the door. Too tired to even react to this ridiculousness, she checked the other rooms anyway.
All of them were... under construction.
By that, she meant the floors were torn up, the walls were scraped off, and they were all empty of furniture. They were literally under renovation, and Lola, who owned the unit, had no idea about it at all.
In the end, here she was, lying on the same bed she had slept in last night, with her suitor right beside her.
"Atlas, you know that I can sue you for this, right?" She scoffed in disbelief, lying flat on her back as she turned her head to his side. "How—how can you tear down all the rooms here without telling me?"
"It wasn’t me," Atlas shrugged, giving her an innocent look.
"If not you, then who?"
"Slater."
"..."
"It’s why I was waiting for you to come home, as you might have to find yourself sleeping on the couch. I have conscience."
Again, she was momentarily rendered speechless. "This isn’t normal, just in case you don’t know that."
"It’s not?" he raised a brow. "I didn’t know that."
"..." Her breath hitched, wide-eyed. After a second, she shook her head and told herself, "Never mind that, Lola. Surely, this is normal for them."
But should she just accept that?!
Lola sighed and lay comfortably on the side of her bed. Maybe it was because she had already shared the bed with him twice that she knew there wasn’t anything to get riled up about. They just slept; they shared the bed innocently. Nothing more, nothing less.
Not that I have a problem if we do something...
She flinched at her intrusive thought and quickly shook her head. She then glanced back at him, finding Atlas reclined against the headboard, quietly reading some papers.
Still working at this hour? She wondered, staring at him more than she should.
Slowly, Atlas glanced at her. "What?"
"Do you always work even before you sleep?" she asked before she could even stop herself. "I mean, when do you stop?"
Lola already considered herself a slight workaholic. She used to work until she dropped, then work again once she opened her eyes. It was a never-ending cycle, but it helped her; she wouldn’t be in this position now without that grind.
But this guy... it didn’t feel like he was working because he had a problem avoiding something or was doing it just for the grind. It was more like... a habit for him.
"I’m not working," he said. "I’m reading a different report and studying it."
"A... report?"
"Mhm." He then showed the page to her. "It’s a DNA report."
Confusion clouded her eyes before she blurted out, "What would you need a DNA test for?"
"I had to confirm something," he muttered as he glanced at the DNA reports. "I asked my people to exhume a grave. They were quick to do the test and send me the results. You want to know the result?"
"..."
"Negative," he said even before she could answer. "The mother and son are not related at all."
"What?" she frowned. "Wait, who are these people?"
Atlas, like usual, didn’t answer immediately. But this time, he looked at her as if he were weighing his words. After a second, instead of answering, he scooted over to her side.
"Wait—why are you moving so close?" She almost stuttered, leaning her head back as his face was a palm’s length away from hers.
Atlas still didn’t answer, his eyes scanning her face.
"Lola Young, if you want more answers, you will have to try to understand my world," he uttered under his breath, holding her gaze sternly. "I rarely lie, but I will have to if I answer that question."
"Why... would you have to lie to me?" she whispered, her brows knitting. She didn’t get an answer, but she did get a stare that seemed to hold her back from pressing any further.
Lola pursed her lips, her throat moving up and down with a gulp. "Fine, I’m not going to ask."
But when she thought that would be enough, Atlas didn’t move away. Not even an inch. Instead, he kept staring at her, his usually flat gaze that never gave anything away now showing thousands of unspoken words.
She flinched when he raised his hand a little, and she shut her eyes on instinct. But then, all she felt was a gentle stroke along her hair.
"Huh?" Lola slowly opened her eyes, looking up at him with slight surprise.
He stroked her hair gently, although his gaze remained as flat and distant as always.
"Lola Young, did you deal with him?" he asked, his eyelids drooping slightly.
Deal with him? She repeated in her mind. Was he asking about Hudson? Wait. Did he know what I did to him?
Lola kept her lips shut, studying the dangerous look on his face. His expression gave nothing away, making it impossible to tell if he already knew or was just trying to catch her in a lie. To be safe, she uttered,
"I dealt with him." She hummed, watching to see if there would be a different reaction from him.
Nothing.
Instead, he smiled and nodded in satisfaction. "Good for you," he then took his hand away. "Don’t let the people who have already hurt you hurt you more. I’d hate to see that."
Having said that, he finally moved away from her and set the paper he was reading on the side table. Meanwhile, Lola could only stare at him, feeling a flutter in her heart at his words. He hadn’t said anything romantic, and yet, her heart just kept skipping beats.
Before she knew it, the corners of her mouth curled up.
"Goodness," she murmured, hiding a brief giggle as she pulled the blanket up to her face. "I knew it. You’re really crazy about me."
Atlas glanced at her, only to see her already sinking into the blanket. He smiled and just let her be.
*****
The Next Day
A smile already turned up on Lola’s face even before she opened her eyes. She didn’t know how she had fallen asleep, but she did know that she had a very good night’s sleep. As her body was starting to get out of its slumber, she felt that her arms and legs were trapped.
"Hmm?" Her brows twitched as she slowly opened her eyes.
The second her vision cleared, the first thing she saw was Atlas’s face inches from hers. And her arms and legs? Wrapped around him... just as his were wrapped around her.
"!!!"