Chapter 29: Marry Someone Else
Just as those words left Naomi’s mouth, she fell silent. She slowly lay down on the bed, pulling the duvet up over her head, not wanting to see Zylan. He chuckled, the sound filling the small space, as if they hadn’t just argued. His chuckle was low, almost affectionate, while Naomi seemed to have forgotten they were still on the plane.
"We’re not arriving anytime soon, so rest, my little eaglet," he spoke, his tone low yet somehow playful. The warmth in his words was enough to soften the tension between them, even if it didn’t entirely erase it. But there was something in the way he called her "eaglet"—as though the nickname had been created just for her—that made her heart race a little faster.
Naomi felt him gently pull the duvet down, stopping just at her neck. Her breath caught in surprise, her heartbeat fluttering. Was he already lying down next to her? She hadn’t even realized it. But before she could say a word, she felt his presence close by, his hand lingering at the edge of the duvet. He’d positioned himself right beside her, sharing the same space in a way that felt surprisingly intimate.
"If you don’t want me here, I’ll sleep on the chair," he spoke, his voice low. Naomi gasped, realizing that while hiding beneath the duvet, she hadn’t noticed Zylan was already settled at her side. Her face flushed with embarrassment, warmth rushing to her cheeks as her mind tried to catch up.
He started to stand, shifting slightly away from her, but her hand instinctively reached out, fingers curling into the fabric of his trousers, tugging gently. The movement surprised them both, and Zylan stiffened, momentarily caught off guard by her boldness.
"I... I don’t mind... You’ll get a backache if you sleep on the chair," she murmured, turning her face to the side, hoping he wouldn’t notice the faint blush coloring her cheeks. Her voice had softened, barely above a whisper, as she tried to act casual. But there was no mistaking the way her heartbeat seemed to echo loudly in her ears, and she couldn’t look him in the eyes.
A smirk played on Zylan’s lips as he took in his wife’s reaction, her blush giving away far more than she realized. Her quiet demeanor, combined with her stubbornness, made her irresistibly endearing in ways he hadn’t anticipated.
He didn’t argue. Instead, he lay down beside her, resting on the bed. Naomi fell silent, her mind racing as she tried to process everything—the closeness, his warmth, the way her heartbeat felt erratic in his presence. Part of her wanted to say something, to fill the silence between them, but another part feared breaking this delicate moment.
"Are you feeling sleepy?" she asked softly, almost regretting the question as soon as the words left her lips. She hadn’t meant to sound so... concerned.