Blessing in Disguise

Chapter 26: The little bunny grew up

Nyx was sitting on the floor. Her head was resting on the mattress, her cheek pressing against her arm. In one of her hands, she was holding the wet cloth, the cold water dripping from it on the floor.

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James turned his head to the side, the cold compress slipping from his forehead. His eyes lingered on the face of the woman that was just a few inches away from his, eyes closed, soundly sleeping. Her lips were slightly parted, exhaling softly, puffing away the strands of blue hair that had fallen on her face.

Under the warm sunlight, she looked so beautiful, so peaceful... like a sleeping fairy.

What a pity that the bruise on her face was still there, glaring at James.

With a frown on his face and absentmindedly, James reached out with his hand and touched the soft, bruised skin. His thumb caressed it a few times, moving gently as if fearful of waking up the fairy. It slowly went down and the tip of his thumb touched the corner of her lips, barely grazing the black piercing in her lip.

Heat suddenly overcame James, engulfing his chest, making his heart go wild. His breathing became erratic, his own breath sounding too loud in his ears. Like a fire licking his ribcage, James felt his feelings erupt. Erupting like a volcano.

"Are you taking advantage of me?"

The voice of the woman caught him off-guard. The hand touching her face drew back as if it had gotten burned. Ashamed and feeling guilty, James raised his eyes up the face of the woman, only to be met with her amber eyes, sleepily looking at him. The corner of her lips lifted a bit, the movement tickling James's heart.

This moment... This moment that felt like a memory of a previous life that he couldn't remember felt so familiar, so sweet, brimming with emotions.

"I... I wasn't trying to..."

Nyx closed her eyes again, but her lips were now fully curved into a smile. "It doesn't hurt."

Confused and still a bit startled because of getting caught red-handed, James moved his eyes up to her face that unknowingly had fallen on her lips again. That black piercing, for some reason, seemed to tease him. "Hmm?"

With her eyes still closed, Nyx tittered. "The bruise. It doesn't hurt."

"Oh..."

Nyx opened her eyes to look at James, not feeling sleepy any longer. A teasing glint flashed through them. "But I got a cut in the inside of my lip. Want to see it?"

The mischievous look in her face and the teasing made James's face heat up, yet much to Nyx's surprise, he shyly nodded his head. That slight up and down movement almost drained all of Nyx's patience and set fire to her self-control.

My little bunny learned to tease back.

Not willing to be outdone by him, Nyx brought her face closer to James, their noses barely touching. "How do you want to see it, love?"

How the hell am I supposed to answer that?

His own heartbeat echoed in his head, his thoughts in total disarray. He wanted to say something, but was unable to come up with something. For a second, James forgot how to speak. All words left him, betrayed him, despite his desire to mutter even half a word.

Just as he was cursing himself, Nyx's face closed in. Yet, much to James's disappointment, the woman simply pressed her forehead against him for a few seconds before backing away and standing up. "You don't have a fever anymore, but you better stay home to rest today lest it goes up again."