Chapter 74 - Chapter 73

@International_Pen

(CLAIRE)

I watched Zhio doze off to sleep easily. It was obvious from his clothes that he'd just gotten off from work and if it weren't for that lucky coincidence of him being at the bar, I wouldn't know what could have happened to me right now.

Thank you Zhion.  

I smiled and gazed at how he's occupied half of the bed already. Did he mean I'd sleep beside him? I caught a glimpse of the time in his expensive Rolex; it's nearly one o'clock in the morning.  

A knock suddenly rapped at the door. It was the room attendant.

"Hello. Here's the change of clothes your husband ordered for you," she smiled at me briefly before leaving.

Husband?

I turned at him.  

He was still in deep sleep. I went to the bathroom and changed the clothing I had loathed since Nadine showed them to me.  

Finally, I could breathe now.  

My puffy eyes ghastly looked back at me in the mirror. They were still sore from crying and my head was also aching terribly.

I badly needed some sleep too.

I shoved Zhion a little farther to the other side of the bed and laid my body down with my back at him. I felt a little ashamed he has untimely spent his money because of me. But pushing those thoughts aside, I let myself slowly drift to sleep.  

(ZHIO)

It suddenly felt hard to breathe. I groggily woke up and saw Claire's feet leisurely resting atop my chest. I sat up and watched how oddly she was sleeping like. Long beads of saliva were dripping at the side of her mouth.

I sighed.

I shoved her head gently away from my pillow and returned to my space.  

But I can't sleep.

Not with her little snoring, or how her head had closely snuggled to my back like a kitten to its mother. I turned my head at her just as she, whilst still asleep, has wiped the drool off her face and rubbed that dirtied hand against the back of my shirt.

Fuck.

I stood up once more and shoved her farther from me again. But still, her slumbering body was inching closer and closer to me so I let her take my own space instead and in turn, I took hers. I laid down with my back at her and hoped I could finally rest.  

I had closed my eyes when a loud thud interrupted me again.

She's fallen off the bed.  

Still soundly asleep though.

I lifted her back to the bed and attempted to sleep this time. Her little movements kept me wide awake. One more movement and she'll fall down again. I pulled her to the heart of the bed and caged her tight within my arms.

It was three a.m. already.  

I shut my eyes and waited until I, too, had fallen asleep.

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