Marriage by Law (13 page)

"They're gone," he said, closing the door. My eyes widened and I smiled. Oh my god, how on earth did he get them to leave? The door to the other side opened and I felt the rush of the cold air before hearing the door thud shut. I put on the seatbelt I turned to face him.

"Really?"

"No," he said.

I frowned, sitting back in my seat. Sheesh, way to bring a girl's hopes up. Wait. If my parents took my room, and his took the other room, where on earth would I sleep?

Chapter sixteen

My fears and doubts were confirmed when I stepped through the front door. 

Our parents’ cars were still in the driveway, which did, in fact, mean that they were still here. Shit. 

"I moved all your stuff before our parents saw," he said as he locked the door and I swore under my breath.

Great.

 Please tell me there was a dog house he can sleep in so I can have the master’s bedroom.

"It's okay, you can sleep on the floor," he said, smirking, as he walked up the stairs.

Oh, thank go-

"
What
?" I yelled and realised I was a bit too loud and looked around waiting for our parents to come out of nowhere.

Making sure the coast is clear, I ran up after him and into his room, shutting it behind me.

"You have the floor. Ladies sleep on beds," I said.

What kind of gentleman was he? "Seeing as it's my bed, and you are no lady, I get to sleep on it. But there is plenty of space on the floor for you to choose from," he said with that smirk I really hated.

I huffed, clenching my fists, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. Had he no sympathy? My team just bloody lost, mate!

"It's not your bed!" I said in fustration, giving one of the lamest defenses I could come up with.

He shrugged, walking over and grabbing a pillow and blanket and chucking them at me. I growled angrily and crossed my hands, letting the pillow and blanket fall to the floor. He couldn't possibly be serious.

"Since we both refuse to share, you can have the floor." He was taking off his jacket.

"Whoa, keep your clothes on." I covered my eyes with my hands. 

"But I need to change."

I peeked between my fingers and saw that he stopped from undressing. The last thing I needed was this to become an R rated night. No, thank you, Darius. You keep your shirt on, I thought.

Is it just me or did someone heat up this room? 

"Too bad. You don't change, I don't change," I said, bending down to pick up the blankets. I laid one on the floor and placed my pillow on one end and sat down. I can't believe it. He was really being serious. First he made me pack the car, and now he wanted me to sleep on the floor.

"You're going to sleep in jeans?" he asked and I shrugged. I have always never bothered to change. What was the point? Taking off my shoes and socks, I lay down on the hard floor and grabbed the blanket.

"Switch the light off," I snapped. I heard him mutter something under his breath before the light was switched off. I sighed and turned to my side. I have never in my life had the need to sleep on a cold floor where I was literally freezing.

Damn, I had left my jacket in the car. And there was no way this 
gentleman 
was going to hand me his. Note the sarcasm. I closed my eyes. Maybe I can get an ounce of sleep and I’ll wake up  in the warm soft bed next door with the parents gone.

But somehow I felt that my parents...they were going nowhere. 

 Hurt. Pain. Sore. I hadn't even closed my eyes for five minutes before I was fully awake again. Sleeping on the floor hurt. Maybe it was because the blanket was thin and wasn't really supporting my shoulder blades digging into the floorboards.

"Stop making so much noise."

"Yea, well, you try sleeping on the floor," I retorted. All the moving and rustling was keeping him awake as well. Oh well, too bad. If I couldn't sleep, neither could he. Oh god, I'm cold. No pun intended.

I curled into a fetal position and sighed a bit louder, just to piss him off. I heard him mutter to himself. I smiled to myself as I moved around, making sure to make noises such as my feet thumping on the floor and my head hitting the floor.  I had given up on the pillow and placed it under my back instead; the floor was much harder on my spine. After the sixth thump, I stopped. I was now getting a headache. I lay on my back and closed my eyes, wishing for sleep to take me.

Just as I moved again, there was a loud thump and I froze. That was not me. I squinted my eyes in the dark. I had this crazy image in my mind of  a zombie coming out from under the bed. The thump was louder and I winced.

"That's not funny," I whispered, feeling my body shiver in the cold.

"What's not funny?"

"That," I said as I heard another sound that resembled the creaking of the door.

"I thought that was you," he said and I sat up looking around and grabbing my pillow. There were footsteps and I turned toward the door, waiting, and saw Darius switch on the bed lamp and sit up on the bed, staring at me.

"What on earth are you doing now?"

"Defending us from the zombie," I said quietly.

"Zombie?"

There were three knocks on the door and I shushed him.

"Ivory, it's me. Are you guys awake?"

"Yes. How do you know my name?" I called back and then mentally slapped myself. Who on earth replies to the walking dead? What a stupid idea.

