LILY
If Arlo hadn’t woken me up, I might have slept until tomorrow. He woke me so I could take the medicine he bought earlier. Besides, I hadn’t eaten yet.
“I’ll just follow you downstairs,” I said.
“I’ll wait for you,” he softly replied.
“You don’t seem like the usual Arlo,” I teased, noticing the slight pout on his lips and the furrow in his brow as he looked at me.
“Why?” he asked.
“Nothing, it just feels like something’s different about you,” I said as I slowly sat up.
“Let me help you,” he said, assisting me to sit up.
“Thank you,” I replied. He smiled at me.
I went into the bathroom to freshen up. Thank goodness I didn’t drool in my sleep, or he might have been staring at me earlier.
I’m feeling better now—probably because of the medicine I took before sleeping earlier. But I still feel a bit of pain, a soreness that lingers.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, Arlo was the first thing my eyes landed on. He was standing outside the door. Did he really have to wait for me? I didn’t say anything.
“Are you still sore?” His question embarrassed me, as it reminded me of what happened between us last night.
“Let’s just go downstairs. What time is it?” I asked.
“3 a.m. I’m sorry for waking you, but you haven’t eaten anything since morning. And I… wore you out last night,” he said apologetically.
Moments later, we were at the dining table, which was laden with food. I wasn’t sure if he was the one who cooked everything that was prepared. As we sat, he was about to serve food onto my plate, but I stopped him.
“I can serve myself,” I said.
We ate in silence after that. I kept glancing at him while he ate. He was eating rice, taking one bite after another. It seemed like he hadn’t eaten either.
“Is the food not good?” he asked.
“It’s delicious,” I replied with a smile before taking another spoonful of rice.
“After eating, don’t forget to take your medicine,” he gently reminded me. I nodded.
When I finished eating, I took my medicine. Then, I tried to help him clear the table.
“I can handle this. Rest in the living room for now. Just wait for me there. I won’t be long; I just need to put these in the kitchen,” he said.
“I’m fine now. I don’t feel any pain anymore. Let me help you,” I insisted, but he looked at me sternly.
“No, Lily, don’t be stubborn!” he said firmly.
I looked at him. His gaze was so commanding that it made me follow his instructions. My lips parted slightly as he held my elbow and guided me to the living room.
“Stay here,” he whispered softly into my ear.
He went back to finish what he was doing. I let him, as there was nothing else I could do. I leaned back against the chair, feeling full and no longer sleepy.
I felt like I was Arlo’s wife—the way he cared for me was amazing. I didn’t expect him to be so skilled at household chores.
I think he’s even better at it than I am. If it were me in the kitchen, I’d surely be making a racket with the plates, glasses, and spoons. But with him, there wasn’t even a sound of a plate clinking.
I smiled, admiring him even more because of his actions. I saw him approach me, and I swallowed hard when I noticed his bare torso. He was only wearing shorts.
“My clothes got wet, so I took them off,” he said as he sat beside me.
There was plenty of space, yet he sat so close that he was practically glued to me. His firm chest was right there, and his warm breath grazed my neck, almost scorching me.
He took a deep breath.
