Chapter 3 Falling in love

Chapter 3

"Zyrus!" I shot up from the single couch in our living room as Zyrus walked in. It was already 12:06 AM.

"Why are you still awake?" he asked, frowning as he stood by the door. I walked toward him.

"Where have you been?" I questioned as I stood in front of him. He looked at me, confused.

"Why?" he asked, furrowing his brow and running his fingers through his messy hair.

I bit my lip as I noticed how attractive he looked. I shook my head to push away the foolish thoughts running through my mind.

"Why are you home so late?" I asked again.

"Tch." That was his only response as he walked past me and headed to the living room.

"What do you want?" he asked once seated on the sofa.

I didn't answer him. Instead, I noticed his reddened hands. Frowning, I approached him and sat beside him. Grabbing his hand, I examined it closely.

"What the f*ck are you doing?!" he asked irritably. Ignoring him, I got up and went to the kitchen to grab some ice and a thin cloth.

When I returned, his face still carried a frown. I sighed and sat beside him again.

"What happened to your hands?" I asked, avoiding his gaze as I inspected the back of his hand.

"You punched someone, didn't you?" I asked while pressing the ice-wrapped cloth against his reddened hand.

"Yes," Zyrus admitted curtly. I looked up at him.

It was impossible not to admire his perfect, handsome face. His sharp nose, soft lips, and chiseled jawline made him look so flawless. Then there were his blue eyes-intense and captivating.

I shook my head when my thoughts drifted to his body. Even though I hadn't seen him shirtless, I knew he had a well-maintained physique from his dedication to the gym in our house.

"Are you done staring at me?" he asked with a smirk, making me pout.

"Of course not," I denied, focusing on his hand again.

"Tch. Stop pouting," he said irritably, but I ignored him. What's wrong with pouting anyway?

"Have you eaten?" he asked. I wanted to say yes, but knowing he probably hadn't eaten either, I decided to lie.

"Not yet. I didn't feel like eating alone," I replied without looking at him, though I knew he was frowning again.

"Tch." He suddenly grabbed my wrist.

"Let's go to the kitchen. Let's eat together," Zyrus said, pulling me toward the kitchen.

"Am I dreaming?" I mumbled to myself. Wow. In all the time we've spent together, this was the first time he invited me to eat with him, let alone asked if I'd eaten.

"What?" Zyrus asked, frowning as he looked at me. I hadn't realized he heard me.

I lifted my left hand and placed it on his forehead, then checked his neck. I frowned. No fever.

"What the hell are you doing, Lhianne?" he asked casually.

And most surprising of all, he called me by my name. This wasn't Zyrus.

"Are you still going to school tomorrow?" Zyrus asked while we ate, his brows knitted together.

"Yeah," I replied simply, chewing my rice.

"Who... who did you punch?" I asked hesitantly, glancing at him only to find him already looking at me.

"The poison in this world," he said firmly, his jaw clenching in anger.

I stopped eating, my attention fully on Zyrus. Poison? Who's the poison?

"What? Are you full already?" Zyrus asked, setting down his utensils. I nodded.

"Yeah... I'm already full. Falling in love with you," I teased, hoping to ease his frown. Wrong move-it only deepened.

I pouted and looked down in embarrassment. I thought it would work, but it didn't.

"Tch," he muttered, taking my plate as he stood up and walked to the sink.

I got up to help clean, but someone snatched the plate from me.

"I got this, ija," Manang Elsi said with a smile as she suddenly appeared.

"Go upstairs to your room. I'll take care of this," she said, ushering Zyrus and me out of the kitchen.

"I'll take you to school tomorrow," Zyrus said when I reached the door to my room. I looked up at him, realizing I only reached his neck.

"There's no need. I can manage," I declined with a small smile. I was startled when he suddenly hugged me-actually hugged me.

"Z-Zyrus," I stammered.

"I'm sorry," he said, burying his face into my neck. His breath tickled my skin.

