BETROTHED TO THE BILLIONAIRE

CHAPTER 27

"I wasn't joking, sweetheart…." I round the bed, grinning widely like an idiot.

For no reason, I am actually enjoying this. Taunting her and seeing her angry this way is making me happy.

"Ryan, please. Don't let this repeat itself.*

"Come on, Val. I told you it was just an act. I wanted to see how you would react if the kiss was unexpected and in public. You didn't do badly, though. I'm sure if it happens next time, you won't push me away that way or we will be busted."

"No kisses. Don't you get it?"

"Why?" I raise a brow in curiosity, standing with arms akimbo.

Why is she making it a big deal?

"Because I don't want it. I don't like it and I don't need it."

I pretend to be thinking about it for a while before blurting out. "Maybe that is because your boyfriend was bad at kissing."

"No!" She shouts defensively. "He wasn't."

"He wasn't?" I ask to be sure I heard right. Meekly, she nods then she falls back on the bed and covers her face in embarrassment.

I burst into a fit of laughter, my stomach churning from the action.

"Stop laughing and get out of here. You are so annoying!"

I continue to laugh at my fill. After sobering up, the smile on my face won't disappear. I find everything she did right from when she pushed me away cute and sweet.

There is more to this, though. I can see it on her face. But there is a lot she needs to do to get rid of his memories.

I wish I can help but I can't. She won't even allow me to call her the names he used to call her. So how can I help?

"We are going to Mother's place tomorrow. She isn't picking up my calls and I'm worried. We haven't talked since the other day when we had a fallout. So I guess we should visit and then…", I trail off. I don't know what else will follow.

I just hope the news would have gotten to her about my candlelight date with Valerie.

I smile proudly to myself.

I amble back to the bed, about to get in when she shoves me aside.

"Hey."

"You can't sleep here." She spreads her legs over to the edge of the bed so there won't be much space left for me.

"Why?!" I cry out. "Are you afraid that I will kiss you in your sleep?"

She jumps up immediately with a pillow and hit my head with it. I grab her off the bed and we both struggle with each other. Before I know it, she is on my back, hitting me numerous times and shouting for me to drop her.

My hold on her becomes stronger as I run around the room in laughter, relying on her to stop hitting me, or I won't drop her.

Finally, she stops. I stop running too. We are both breathless.

"Drop me."

"What just happened? Was that a pillow fight?"

"It wasn't. Just drop me, you jerk!" She hit my shoulder with her hand, the pillow dropping to the floor.

"Hey, that hurts. I'm going to drop you, ok?" I move close to the bed, tempted to ask her if this is how she beats her ex-boyfriend.

I drop her off and quickly climb in beside her, holding her two hands so she won't push me off the bed again.

"Please, let me sleep here. I promise I won't kiss you or make you uncomfortable."

"No!"

"Please. I will do anything you ask of me…"

"I don't share my bed, Ryan. Stop making me feel like a bad person. Just go and sleep on the couch. It won't hurt, will it?"

I pout, hoping she will change her mind like I once did but she is set on seeing me off the bed.

She wriggles her hand away from my hold and drags all the comforter off my body. This is when I know she won't give in to my demands, no matter what I do.

If I spend any more minutes here, then she will push me off her with her legs. I am sure she must be counting to ten right now.

Sighing heavily, I get down from the bed and take a pillow, hugging it to my bosom, still pouting before walking slowly to the couch.

The moment I lay on it, I hear her sweet laughter which sounds like music to my ears. 

Deriving comfort from the laughter, I turn and toss on the couch till sleep evades me.

****

💓