Chapter 47 Aren't a normal couple
JASMINE
Groaning, I collapsed onto my bed, my body sinking into the soft sheets as if they were swallowing me whole. A tired sigh escaped my lips when my aching limbs finally found rest against the smooth fabric.
Darcy and I had spent the entire day out—walking, shopping, laughing, and talking until our throats were sore and our feet begged for mercy. Now, all I wanted was to crawl beneath the covers and sleep until the gods of dreams decided I had suffered enough.
I had been heading toward the bathroom when exhaustion won the battle. My legs carried me to the bed instead, and I flopped down without a second thought.
After finding Darcy again at the mall, we had ended up buying a few makeup items for me—items I definitely did not need but Darcy insisted I must have.
She had paraded me through different counters like I was her personal doll, swiping blush across my cheeks and holding up lipsticks against my mouth with a critical eye.
“You need color in your life, Jasmine,” she had declared. “You look like someone who’s forgotten how to be spoiled.”
I pushed myself up now with a groan, feeling as though my bones had been rearranged incorrectly. My muscles protested with every movement.
Using my claw clip, I gathered my hair into one of its signature messy buns, tugging a few strands loose around my face. I swung my feet over the edge of the bed and forced myself upright.
The bathroom light was too bright for my tired eyes. I slid out of my clothes slowly, peeling them from my skin before stepping into the bathtub. The moment my body touched the hot water, a deep, satisfied sigh escaped my lips.
“Oh… thank God,” I murmured.
I sank deeper into the tub, letting the water cover my shoulders, then my neck, until only my face remained above the surface. Finally, I submerged completely—hair, face, everything—allowing the silence of the water to swallow me whole.
For a few moments, my mind went blank.
Then, as always, it drifted to him.
Damien.
He had a way of sneaking into my thoughts when I least expected it. I hated that he could make me breathless with just a look, a word, or a touch. I hated that I didn’t understand why my body reacted the way it did around him.
If it were anyone else, I doubted I would be okay with it.
So why him?
Why was he different?
Why did my body seem to respond to him so eagerly?
Why did my heart tighten whenever I saw him worried… especially when it came to his mother?
The image of him standing beside Darcy replayed in my mind—the way his eyes softened when he spoke to her, the way his jaw clenched when he thought she wasn’t taking care of herself enough.
There was something so painfully human about him in those moments.
And that terrified me.
My thoughts swirled like bees trapped in a jar, buzzing loudly with questions I didn’t know how to answer.
I exhaled slowly and forced myself to push them aside.
Not tonight.
Tonight, I deserved rest.
After bathing, I slipped into my lace silk nightwear, grateful for its cool touch against my overheated skin. My body felt lighter, calmer, but my mind was still restless.
Darcy hadn’t organized another dinner that night. We were both far too worn out by the time we returned home. She had waved me off with a tired smile and promised we would do something together in the morning instead.
I crawled into bed and reached for the covers—
Knock. Knock.
The sound echoed through the room.
I froze.
Slowly, I sat up and stared at the door, my heart thumping loudly in my chest. Who would be knocking at this hour?
I glanced at the wall clock.
11:23 p.m.
My stomach twisted.
With hesitant steps, I walked to the door and pulled it open.
Nothing.
No one stood in the hallway.
Only a small white box sat neatly on the floor in front of my door, tied with a gold lace ribbon.
My breath caught.
I bent slowly and picked it up, turning it over in my hands. There was no name. No note. Nothing but the ribbon and the box itself.
Curiosity burned inside me, but fear stopped me from opening it.
I shut the door and placed the box carefully on my dresser, staring at it like it might suddenly explode.
“I’ll deal with you tomorrow,” I whispered.
~
The next morning, I sat at the kitchen island, my elbows resting on the marble surface as I stared blankly at nothing. The image of the mysterious box replayed in my mind over and over again.
Who had left it there?
Why?
And what was inside?
Darcy walked in carrying two plates of breakfast—eggs, bacon, and toast. The smell made my stomach rumble, but my appetite felt strangely distant.
“You seem occupied, dear,” she observed as she slid one plate toward me. “Something on your mind?”
I picked at my lower lip, unsure whether to tell her about the box. It sounded silly now that morning light filled the room. But last night, it had felt ominous.
“It’s nothing,” I lied, lowering my gaze to my food.
She raised a brow but didn’t press further.
“Damien didn’t join us for breakfast?” she asked instead, disappointment seeping into her voice.
I sighed. “He went on a business trip yesterday. He won’t be back for two days.”
Her smile faltered. “He couldn’t tell me that himself?”
My heart squeezed at the sadness in her eyes.
“He’ll be back soon, Darcy,” I reassured, squeezing her hand. “I’m sure he didn’t mean to upset you.”
She nodded slowly. “Thank you, Jasmine.”
After breakfast, we settled in the living room with popcorn and soda.
“Movie?” she asked.
I nodded.
Thor: Ragnarok played on the big screen, but I couldn’t concentrate. My thoughts drifted back to the words I had been avoiding for months.
I had to tell her.
“Um… Darcy?” I called softly.
She turned to me.
“Damien and I aren’t a normal couple. We got married under a contract. It ends in three months.”
Silence.
Then she chuckled softly.
“Oh, Jasmine. I already knew.”
I stared at her, stunned.
“I see the way my son looks at you. And the way you look at him. You just don’t realize it yet because you don’t think you deserve it.”
Her words pierced straight through me.
“You deserve happiness,” she continued gently. “Stop resisting it.”
Tears burned my eyes.
I couldn’t watch the movie anymore.
Her words unlocked something inside me I had kept tightly sealed.
And I wondered what would happen when the contract ended