𝐅𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 [𝟏𝟖+]

22

This chapter is over 8k words and so far the longest in the book. Give me 450 comments and I'll update the next one immediately?

════════════════

Cyrus and my stay in the cottage for the past two days was very pleasant. Today, I woke up to the sound of birds chirping and breathed in clean air while the warm, early morning sunlight tickled my face. It was surrounded by stately trees and shrubs interspersed by boulders, a clean lake, and verdant views of the vacant woods. The cottage was surprisingly cozy despite the dark wood of the walls and the flooring. Since every room was generously ventilated, the chilly breeze at night made it a bit uncomfortable to sleep, especially as the fireplace in the living room was the only source of heat. The kitchen was stacked up with all the essential items for cooking and tins of drinking water. The bathroom's water was supplied from the lake's surface through some non-electric water system, which Cyrus had explained, but I couldn't grasp his huge words.

Last night, when I couldn't sleep, I was watching Cyrus sleep like a creep. He had been sleeping without a pillow since I had hugged his pillow to my chest, teasing him, "The cold is killing me, and this damn thing is my shield from the cold." He hadn't complained, and I hadn't noticed he had willingly once again sacrificed something for my comfort.

Guilty of having two blankets and two pillows when he was only having one. I had padded to his couch and tried to place the pillow under his head. When he had woken up immediately, I had rambled like an idiot in shock. "Actually, the cold breeze isn't bad..."

"Take this." He had offered me his only blanket despite sleeping closer to the window and far away from the fireplace. Touched by his kindness, I had returned him his pillow and the extra blanket, shutting him up with a kiss every time he had tried to compel me to take them all. The cold hadn't been gentle on me after I had given him the second blanket, but I had slept with a smile on my lips and warmth in my tummy, knowing he wasn't feeling cold anymore.

This morning, I sat beside Cyrus' sleeping figure on the couch, inspecting him. He looked even more handsome under the warm glow of sunlight reflected by the water from the lake outside the cottage. The warm golden hue made the metal glint around his neck.

He never took a chain off his neck and the piece of jewelry always caught my attention, more specifically the ring, which he wore as a pendant. I hadn't got a clear view of the ring's inscription, but it always left me curious. Perching down on the couch, I quietly took the pendant into my palm, gently lifting it. It was a simple platinum band ring, whose inside wall had a series of numbers inscribed on it. 20. 07. 00.

Patting his bicep to wake him up, I mumbled, "Cyrus, wake up!"

"What?" His voice was rough from sleep.

"Whose ring is it?" Sliding my finger into the ring, I showed it to him.

Something unfathomable shifted in his eyes as he watched the ring on my finger.

"My... defender's." His fingers caught mine, caressing the ring on my finger ever so softly, sending a tingle to skim through me at the touch of his fingers. His lips twitched, and then he sobered.

For the first time, he didn't look disgusted by Romeo's ring on my finger.

Who was he calling his defender? From the size of the ring, it was obvious it belonged to a woman. Who was she?

"Don't you want to know who she is?" His ever-changing eyes were creased with amusement.

For some insane reason, my throat closed over. I couldn't speak past the constriction. Instead, I just shook my head and pulled my hand away from him, gesturing at the bathroom door. "I don't know why the tank is empty, but there is no water and I need to take a bath."