Chapter 141: Night Began
When she realized what she was doing—and more importantly, where she was—Ephyra’s cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red. She hurriedly let go of his shirt and tried to push herself off his lap. But before she could, Lyle’s arms tightened slightly around her waist, holding her in place.
She stilled, her heart thundering in her chest. "What are you—" she began, her voice laced with both confusion and embarrassment.
Lyle met her gaze, his amber eyes steady and unyielding. There was a flicker of something there—possessiveness, perhaps, or a quiet refusal. But then, just as quickly as it had appeared, his expression softened. Without a word, he loosened his hold and let his arms fall away.
Freed, Ephyra quickly scrambled off his lap, smoothing down the wrinkled fabric of her gown as she stepped back toward the bed. "Sorry," she mumbled, avoiding his gaze as she perched on the edge of the mattress.
For a moment, the room was quiet, the weight of her apology hanging in the air. Lyle raised a brow as he watched her. "What are you apologizing for?" he asked, his tone calm but laced with curiosity.
Ephyra glanced at him briefly, then looked away, her fingers fidgeting with the quilts on the bed. "For... everything, I guess," she shrugged. "Falling. Waking you up. And..." Her voice trailed off as she shook her head, refusing to say more.
Lyle’s lips curved into a faint smile. "You’re apologizing for things that weren’t your fault," he said. His voice carried a teasing lilt, but there was also a quiet reassurance behind it. "You didn’t wake me up, by the way. I wasn’t asleep."
Ephyra frowned, finally meeting his gaze. "You weren’t?"
He shook his head. "No. I was awake. I heard you the moment you got out of bed," he admitted, his tone almost amused. "You’re not exactly stealthy."
Her eyes narrowed, her embarrassment quickly morphing into mild irritation. "Then why didn’t you say something?"
Lyle shrugged, leaning back in the chair. "I wanted to see what you’d do," he said simply. His smirk returned, faint but infuriatingly smug. At least to Ephyra. "And I wasn’t disappointed."