CHAPTER 46: SLEEPING ARRANGEMENT

Alexia POV:

I stared at him, trying to process what he’d just said. "This marriage is a contract, Aiden," I snapped, crossing my arms. "It doesn’t mean I have to play house with you."

His lips twitched, almost like he was suppressing a smirk, which only infuriated me more. "You agreed to this arrangement, Alexia," he said, stepping closer. "It includes sharing a room."

"Since when?!" I practically shouted, waving my arms dramatically.

"Since always," he replied coolly. "Unless you’d prefer to explain to everyone why our ’happy’ marriage involves us living like strangers under the same roof."

I opened my mouth to argue, but no words came out. Damn it, he had a point. If I slept in a separate room, it would raise questions, and questions could lead to the whole charade unraveling.

"Fine," I said through gritted teeth, stomping past him like a petulant child. "But don’t think for a second that I’m happy about this."

He didn’t respond, but I could feel his smug satisfaction radiating off him like heat.

I stormed into his room, slamming the door behind me for good measure. The space was just as cold and meticulously perfect as the man himself. Everything was in shades of grey and black, with no hint of personality or warmth. Figures.

I flopped onto the massive bed, claiming the side farthest from the door. If I had to share a room with Aiden, I was going to make damn sure there was an invisible wall between us.

This man. This infuriating, arrogant, controlling man. If he thought I was going to make this easy for him, he had another thing coming.

Sleep was so close I could taste it. The long day of chaos—weddings, glares, smirks, and embarrassment—had drained every ounce of energy I had. Nestled under the covers, I was finally beginning to drift into that sweet abyss when I heard the door creak open, and in walked the human storm cloud himself—Aiden. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping he’d just get into bed and leave me alone. Ignoring him was the only way to maintain my sanity.

Maybe he’d think I was asleep and leave me alone.

But no, that wasn’t in Aiden’s playbook.

I could hear his soft footsteps, the rustle of his suit jacket being removed, and the faint clinking of his cufflinks landing on the dresser. His presence was impossible to ignore, a heavy weight in the room, even when he wasn’t speaking. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, hoping he’d just let me be.

But, of course, he didn’t.

Before I could fully sink into sleep, I felt the sudden chill of air on my legs as the covers were yanked away. My eyes snapped open, and there he stood, smug and infuriating.

"I said to sleep in my room, not my bed," he declared, his voice calm but dripping with arrogance.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I snapped, sitting up and glaring at him. My sleep-deprived brain was already on the edge, and this man had just pushed me right over it."Can’t I sleep in peace? First, I can’t sleep in my room. Now, I can’t sleep in this bed? Is this some kind of marriage-induced trauma, or are you just naturally unbearable?"

He crossed his arms, looking down at me as if I were a petulant child. His expression didn’t change. If anything, his eyes narrowed slightly, as if my outburst was nothing more than a mild inconvenience. "You can sleep on the couch or the floor if you like. I am not sharing a bed with you," he replied, his tone so infuriatingly self-assured that I wanted to throw something at his stupid, handsome face.

I blinked at him, incredulous. "Are you serious? You sleep on the couch or the floor! You’re the one with the problem sharing this damn huge bed that could easily fit six people!"

He smirked, as if my frustration was the most entertaining thing he’d witnessed all day. "Not happening," he said smugly.

I huffed, refusing to back down. Stubbornly, I grabbed the edge of the covers and yanked them back toward me. Unfortunately, Aiden was just as stubborn as I was. He held onto them tightly, he yanked the covers back out of my grip. Stubbornly, I yanked them right back, setting off a ridiculous tug-of-war. Of course, he won, because apparently, this man had the upper body strength of a Greek god. In the process, I got tangled in the sheets and nearly face-planted onto the mattress.

With a loud thud, I landed face-first on the mattress, my arms flailing as I tried to untangle myself. Aiden just stood there, one eyebrow raised, clearly trying not to laugh.

"Oh, go ahead," I snapped, my voice muffled by the sheets. "Laugh it up, you smug bastard."

To my utter shock, he didn’t laugh. Instead, he reached down, grabbed the covers, and pulled them off me entirely, leaving me sprawled on the mattress like a very annoyed starfish.

"Couch or floor. Your choice," he said, tossing the covers to his side of the bed.

