Chapter 74 TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
Despite his words, she did worry. He was always like that, always making it seem like nothing bothered him. He was tired; she knew it. He was just far too stubborn to admit something like that. She was going to have to be direct if she wanted to help him. She just had to remember how badly she owed him. An offer like this was nothing compared to what he had done for her.
"You can take my bed if you want," she told him. He only shook his head though.
"I'm not going to let you sleep on the floor," he stated. "What kind of man would I be if I took your bed from you?"
"My bed's huge enough." Her words were a bit airy, a soft blush slowly spreading across her face. She was currently very thankful for the dim lighting. This way, he couldn't see how red her cheeks were. "I was going to suggest sharing it."
This quickly got Magnus's full attention. There was a shocked look in his eyes as he stared at her for a moment. Just how could she suggest such a thing? Why would she suggest such a thing? Did she really trust him that much? This wasn't the type of offer a woman should make for a guy. However, he didn't plan on doing anything to her. She had to know that, otherwise such a suggestion would be a horrible one.
"Are you sure you don't mind?" he asked as he stood up.
"It's alright," she assured him, but the blush on her face contradicted her words. Her shaky voice did also. She was nervous.
"You don't have to worry," he whispered, a small grin on his face. His eyes had that mischievous glow to them again, the one that meant he was teasing her a bit. "I won't do anything improper."
His voice was so soft and airy that it made her heart flutter for a moment. She really didn't like it when he did that to her. Magnus was a handsome boy, something he knew all too well. He used it against her rather often, knowing that she was highly aware of his looks. The sorcerer got a lot of satisfaction out of things like that.
Xyra turned around, fighting off the blush on her cheeks as she led him to her room. It was a small space, but her bed was huge enough for two people. She went over to it and crawled in first. She went to the far side next to her wall and then waited for Magnus to get in. His movements were incredibly quiet, and he barely made the bed shake as he got in. He was on the far opposite side, his back to hers.
"Goodnight," he whispered as he closed his eyes, almost instantly falling asleep. However, before he fell into unconsciousness, he heard Xyra's return reply, and a smile crossed his face as he drifted into a dreamless slumber.
When morning rolled around, Magnus couldn't help but wake up. The sunlight that seeped through her window shutters was warming her face and casting light on the shadows that had once been before her eyes. She opened them and then squinted, glaring just a bit at the window. She wasn't fond of the morning. Sleeping felt so good. Now that she was awake, she wasn't going to be able to fall asleep again. However, as soon as she realized something else this morning, her mind snapped wide awake.
She hadn't moved at all last night. She was still facing the wall, still the same distance away. However, Magnus had. He hadn't just moved though. He was all the way over to her side, and one of his arms was draped over her waist. The other had managed to get under and around, hugging her across her stomach. His head was resting on her shoulder. He had her back pulled tightly against his chest, and he didn't seem to be ready to let go yet.
Xyra felt a nervous blush spread across her face, and she could feel her heart pounding. This wasn't what she had been expecting to wake up to. She had been hoping that he would be up early so that she wouldn't have had to bother with him. This was too much. He was far too close. She could feel him breathing, his soft breaths tickling her neck. She was sure her face would explode pretty soon. He was driving her crazy.
She couldn't help but realize how strange she was acting in a situation like this. Most women would enjoy this. Magnus was a gorgeous boy. Other than his manipulative side, he was a decent man. He was calm, considerate, protective…everything a girl could hope for…and yet he made her nervous. She wasn't used to something like this, and she was so foreign to it that she couldn't even enjoy a position like this one.
Slowly, she began to move, trying to squirm out of his grasp. His arms only tightened around her though, protesting her attempt to leave. He wasn't quite ready to let go yet. He was still trying to sleep, much to her dismay. This wasn't going as planned at all. If she wanted out, she was going to have to wake him.
"Magnus?" she called. He didn't acknowledge her though. "Wake up." He still didn't release her. If anything, his grip tightened more. Bit by bit, her anxiety was disappearing, being replaced by annoyance. If he didn't let her go, she was going to make him. "Magnus, if you don't wake up, you're going to regret it." Still, he did nothing to remove his arms.
That was the last straw. Drastic times called for drastic measures, and this was one of those times in Xyra's world. She wasn't going to stand for this. She moved one of her arms a bit, bending it. She then elbowed him in the stomach, not hard enough to do any damage but enough to startle him awake. He released her, needing both of his arms to clutch at his chest where she had so cruelly hit him.
"Why would you do that?" he asked as he curled up on his side, his voice not nearly as angry as she had been expecting. He probably wasn't fully awake yet.
"You wouldn't wake up," she stated, now sitting on her bed. "I couldn't get you to let go, so what choice did I have?"
He released his stomach and looked up at her, obviously confused. What did she mean by "let go?" I couldn't have…did I move again? He felt like slapping himself right now. He realized that he was on the other side of the bed, on Xyra's side. He had moved during the night, and not just that. From what she had said, he was guessing he had been holding her. I've got to learn to stop doing that.
"I'm sorry," he apologized as he sat up. "I didn't mean to. It just happens, okay?"
"Yeah, whatever you say," she responded as she got up, stretching her arms. "I'm going for a walk. Tell mom and dad, alright?"
"Sure," he sighed, watching as she left the room. He just sat there for a moment longer, staring down at the bed. It was bad enough that she had to offer him a place to sleep, but he had to go and do that. She had been feeling so awkward just asking, and it hadn't helped to wake up with him holding her. She was always nervous around him; he knew that and often exploited it. However, he really hadn't meant to move that much during his sleep. He really did want her to feel comfortable with him.
With a sigh, he got up and left the room, heading towards the entryway. He had a few things he needed to do today. He had a town owner to go with. He reached the entryway, and sitting in one of the chairs was Layton. His guard seemed to be waiting for him.
"Good morning, sir," Layton greeted.
"Good morning."
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah…" His voice was just a little unsure. He couldn't help thinking about Xyra.
"I saw that you slept in Miss Xyra's bed," his guard said, the simple observation being stated with a bit of curiosity. There was also a somewhat shamed look on his subordinate's face. It made him a bit nervous, as if his guard was disappointed in him. When Magnus didn't say anything, Layton sighed. "Young master, I know it's not my place to demand anything from you, but Miss Xyra is a kind girl. I won't permit you to hurt her."
"Hurt her?" he questioned, confused. "Just what do you…?" He realized just what Layton was getting at, and his face flushed in anger and embarrassment. "I didn't do anything! How could you even imply that?"
"Because I know you better than you think."
"I'm not like that." He seemed so sure of himself when he said it. However, he had to admit that it was hard. His mind wasn't nearly as clean as he wanted it to be. There had been moments, like during the dragon's festival, where he had been looking at Xyra differently. He couldn't help it though. He was a man, and women were a definite weakness for him.
"Good to hear, sir," Layton stated as he stood up. "If you were, I'm afraid I would have to intervene."
"Well, don't worry," he said while walking to the door. "I don't plan on doing anything to her. I could never live with myself…if I hurt her like that."