Falling, Fallen | ✔️

10

~Ayla's POV~

Naturally, I was pretty mad at Soren, so I didn't speak to him very much for the next couple of days. We were supposed to be leaving the resort tomorrow and I knew I'd have to live with him once we went back home, but I didn't care. He had made me mad.

It wasn't even that I was mad because he was trying to screw another girl even when we were in a marriage together, because that wasn't what I was mad about. No, I was mad because he couldn't even go four days without trying to have a hookup. I was mad because, from the outside perspective, he and I were married and were here on our honeymoon. Sure, he and I knew that the relationship we had was not one of love, but that didn't mean he had to jump on the first chance he had to screw someone. If his father heard about what he had done already, Mr. Maxwell would surely have Soren's head on a stick. He'd be very royally pissed, and rightfully so. I was only in this arranged marriage to help my dad merge his business, but Soren was in this because he seemed to refuse to settle down. If someone from the outside perspective found out that Soren had brought a girl to our room to have sex with her on what is supposed to be our honeymoon, his public image would plummet even more.

Not to mention that I didn't exactly appreciate the fact that he was trying to get freaky with a girl in a bed I had to sleep in. Couldn't he wait until he had his own bed, one that I didn't have to sleep with him in?

I huffed to myself as I grabbed my swimsuit from the dresser drawer and headed into the toilet to change into it, planning to take advantage of the pool we had out the door of our bedroom. Even though we'd been here nearly a week now, I hadn't gone swimming in the pool just outside and I wanted to before we left. Swimming was something I had always loved.

Once I had on my swimsuit I left the toilet, grabbing a towel from out of the closet in the bathroom. Soren wasn't here even though it was only noon—he'd said he was getting lunch, but who really knew. Maybe he'd decided to meet up with the blonde girl from a couple days ago. At this point, I didn't care as long as he wasn't here to piss me off about it. He still hadn't said anything about it, other than what he'd said when I walked in on them, but I didn't really count that because it wasn't like it was an explanation or anything of the sort.

The water was a little bit cool when I dipped a foot into the pool, just testing the water to see what the temperature was. It wasn't too cold nor was it too hot. It was just right, especially on a hot day like today.

A sigh of relief left me as I submerged myself beneath the water, dunking my head beneath the surface. Beneath the water, it felt much colder on my face, making me sink further down a little bit longer. I popped up again when I could no longer hold my breath anymore, my dark hair slicked back from the water.

It surprised me when the door to the bedroom, which I was sure I had shut when I came out here, was swung open and Soren just stood there in the doorway, his thick biceps flexing when he placed his hands on his hips. His gaze was pinned on me whilst I just silently stared back, feeling awkward having him look at me when I was in just a bathing suit. "I thought you left." I said eventually, my tone audibly clipped and short. He raised a brow, like I had no business having an attitude with him. "I did. I told you I was going to get lunch." He responded simply, earning a flat look from me. "Can you really blame me for doubting that?" I retorted.

Soren grunted in annoyance and rolled his eyes, leaving the door open as he walked closer to the pool and plopped down on the edge, sticking his legs into the water. It looked like he was wearing his swim trunks already, so I assumed he must've changed into them once he got back. I hadn't even noticed him returning.

I sank down beneath the surface until only my eyes and the top of my head were above water, watching him closely. "You're the one piece swimsuit kind of girl, hm?" He muttered suddenly, his gaze focusing on the swimsuit covering my figure beneath the water. "Figures." He added casually, his long fingers curling around the edge of the pool. I glared at him and popped above the water again, this time standing up until my chest emerged from it as well and not just my head. "What's that supposed to mean?" I huffed, unsure what he meant by that. I wasn't sure how he managed to make such a simple thing sound like an insult.

"It means I don't know any twenty three year old women who wear one piece swimsuits still." He said simply, to which I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure you certainly know so much about the women in your life that aren't related to you. I mean, after all, you're so devoted to each one." I mocked, knowing I was pushing his buttons when he glared at me.

"What the hell do you know, Ayla?" He shot back, and I shrugged. "Enough to know the women you know aren't ones you keep around." I answered.

He suddenly peeled off his shirt, catching me off guard, and I gaped at the way his muscles rippled as he gripped the edge of the pool and lowered himself into the water. "You're quite a bold woman for being so small." He growled, wading through the water towards me. I wanted to back up, put some distance between us the closer he came, but I didn't move instead. "I'm short," I whispered back. "Not small."

My lips almost twitched when he glared at me. "Same thing when I look at you." He said, stopping so close to me that I felt the wave of water from his movement lap up over my chest. I clenched my jaw, not willing to let him know that he was irking me even more than just a few minutes ago.

"You're mad." He noticed, to which I huffed. "Wow, you noticed." I said dryly, rolling my eyes as I looked away. It wasn't like it took a genius to figure out that he had made me angry.

"I'm not going to apologize, or give you an explanation. We're not together, so I don't owe you a--" He began, but I cut him off, not wanting to hear it. "Let me stop you right there before you let your big ego get ahead." I scoffed, shaking my head. He raised a brow but I didn't acknowledge it. "I don't want an apology. If you're thinking I'm pissed because of anything other than the fact that your sheer audacity is appalling, then get it out of your head. You could have at least waited until we weren't on our "honeymoon" anymore, or until I didn't have to sleep in a bed you've had sex in." I snapped, and he gazed down at me with his brows practically raised to his hairline, seemingly stunned. I glared back at him and he suddenly smirked widely, blue eyes glinting mischievously. "Someone has a bit of a temper." He teased, leaning down towards me again.

My mind swam for a second before I gathered myself and pulled away, narrowing my eyes at him. "Only when assholes like you piss me off." I mocked, scowling. There was no way that I was going to go back to being friendly with him now, not after he had made it so abundantly clear to me how he was going to be during this stupid fake relationship.

Soren grinned in a wicked way, surprising me when he reached out and boldly slipped his fingers beneath the straps of my bathing suit. He gave a sharp tug and I could've screamed in surprise at the way I went flying up out of the water some more, my chest smashing against his firmly. "I'm sure, yeah." He murmured to me. "But you're still right here with me anyways, aren't you?" He taunted. My heart skipped a beat and I huffed, shoving his hands off me. "Whatever." I snapped, irritated. "Just...no more girls. We leave tomorrow anyway, so I'm sure you can manage one more day." I said, pushing myself further away.

He hummed and watched me closely. "I don't like playing by the rules. You know that better than anyone."