Contracted To You Chapter 9: In the same room

Hours passed...

The two won laughed, gossiped as Ruby critiqued a terrible rom-com on screen, her rants eliciting more laughs from Evie than the film itself.

Eventually, their full stomachs and sleepy minds led them to doze off on the enormous velvet couch, tangled in a blanket. Ruby’s head rested against the chair while Evie leaned on her shoulder, their soft snores filling the room. Packs of snacks were strewn around them—potato chips, popcorn, and juice still sitting on the table—creating a complete disaster that Ezra wasn’t supposed to witness as he had left the sitting area in perfect order.

Past midnight, the door clicked open, and Ezra stepped into the house quietly, his deanor calm and composed.

His gaze swept across the area, narrowing as it landed on the chaos in the sitting room.

As he approached, his eyebrows knitted together in disapproval. Did Evie regard this as "best behavior"? His thoughts shifted as he noticed the woman leaning against her friend, and the sternness of his expression softened at the sight of her snuggled up for warmth.

At that mont, the butler Sam appeared, as if anticipating Ezra’s arrival. "They fell asleep in the living room," he inford Ezra as he approached.

Ezra nodded curtly. "Bring a blanket," he ordered.

Monts later, Sam returned with a neatly folded blanket, handing it over to Ezra as requested. Rather than delegate the task, he walked over to himself, gently covering Ruby first, ensuring not to disturb her slumber.

His gaze then shifted to Evie. She snuggled closer to Ruby, seeking warmth against the chill.

Unfolding the new blanket, he draped it over her carefully. As he hesitated, his eyes traced the peaceful contours of her face, unaware of his watchful gaze.

He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, moving with gentle precision to avoid waking her. Evie mumbled sothing he couldn’t quite make out, but he remained transfixed, his gaze drifting to her lips. He couldn’t help but recall the unexpected kiss she had given him that afternoon.

Just then, Evie frowned in her sleep, shifting slightly, and her lashes fluttered open, eting Ezra’s gaze. Surprised, he quickly moved away, straightening his posture.

"Ezra, you’re back," she said, looking around as she attempted to regain her composure.

Ezra responded calmly, "You should go to your room now; it’ll be warr than here."

"Oh..." she trailed off, then quickly added, "Right." She nudged Ruby, who groaned and flopped onto her other side to sleep more.

"Ruby, we have to go," Evie insisted, pulling at her friend with more urgency this ti. Ruby eventually woke, still heavy with sleep. As they prepared to head upstairs, Evie glanced around at the ss they had made and cast an apologetic look at Ezra.

"I’m sorry about this; I’ll clean it up after taking Ruby upstairs," she said.

Ezra waved her off with cool detachnt. "It’s fine. Sam will take care of it. Just go and get so rest."

Evie nodded, guiding Ruby who was next to her. The butler bowed as she led Ruby upstairs, with Ezra following quietly, allowing the won their ti.

As Ruby reached Evie’s room, she paused. "Aren’t you going with him? I can manage on my own," she whispered.

"No, you can’t. You’ll hit the wall and end up with a bump on your head. I can’t deal with that whining," Evie shot back, holding onto Ruby’s hand firmly.

"I’m fine. Just go to sleep in your room," Ruby insisted.

"This is my room," Evie countered.

Ruby’s eyes narrowed. "What? Do you guys sleep in separate rooms?" she asked, scrutinizing Evie and Ezra, her expression sharpening as if she had uncovered sothing significant.

"I knew sothing was off... You’re not really in a relationship, are you?" she probed, her gaze piercing.

Evie chuckled nervously, "W-what are you talking about?" she stamred, clearly flustered. "You need to lie down on the bed right away."

Ruby remained persistent, "But do you guys have different rooms? Don’t you sleep in the sa room?" She continued to scrutinize them.

Evie frowned at Ruby, questioning why she wouldn’t drop the subject. She then felt Ezra’s hand slide over her shoulders and turned her attention to him. "She can handle herself, Evie. Let’s go sleep," he said, locking his gaze on her.

Evie hesitated but eventually nodded. She turned to Ruby, "Goodnight,"

"Yeah, goodnight," Ruby muttered as she staggered into the room.

"You sure you don’t want to co?" Evie asked, but the door shut behind Ruby.

Evie turned to Ezra, feeling a surge of embarrassnt and nervousness.

"I can sleep in the guest room; we don’t have to share," she said. Evie didn’t want to make him uncomfortable in his own space. Inviting Ruby had been a mistake; she was nothing but trouble. Evie was aware that Ezra was trying to remain composed despite the situation.

"Co inside," he said simply as he opened the door.

Evie swallowed hard, her feet finally moving as she walked into his room. The lights were still on, drawing her gaze to the neatly arranged bed at the center with two tables and lanterns flanking it. To the left was his study space and to the right, the massive wardrobe.

Evie stayed put even as she walked in. anticipating his direction on what to do next.

After closing the door behind them, Ezra strode toward the window, pulling the curtains together and closing them.

He began unbuttoning his shirt, turning slightly to see Evie still standing there. "Are you not going to sleep?" he asked with a hint of impatience.

"Oh," Evie muttered, flustered. "I am."

Without making eye contact, she crossed the room and slid into the bed, the warm duvet enveloping her in comfort. Though the room was inviting, the thought of sharing the bed made her heart race.

She soon heard the sound of water running for several minutes before Ezra erged, freshly showered and wearing loose pants and a t-shirt, a towel drying his hair. As he approached the bed, Evie quickly shut her eyes and turned to the other side.

The lamp on his side was turned off, casting the room into darkness. Silence surrounded them, but neither of them managed to fall asleep.