Falling, Fallen | ✔️

32

~Soren's POV~

Ayla panted heavily as she and I stepped out of my shower, having just finished our fourth round of sex of the night. Her face was flushed and she wobbled on shaky legs as she wrapped herself up in a towel, drying off. "I told you we shouldn't have showered together." She huffed, causing my lips to twitch. "I don't know what you mean. I enjoyed myself and I'd say you did too, from the way you were moaning." I teased, quickly drying off before I pulled on a fresh set of boxers.

She took my shirt that I had brought in with us for her, slipping it over her head before she pulled her hair out from inside the shirt. The shirt was white and fell to her thighs, her nipples poking through the fabric as she pulled on a pair of my boxers. They were a little bit loose on her waist but her hips and ass were pretty snug in them. "You look so pretty in my clothes." I muttered to her, pushing my wet hair out of my face. She bit her lip and played with the bottom of the shirt, her cheeks tinted pink. I smiled and stalked over to her, practically dragging her into my room. Her eyes flicked over to the clock on my bedside table and she frowned. "I didn't realize it was so late already." She said, tilting her head back to glance up at me.

"Mm. And?" I hummed, slithering my arms around her waist from behind. I pressed against her and buried my face into her hair, loving her scent. She smelled like black cherry merlot, which was fitting because I had noticed that she drank exactly that almost every Friday after work now. It was her way of winding down after a long week. "And I have to work tomorrow. I should go to bed." She giggled, trying to peel my arms from her midsection. I refused to let go, groaning as I held her tighter. "Stay in here. Take tomorrow off or something." I complained, and she immediately stopped trying to get free. For a moment I felt like I had won, thinking that she was actually considering it. "Stay in here? Like...sleep in your bedroom?" She asked, making me cock up a brow. I could tell she was uncertain about it.

"Yeah. You don't want to?" I asked, hesitantly releasing her from my hold. She immediately stepped away, turning around to look me in the eye. "Well, I'm just...a little bit confused. Isn't it like... I mean, I didn't think you would be okay with something like that. Us actually sleeping in the same bed." She explained, playing with a strand of her wet hair. I furrowed my brows. "Why wouldn't I be? We're just sleeping." I said, shrugging my shoulders. I didn't see the big deal.

Biting on her bottom lip, she shifted nervously on her feet. "I just assumed that it was too...you know, lovey-dovey or whatever." She admitted, and I almost laughed at her phrasing but I limited it to an amused grin instead. "It's not a big deal. I'm a grown man, Ayla, and I think I can handle sleeping in my bed with a woman." I snorted. She smiled softly and seemed to relax a little bit more. "If you're sure..." She nodded her head and crawled into my bed, glancing over at me as she slipped under the blankets. I stood there for a moment and just looked at her, stuck on the thought of how utterly good I felt to see her in my bed.

I joined her in my bed after I turned off the lights, the warmth of her body throwing me off a little bit. I hadn't slept beside a girl in years and I was trying to recall if I had ever been this anxious when sleeping next to someone. "A-Am I too close?" Ayla stammered nervously, causing me to hesitantly shake my head. The odd racing of my heart made me feel weird and I felt a little bit cold even though I was right beside her. "No." I answered. "Actually, can I come closer?" I muttered, able to faintly make out her pretty face in the dark as she nodded her head. I slid closer to her immediately and wrapped her up in my arms, causing her to gasp in surprise. My whole body was buzzing and I felt like I was on fire now. I knew I was spooning her but it felt nice and I didn't want to let her go, so I didn't.

"S-Soren?" She asked softly, sounding shy. I pressed my face into her neck and hummed, trying to will away my embarrassment. "Why were you acting so possessive earlier?"

She flipped around in my arms and I felt her hands on my bicep, feeling up my arms. "It almost seemed like you were jealous of Mitchel." She added quietly, curiosity in her voice. I paused, trying to think of a way to properly explain myself, but then I decided I would be honest. If this was going to work, I still needed to be honest, even if it embarrassed me to admit it. "That's because I was." I agreed, and she stopped tracing patterns on my bicep with her fingers. I knew my words had caught her off guard and I understood why. Jealousy was not supposed to be part of the plan here. In fact, I was the one who had told her she was free to have sex with other guys. After she had told me she didn't talk to anyone her age, I didn't think I would even have to worry about it because I didn't think she would.

"But why? He and I are just friends." She said, her hands making their way up until she gently combed her fingers through my hair. I sighed at the feeling and leaned into her touch. "So are we, technically." I mumbled, and she giggled softly. The sound made my lips twitch. "Okay, well Mitty and I are platonic friends. Nothing even remotely sexual has ever happened between us." She assured me, and I hummed.

"Even if it did, though," She began, making my eyes snap open. I hadn't even noticed when I had shut them. "I don't see how it's your business. You were the one who said we could see other people, and it's not fair of you to be mad if I slept with someone else. It's not like I say anything when you sleep with other girls." She said pointedly. I narrowed my eyes at her and reached over to my nightstand, quickly turning on the lamp so I could see her better. The light painted her skin in a pale yellow glow, her pretty hazel eyes peering up at me. "See, the problem with that is that I told you I don't want to sleep with other girls, so I don't. I haven't since we started this." I told her honestly, flicking my pointer finger back and forth between our bodies. "And you probably won't believe that, not that I blame you. I'm just telling you because I want you to know that I don't want to fuck another woman and I haven't."

Ayla frowned, looking conflicted and confused. "Then why? What was the point of the rule, Soren? You told me you didn't want to be restricted with only me and that you wanted free reign. So why put that rule in place if you didn't even plan to be with other women?" She asked, sitting up onto her elbow. I could hear the growing frustration in her voice and I didn't know what to say. "Ayla, I... I had the intention of being with other girls. When you were at work, I tried to get with other girls but I ended up leaving before anything really happened. I always felt bad." I admitted.

I hadn't wanted her to know that, honestly. She had told me she never wanted to her about or see any girls I was with, but I couldn't exactly tip toe around that right now.

Her face fell, and the look she wore made me wonder if I had made a mistake in telling her that. "So...you did try to sleep with other women, then." She sighed, sitting up all the way. I didn't want to fuck this up any more and I could tell she was probably about to get up and leave. "I tried, but I never did." I nodded, sitting up beside her. I wasn't sure why I felt like I had done something horribly wrong.

"You really expect me to believe that? After all these months of seeing you just pedaling your way through different girls, how am I supposed to believe that you stopped sleeping with other girls just because you and I are fucking?" She asked, raising her brows at me expectantly. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, biting my lip. "Ayla, haven't I told you that I don't want to be with another?" I asked, watching as she paused and thought about it. "Why would I lie about that?"

She sighed softly and crawled over to me, straddling one of my thighs as she wrapped her arms around me. "I'm sorry. I guess we both don't like the idea of the other sleeping with someone else." She said, causing me to smile slightly. I wrapped my arm around her and then paused, blinking to myself as I realized my heart was pounding again. "Yeah." I said, trying to ignore it. "I'm sorry too." I muttered. She giggled and I pulled her down with me as I laid back, her body on mine. "So are we getting rid of the free reign rule, then? Neither of us seem to like it." She wondered, her fingers finding my hair again.

I moaned in content as she combed her fingers through it, almost massaging my head. It was automatic and without even a beat when I responded. "Mhm. Don't want another woman and you can bet your pretty ass I would never let another man have you." I answered, earning yet another melodic laugh. I tightened my arm around her waist and sighed in content, perfectly aware of what the racing of my heart meant in this situation. Ayla was right when she told me that I was becoming obsessed with her, it seemed.

The funny thing is it didn't even bother me, either.