Chapter 41: Chapter 41

Both of them were looking like deer caught in headlights. Olivia felt like she could not breathe—it was half from the fact that she was shocked as hell and half from the heavy weight of his body pressed on top of her.

It all happened so quickly. Thomas could not believe that they were in such a compromising position. But it was her fault. He grabbed his wrist and all of a sudden her foot slipped and she was pulling him with her.

Her body felt so soft underneath him. She was also so-so close that he could inhale her mesmerizing scent. The extent of her beautiful eyes staring up at him did not help either. God, she was so beautiful.

“Get off of me.” Olivia said with a strangled breath. Thomas realized that in the shock state, he had put the whole weight of his body on her. He quickly arranged himself so he was leaning up a little and putting his weight on his arms.

Olivia frowned, “Will you get up?” She asked with a “duh” expression on her face. There she was telling him to get off, and he just rearranged his position. Her heart was still pounding seeing at their position. One of his legs was between hers while the other was caging one of her legs. His arms surrounded her face. She felt so vulnerable.

“Oh sorry.” He seemed to be caught off-guard as he finally removed his intense gaze from her and stood up.

She also sat up on the couch feeling awkward to no end. He was so close earlier that she could almost hear his heartbeat. She still could not believe that she had particularly dragged him on top of her. It would surely be one of the most embarrassing moments of her life.

“I am going to take a shower.” Thomas said scratching the back of his head and was about to leave when Olivia stopped him again.

“You did not tell me what is wrong.” Despite her face being flushed from earlier embarrassment, she said. When something bothered her, she could not rest until she knew what the matter was. The whole time, he looked like something was worrying him. She did not know why but something told her it was related to her.

He turned around looking a little amused. She was so strange. One moment, she wanted him to be away from her. The other moment, she was trying to stop him to tell her what was wrong.

He also could not understand why she cared. She clearly did not care about him or what he thought when he heard her talk to her friend earlier.

He still had a long way to understand how her mind functioned.

“How did you get the idea that something was wrong?” He asked her folding her arms. She shrugged avoiding to look at him. The scene from earlier kept playing in her mind. She could not even look at him directly. And there she was confronting him at the same time.

“Your behavior.” She replied playing with her ring. It was beyond her how she could get emotional at such a ridiculous behavior. She was looking down because her eyes would give away that she had minded how he behaved with her.

It was true that there was neither a relation between them nor did she feel anything for him. But she always wanted people around her to treat her right. The slight raise of tone or difference in the behavior would make her think a thousand things simultaneously.

‘Have you been treating him right?’ Her conscious reasoned and questioned her. She brushed off the uncomfortable feelings.

She had strong reasons for being a bit snappy at times. He always wanted to impose his opinions and thoughts on her. He was the reason why she lost her job and the apartment. He was the reason why she was in such a difficult situation.

But he was also the one that gave her hope. When everything around her seemed impossible, he gave her a ray of hope. She felt like her life could get back to normal again. Her mother could get her treatment which she could not have done on her own.

That was why she had such mixed emotions for him. One time, she wanted to be good to him to show how grateful she was. And another time, he made her annoyed to no end.

‘Oh so she notices my behavior, huh?’ He mumbled to himself. She looked up with a questioning look. She could not make out what he had said.

“It’s nothing.” He said but noticed the expression on her face as she looked up. She looked like she was sad for some reason, but why? He could not understand.

“What’s wrong?” He could not help but ask. As much as he was mad at her for the things he heard about himself, he still could not see her sad like that.

Although there was no reason for him to mind what she said because that was the truth. It still did not sit right with him. He had started to be more and more comfortable around her. Damn! He was even attracted to her, but she did not feel any of that.

It made him feel like he was imposing himself. That was why he had decided to put some distance and avoid being frank. But she had already noticed the change in his behavior. Did it mean she really noticed him?

“I just want to know what is wrong that’s all.” She said with a bit of sternness in her voice. He was not getting her at all. She had repeated the same mantra for the umpteenth time, but he was still not giving her any answers. Instead, he was asking her questions.

He sighed.

“I don’t know what I did for you to conclude that something is wrong, but I apologize if my behavior hurt you.” He said surprising not only Olivia but also himself. Since when did he go around apologizing for the trivial things? He could not even remember the last time he had apologized to someone as much as he did with Olivia.

She was changing him, and it was scary. It was not like him at all.

“Okay but I did not ask for the apology. I asked for the reason.” She wanted to face-palm herself or better yet face-palm him. What the hell was wrong with him? Why was he playing around the bush?

She saw him contemplate something, but he took a deep breath before sitting beside her on the couch. Out of habit, she wanted to put some distance but she avoided it at that moment. He sat close to her.

“I heard what you told Sana about me and the marriage.” He finally told her. He knew she would not let it go so he said it.

Olivia frowned thinking about his statement, “What did I tell her?” She asked in a quiet voice but she remembered what he must have been referring to.

When they were at the entrance of the hall, she was talking to Olivia when she noticed him. Oh! So he heard what they talked about.

“But I did not say anything wrong.” She shrugged looking at him with a perplexed expression. She said what the truth was. Why did he mind it?

How could he tell her why he did not like what she said when even he did not know why?

“You did not say anything wrong. But I don’t like our marriage to be discussed like that which could be heard by anyone. Only we know it is fake.” He completely made up the excuse that best suited their situation.

What else could he tell her? That he did not dislike her like she disliked him? That the marriage did not seem as burdensome as he had thought? That he looked forward to seeing her in the condo when he returned from work? That he had become used to the delicious lunch and dinner that she made for him? Or that he requested her for the tea every night when he himself could make it?

Nothing could make sense. But it did at the same time.

She bit her lip looking thoughtful. He was right. She should not have said something secret so openly. She did look around before telling all that to Sana and there was no one who was paying attention to them. But still, she should not take such risk. For her mother’s sake!

On the other hand, Thomas’s eyes automatically followed her lower lip that was being brutally bitten by her cruel teeth.

“Here we go again!” He thought with a sigh as he felt excited again just at the sight of it.

She was a cruel and thoughtless lady. How could she not know the effect her ‘innocent’ actions would have on him?