Chapter 38 THROUGH THE WINDOW
Dandelion
Alex suddenly groaned in frustration running a hand through his hair and I flinched so hard I nearly stumbled backward into the door.
I had been hovering near it since the second Grandma left. Ready to run if things got ugly.
But there was nowhere to go.
He now stood in the center of his bedroom, his green eyes burning into me with an intensity that made my skin crawl.
He didn't say anything he just stared at me qas if he was contemplating on what to do with me.
He was scanning me. Taking in the ridiculous red silk nightmare I was trapped in. The way my arms wrapped protectively around myself and the way I couldn't meet his eyes.
The silence stretched so long I thought I might suffocate.
"I'm sorry." I finally managed to say. "It was all Grandma's idea," I added quickly, forcing myself to look at him even though every of my instinct screamed to look away.
"Stop talking." He snapped.
I pressed my lips together.
He turned away from me, running a hand through his hair, and for a moment I thought maybe he had calmed down.
But he suddenly turned back, And the look on his face was worse than anger.
My heart hammered in my chest.
"You'll sleep on the couch," he said finally, in a flat voice.
I blinked. "What?"
"The couch." He gestured toward the leather sofa away from the bed. "Didn't you hear me?."
Are you frickin serious?
I almost said it out loud and almost pointed out that he was the one who ought to take the couch lvike a gentleman.
But the look in his eyes stopped me. Of course he shouldn't be categorized as a gentleman since he is a big jerk.
"Fine," I muttered stubbornly.
He ignored me and headed toward the walk in closet, after a while he returned with a big fluffy duvet.
Then he tossed it at me without a word.
I caught it awkwardly, the fabric was soft against my arms, and I watched as he turned away again, heading toward the bed.
Well at least he would be far away from me.
But he suddenly stopped and didn't get into bed.
He stopped halfway there with tensed shoulders, and stood perfectly still.
Why did he suddenly stop.
Then he suddenly walked straight toward the window hurriedly.
I frowned in confusion. "What are you--"
He opened the window and jumped out before I could blink.
"Wait-- what?!!"
I dropped the duvet in panic and rushed to the window, my heart leaping into my throat.
We were at least two stories up and he actually jumped out through the window without blinking.
"Are you insane?!" I leaned out yelling at him with wide eyes, half expecting to see him splattered on the ground below.
But no. He had landed smoothly on his feet, looking untouched as he headed toward the parking lot.
I stared at him with wide mouth, as his car roared to life and drove away down the driveway, disappearing out of the estate.
Wait a minute, did he just abandon me here, through the window?.
Because apparently jumping out of a second story window was preferable than spending five more minutes in the same room as me.
I stood there for a long moment, gripping the windowsill, trying to process what just happened.
Then the absurdity of it hit me all at once.
"Are you kidding me?" I muttered to the empty room.
He told me to sleep on the couch. Made a big show by giving me a duvet. And then just left?
"Why did you tell me to sleep on the couch if you weren't going to stay on the bed." I demanded, even though he couldn't hear me. "What was the point?"
My voice rose with frustration boiling over.
"Such an arrogant, selfish man! You couldn't even bear to be in the same room as me for five minutes? What, am I that unbearable? Or hideous?"
I looked down at the lace disaster Grandma had forced on me.
"Oh, I get it," I said bitterly. "I'm not sexy enough for you. Is that it? You had to literally jump out a window to escape?"
My hands clenched into fists.
"Well, you know what? Screw you, Alexander Graham!."
I turned away from the window, pacing the room, anger and humiliation twisting together in my chest.
I grabbed the duvet he'd thrown at me and spread it across the couch if only Noona hadn't insisted we sleep together I would have been sleeping in the guest room comfortably by now.
The sofa is really soft and looks expensive, but it still felt like a punishment.
I lay downb on it still cursing that jerk for making me sleep on the couch. I pulled the duvet up to my chin, and stared at the ceiling.
"I hate you," I whispered to the silence.
But even as I said it, I wasn't sure if I really meant it, because somewhere, buried beneath the anger and the humiliation, was a tiny, insecure voice that whispered 'Why does it hurt so much that he left?'
I squeezed my eyes shut, pushing the thought away.
This is a fake marriage, a transactional contract. So his rejection shouldn't matter.
But it did, and that terrified me more than anything.
Hours later, I was still awake, the bedroom was too quiet. Too big and too cold.
I pulled the duvet tighter, curling into myself.
Where did he go?
The question gnawed at me.
Did he go back to the penthouse? Or to a bar with his fry? Or to....her?
The name Roxy flashed in my mind, the woman he actually wanted. Was he with her?
My stomach twisted at the thought of it.
"Stop it," I whispered to myself closing my eyes tightly, "Stop caring."
But I couldn't stop.
Because whether I liked it or not, whether I wanted to admit it or not Alexander was getting under my skin.
And I had no idea how to stop it.