"I'm your mother. Is it okay if I come in?"

"Of-"

"Get in bed," barked Darius in a hushed tone. I turned around, staring at him. He was sitting up and I could barely make out his silhouette in the dark.

"Excuse me?" I whispered back. First, he tells me to get out, and now he wants me in. Oh hell no, I was definitely not sharing a bed with him. Husband or not-

"They'll know something is up if they see you on the floor."

"Oh hell, naw.”

"What?" asked my mother from the other side of the door.

"Not you," I snapped.

"Aluminium, get in," he snapped, his tone changing into a harsh command. Businessmen, I grumbled, getting up. The door knob twisted and I grabbed the blanket and pillow and quickly jumped onto the bed just as the door opened. My breath got knocked out. Damn, I needed to get fit. I barely sprinted half a meter!

"Oh good, you both are awake," said my mother as she walked in and I stopped the urge to roll my eyes. As usual, she was dressed in a elegant gown, even at this time, and her hair was perfectly done as she walked in with something in her hands.

"Couldn't this wait till morning?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course not," she said, watching us both, her eyes taking us in and I knew she was checking up on us. Well ha! We look like the perfect happy couple. I looked at the floor to see my shoes and socks and cursed under my breath.  Hopefully my mother wouldn't notice. 

 "What is that anyway?" I said, quickly diverting her attention. She handed me an envelope and I pulled it open. It was the invitation to Mrs. Alvin’s ball. Seriously, this couldn't wait till the morning? 

"Okay, goodnight," I said. My mother nodded, still watching us, then turned around to leave as I placed the envelope on the bed side cabinet.  The second she closed the door, I flopped onto the bed and sighed as the softness embraced me.

"Your turn," I said, pulling the blanket over me.

"My turn for what?"

"On the floor. I spent half the night, you spend half," I said.

"Hell no. It hasn't even been half yet. I'll wake you when it's your turn for the bed," he said, grabbing the blanket off me.

"Hey!" I protested as I made a grab for it.

"That's not fair. The floor’s hard," I said. I sprained a muscle in my neck and it hurt to even move it.

"Well, that's too-"

The door suddenly opened, cutting Darius off and surprising us both. This time, it was his mother who stepped in. We both exchanged looks.

"Is the heating working in this room?" she asked. 

"Yes, mother. Is there anything else?" asked Darius as I simply stared. What was with them today?

"Oh, just checking, my dear. This room looked awfully cold," she said.  

"We're fine," he said. She nodded, looking at us both.

"Well, get your sleep. We'll just check up on you and this room. It's awfully cold in this house."

Darius nodded. "No need to check up on us."

"Sleep tight, kids." She ignored Darius’ comment and closed the door. You have got to be kidding me.

"Yes, your turn on the floor," I said, lying down and spreading my hands and feet out to leave no space for him. 

"No."

Ignoring his answer, I said, "Switch the light off on your way down, too, yea?" I turned around to lie on my stomach. The light turned off and I settled in, ready to sleep, when I felt the bed dip. I sat up and stared at him, as though he could see my frown in the dark.

"Go away," I yelled, smacking his back with the pillow.

I heard his deep sigh, as if he was exasperated with me. "Just sleep, ok?  I'll stay on my side and make sure you stay on yours."

I know he couldn’t see my face, but I glared at him nonetheless. I even went as far as giving him a push, a strong one.

"No, Darius. It's
my
turn!" I snapped like a child.

"If our parents keep barging in, then we need to sleep in this bed."

"Sleep under the bed, then. I'll tell them you went to the potty or something."

"You do that."

"No! I am a
lady
."

"And?"

"Go away!"

He didn’t budge.

Darius shook his head. "No."

"Oh, come on!" I asked, crossing my hands like a little child. He shrugged and grabbed the pillow and placed it between us.

"Your side, my side. Don't cross it." He chucked the blanket at me and turnedaway. Seeing that there was no way I could make him obey me, I turned my back on him and lay on my side of the bed. Fine, then.

"You got the bigger side," I said after a few seconds. He sighed, turning the other way and I smiled. I have a plan. As soon as he sleeps, I'll push him off the bed. But while waiting for him to fall asleep, I’d close my eyes, just for a few minutes.

Hmm, this bed was so soft and smelled so nice. But for some reason, I swear there was cold air blowing out of the ducted heating.

Chapter seventeen

You know how it feels when it’s so warm it makes you feel sleepy, like on a hot summer day, and you just want to sleep and sleep and not wake up till night. Well, that's what I was feeling. I could tell I was in a dream with these velvet blankets and a warm bed. I did not want to wake up anytime soon.