I sat up, fuming. "You’re insufferable!"

"And you’re exhausting," he shot back. "Make up your mind before I turn off the lights."

"What is wrong with you?" I huffed, glaring up at him from my awkward position.

"Plenty," he replied dryly, his voice laced with sarcasm. "And now you’re adding to it."

"Fine!" I snapped, throwing my hands up in surrender. "Keep your stupid covers." I flopped onto the mattress dramatically, prepared to sleep without the blankets just to spite him. But Aiden wasn’t done tormenting me yet.

Before I could even close my eyes, I felt his hand grab my ankle. With one quick, merciless pull, he dragged me off the bed, sending me tumbling to the floor in an unceremonious heap.

I screamed. I shouted. I even tried kicking him in the shin, but he didn’t let go until I was sprawled flat on the floor like a discarded doll.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed, rubbing my sore butt as I glared up at him. "You’re insane. Completely, certifiably insane!"

"And they call me the crazy one," he muttered under his breath as he climbed back onto the bed, looking utterly unbothered.

I sat there on the cold, hard floor, seething. There was no way I was sleeping on the couch with this massive bed taunting me just a few feet away. Stubbornly, I climbed back onto the bed, claiming the farthest corner as my own.

Aiden let out a long, exasperated sigh, like I was a toddler throwing a tantrum. But then his expression shifted, his face darkening as he gave me a look that sent a shiver down my spine.

"What?" I asked warily, inching closer to the edge of the bed.

His lips curved into a wicked smirk. "If you’re so determined to sleep in my bed," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerously low tone, "you might as well fulfill your wifely duties."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I shrieked, scooting away from him as fast as I could. "Stay the fuck away from me, you pervert!"

"But isn’t this what newlyweds do on their wedding night?" he taunted, inching closer with a predatory gleam in his eyes.

He’s bluffing, I told myself. He’s just trying to scare me into giving up and leaving the bed. Well, two could play at that game.

"Nice try," I said, attempting to sound confident even as my voice wavered slightly. "But I’m not falling for your little mind games."

His smirk deepened as he reached out, his hand brushing against my arm and scooting over. Panicking, I tried to retreat further, but my hasty movements sent me tumbling off the edge of the bed once again.

"Ouch!" I groaned, rubbing my now twice-bruised butt.

Aiden peered over the edge of the bed, his expression smug. "If you climb back into this bed," he said, his voice laced with amusement, "I’ll take that as consent."

"You’re unbelievable!" I shouted, grabbing a nearby pillow and hurling it at him.

He caught it effortlessly, laughing softly as he leaned back against the headboard. "You’re not the first person to tell me that," he said casually.

Fuming, I snatched another pillow and yanked the covers off the bed. "Fine!" I spat, stomping over to the couch. "But if I’m sleeping on the couch, I’m taking the covers!"

Aiden didn’t stop me, but I could feel his eyes on me the entire time, his laughter trailing behind me like a ghost.

Settling onto the couch, I wrapped myself in the covers and clutched the pillow like a shield. Stupid jerk. I hope I snore so loudly it drives him insane.

Great. Just great. The tortures have officially begun. I should have known it was too good to be true—the idea of marrying someone you may or may not have bullied in your past life and actually having a happy, peaceful marriage. What were the odds?

Let me answer that: slim to none.

I glared at the ceiling, my mind racing despite how desperately my body begged for sleep. Wrapped in the covers I’d fought tooth and nail to win, I felt like a prisoner sentenced to a lifetime of torment. Not that my couch accommodations were uncomfortable—on the contrary, they were plush and luxurious. But that wasn’t the point.

The point was that he was here.

Aiden Timberlake. Billionaire, emotionally constipated man-child, and, oh yeah, the very person I’d tormented relentlessly in what I now considered my "former life."

That thought gnawed at me, like an itch I couldn’t scratch. Because if he did remember...why would he have married me? Was this some long, drawn-out revenge plot? Did he plan to make my life miserable, to humiliate me the way I’d once humiliated him?

"Stop it, Alexia," I whispered to myself, shaking my head. "You’re overthinking again."

Still, the doubts refused to let me go.

I curled tighter into the couch, pulling the blanket over my head as if that could block out the intrusive thoughts.