"I'm sorry for what happened. It won't happen again," Zyrus said firmly, tightening his embrace.

"Ugh! I just want to sleep!" I whined, on the verge of tears. I wanted to rest, but Zyrus wouldn't let me.

His tight embrace and his face buried in my neck kept me awake.

I checked the time on my phone. "I still have school tomorrow," I muttered before collapsing onto the soft bed. Then there was a knock at my door.

"Who's knocking? It's 2:12 AM. It couldn't be Manang Elsi," I whispered to myself as I got up to open the door.

"Z-Zyrus? W-What?" I stammered, surprised to see him with his messy hair and sleepwear.

"Can't sleep," he said shamelessly, walking past me and lying on my bed.

"W-Why?" I asked in confusion, closing the door and moving to the foot of the bed.

"Tch," was all he said before closing his eyes.

"Fine, you can have the bed. I'll sleep on the sofa," I said, turning to leave when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me onto his chest.

He lay down, bringing me down with him.

"Let's sleep together," he whispered, sending shivers down my spine.

"H-Huh?!" I exclaimed in shock.

He didn't respond, simply moving me to lie beside him and burying his face in my neck again.

"Z-Zyrus," I called softly.

"Shh... just sleep," he murmured, wrapping his arms tightly around me.

"Are you sure you really want to go to school today?" I've lost count of how many times Zyrus has asked me that.

I looked at him, my brows furrowed. He's been acting weird since last night.

"What?" he asked, noticing my confused stare.

"You're acting strange. Are you okay?" I asked, and he quickly avoided my gaze.

"I'm just asking! That's all!" he snapped, standing up from the sofa.

"Where are you going? You said you'd take me to school," I said with a pout as he started heading upstairs.

"Ah-uh... I forgot my key," he replied before disappearing into his room.

I pursed my lips and busied myself arranging my things, ready to leave as soon as he came back.

I couldn't stop thinking about last night. I don't know what happened to him, but it made me happy. We slept together. It was a night I'll never forget.

"Let's go!" I jumped when Zyrus spoke suddenly behind me. He looked at me with a puzzled expression.

"Tch. Let's go, or you'll be late," he said, grabbing my hand. I smiled as we walked out, my eyes drifting to our intertwined fingers.

"Why are you smiling?" he asked as we reached his car. I frowned when he let go of my hand to open the door for me.

I climbed into his car with a pout, but before I could settle in, I felt his hand gently guiding my head to keep me from bumping it.

"I didn't know smiling was a crime now," I quipped.

He frowned, closed my door, and walked around to the driver's side.

"No, it's not that... It's just that... you... you're cute," he stammered, catching me off guard.

"Seriously?! You're stammering? The great Zyrus Clark Dillesh is stuttering?!" I teased him.

"Tss. Shut up!" he replied, clearly annoyed, which only made me giggle.

He started the engine and glanced at me before driving off.

"I don't understand what's happening anymore," I said, leaning back against the seat and closing my eyes. I was still so sleepy-I barely got any rest.

"What the hell are you thinking, Lhianne?" Zyrus asked.

"The moments last night," I began, but he stayed silent.

"And now... I don't know what's going on with you, Zyrus," I said, opening my eyes to look at him. He didn't respond, keeping his focus on the road.

"I'll admit it. Before we got married, I was scared of you. After all, you've always seemed like a heartless man."

His eyes briefly flicked to me, showing some emotion, though I couldn't tell what it was before he turned back to the road.

"How did you come to that conclusion?" he asked suddenly, his tone carrying a hint of hurt.

"Because of how you treat people. You're the kind of person who can make anyone kneel before you. You're like a god," I replied.

"Zyrus," I called when he didn't say anything else.

"What?" he asked, still not looking at me.

"I... I'm not pathetic," I said, my voice trembling.

He glanced at me, his brow furrowing.

"I'm not a sl*t like you think I am. Believe me, I tried everything to stop the wedding... but it was all useless," I continued, lowering my gaze.