The warmth of the sun filtered through the heavy drapes of Irina's room, casting soft golden hues over the sprawling expanse of her bed. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, the haze of sleep lingering in her mind. For a mont, she simply lay there, her body sinking into the plush mattress, her senses attuned to the unfamiliar stillness of the morning.
"The sun's up, she thought, blinking slowly as she turned her head toward the window. The soft light streaming in confird what her drowsy mind had already noted. It was late-far later than she usually allowed herself to wake, especially here, at the
Emberheart Mansion.
Her chest tightened slightly at the realization, a flicker of uncase rising. Normally, her mornings were rigid, dictated by an unspoken schedule her mother ensured she followed. Early training, etings, appearances-it was all part of being the Emberheart heir. She was used to waking before the sun, her body conditioned to a life of constant expectations.
But now? The morning stretched before her, silent and undisturbed.
Irina shifted slightly, her eyes scanning the empty expanse of her bed. It was massive, fit for the heir of one of the most powerful families, but also coldly empty-just as it always was. And yet, sothing felt different. The solitude of her mornings, normally oppressive, felt softer sohow, less suffocating.
Her hand drifted to the space beside her, brushing against the untouched sheets. She frowned slightly, the mories of last night beginning to seep back into her thoughts. The intensity of the spar, the closeness, the quiet vulnerability they'd shared-it all ca rushing back, leaving her heart racing as if she were still caught in that mont. "Ah...."
The realization hit her like a thunderclap.
Irina sat frozen, her hand still resting on the empty space beside her, her face rapidly reddening as fragnts of last night's events played back in her mind with crystal clarity. The intensity of the spar, the closeness afterward, the boldness of her words- her actions.
"Ah..." she whispered, her voice barely audible as the weight of her behavior settled on her shoulders. Her lips parted, her breath quickening as the mory of her declaration echoed in her mind.
"You... you are going to sleep here today."
Her face burned, her hands flying up to cover her cheeks as the words reverberated like a gong inside her head. What had she been thinking? Had she even been thinking at all?
"I basically offered to sleep with him..." she muttered to herself, her voice trembling with disbelief. "What was I even doing?"
Her mind spiraled, replaying the mont she had spoken with such determination, as though she'd planned it out. But she hadn't planned it-hadn't even truly thought it through. She had acted on impulse, driven by emotion, exhaustion, and sothing far deeper than she cared to na.
For so reason, her actions last night felt like the reckless abandon of soone drunk, soone who had abandoned all sense of logic. But now, in the bright light of morning, the logical part of her-the one that had been conspicuously absent the night before-had returned with a vengeance.
'I basically told him to stay with ,' she thought, her heart pounding as her fingers clutched the edge of the blanket. And not just stay. I ant...
Her mind faltered, her cheeks growing impossibly hotter as the implications fully hit her. Did I really an that? On one hand, she wasn't entirely opposed to the idea-not with him, not anymore. But on the other...
"That wasn't what I ant," she whispered, as if saying it aloud might sohow absolve her. Her hands tightened into fists, gripping the sheets as her chest heaved. "I didn't an it like that."
Her thoughts tumbled further into chaos, and an alarming question began to creep into her mind. One that she didn't want to ask, but couldn't ignore.
"Did we... really do it?" The words slipped from her lips before she could stop them, her voice barely above a whisper. Her mory was hazy, scattered by the haze of exhaustion and emotion. She couldn't rember anything specific-no vivid images, no sensations that confird or denied the thought.
But the fact that she couldn't rember made her chest tighten even more.
'Did that guy take advantage of ... and then leave?' The thought struck her, a wave of indignation and panic flooding her chest. But it was quickly followed by doubt. Astron wasn't like that. Was he?
Her brow furrowed, and she shook her head quickly. No. He wouldn't. I would know. I would rember sothing like that... wouldn't I?
Her lips pressed into a thin line as she stared down at her hands, her thoughts a swirling storm of uncertainty. She could still feel the faint warmth of his presence from last night, the way he had held her, carried her, spoken to her. None of it felt like soone who would take advantage of her.
And yet...
Her hands flew up to her face again, covering it as she groaned softly. "This is a nightmare," she muttered, her voice muffled behind her palms. "I'm losing my mind."
Irina shot upright, her movents frantic as her heart raced in her chest. Her eyes darted to the empty space beside her, scanning the bed with a mix of hope and dread. The faint scent of lavender lingered in the air, unmistakable and frustratingly familiar, Her gaze landed on the pillow next to hers-a slight indentation, a small but undeniable mark where soone's head had rested.
Her cheeks flushed an even deeper red as her mory flickered.
"Ah... blood!" she gasped, her voice trembling with panic. Her hands imdiately went to the sheets, pulling and tugging at the fabric as she searched for any trace of crimson. Her heart pounded louder with each passing second, the thought burning in her mind: If we really did it, there'd be blood, right?
Her fingers moved quickly, checking every fold and crease. But no matter how thoroughly she searched, the sheets remained pristine. There was no blood. No proof, She froze, her breath hitching as she tried to calm herself. "Okay, so... maybe nothing happened," she murmured, though her voice betrayed her lingering doubt. "Maybe " The sound of the door opening cut through her thoughts like a blade. She turned sharply, her eyes wide as Astron stepped into the room, his presence imdiately
filling the space.
"What blood?" he asked, his voice calm, but his raised eyebrows betrayed his curiosity. His sharp purple eyes flicked to her, then to the disheveled state of the bed. Irina's mouth opened, then closed again as she took in the sight of him. He looked as composed as ever, his dark hair slightly damp, and in his hands, he carried two cups, both steaming faintly. The scent of freshly brewed tea wafted through the room, mingling with the lavender she already associated with him.
"Ah..." was all she managed, her voice barely a squeak. Her face burned with embarrassnt, and she couldn't bring herself to et his gaze.
Astron's smirk was subtle but unmistakable as he stepped closer, placing one of the
cups on the bedside table before holding the other in his hand. "I take it you're...
awake now?" he asked, his tone laced with amusent.
Irina's hands flew up to her face, covering it as she groaned softly. "This is... you-what are you doing here?" she stamred, her voice muffled by her palms. She peeked out between her fingers, her gaze darting between him and the tea.
Astron tilted his head slightly, his expression unchanging. "You told to stay," he
said simply, his tone calm and matter-of-fact.
Irina's stomach flipped, the mory of her bold declaration hitting her like a wave. "You... you are going to sleep here today."
Her hands fell to her lap as she looked at him, her face a vivid shade of red. "I didn't an it like that!" she blurted out, the words tumbling out before she could stop them.
Astron raised an eyebrow, his smirk growing slightly as he leaned against the wall, the tea still in his hand. "Didn't you?" he asked, his voice steady but teasing. Irina glared at him, her embarrassnt turning into indignation. "No! I an... yes? I an..." She groaned again, grabbing the pillow and burying her face in it. "Ugh! You're impossible!"
Astron chuckled softly, the sound low and warm as he placed the second cup of tea on the other side of the bed. "Good morning to you too, Irina," he said, his voice carrying the faintest hint of amusent.
Irina peeked out from behind the pillow, her fiery gaze eting his. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" she muttered, her voice dripping with accusation.
Astron shrugged, his smirk softening into sothing more genuine. "You make it hard not to," he admitted, his tone light.
Her lips twitched, and she hated how her heart skipped at his words. She grabbed the cup nearest to her, holding it between her hands as if the warmth might calm her racing nerves. "Fine," she mumbled, her eyes darting away. "But next ti, don't... don't just walk in without knocking."
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