Falling For Her contracted Husband

Chapter 19

Third Person POV

Sky folded her arms across her chest, her face flushing as she stood frozen in the middle of the room. 

"Ocean," she said sharply, her voice cutting through the charged silence. "Are you drunk?" Her tone was part frustration, part disbelief, but mostly laced with the awkwardness of being completely exposed under his lingering gaze. 

Ocean blinked, his brows knitting together as if trying to process her words through a haze. "No," he said, his voice slightly hoarse and unconvincing. He shook his head as if that would clear the fog. 

"No, I'm not drunk." The stutter in his denial made her raise an eyebrow, and he quickly added, "I promise I'm not."

"Then why are you just standing there?" Sky snapped, though her voice wavered slightly. She tightened her grip on her arms, a poor attempt to shield herself from his burning stare. 

"Ocean, this is my room. What are you doing here? And could you—" she motioned toward him with a flick of her hand "—turn around, please?"

His mouth opened and closed, as though searching for an answer that didn't sound absurd. Finally, he muttered, "Your room?" He looked genuinely puzzled, his gaze darting around before realization slowly dawned. 

"Oh. Oh, right. I—" He spun on his heels, giving her his back as she snatched up her robe from the chair. 

Sky quickly slipped it on, tying the sash tight around her waist. "Do you need help finding your room?" she asked, her irritation still evident. "Because if you do, I'll take you, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't wander into mine again. Especially when I'm..." She trailed off, the memory of his stare making her throat tighten. 

Ocean's shoulders hunched slightly. "I didn't mean to—" he started, his voice soft, almost sheepish. "I wasn't—" 

"Save it," she cut him off, already grabbing his arm and steering him toward the door. He stumbled slightly, but she steadied him with a firm grip. The hallways felt longer than usual as they walked in silence, his unsteady steps echoing against the walls.

When they finally reached his room, Sky nudged the door open with her foot and guided him inside. 

"Lie down," she instructed, her voice firm but not unkind. He obeyed without protest, collapsing onto the bed with a sigh. She crouched to tug off his shoes, her movements brisk but gentle. 

"Sky," he mumbled, his voice slurring slightly. She paused, her hands stilling as she tried to make out his words. 

"I didn't mean to... didn't know it was..." 

"Don't worry about it," she said softly, brushing off his incoherent attempt at an explanation. She straightened, watching as his eyes fluttered shut. For a moment, she stood there, unsure of whether to stay or leave, before finally turning toward the door. 

"Sky," he murmured again, his voice barely audible this time. She paused but didn't turn back, her heart skipping an uncomfortable beat as she quietly slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Sky hesitated as she stood by the door, her fingers grazing the cold metal handle. She felt the weight of the silence in the room, broken only by the uneven breaths of Ocean, who was slouched on the couch, a half-empty bottle on the table in front of him. His hand reached out suddenly, grabbing hers with surprising force but not enough to hurt. She froze, her pulse quickening, and her eyes darted to his face. His gaze, glassy and distant, met hers. 

"Don't leave," he said, his voice rough, almost pleading. There was something in the way he spoke—something raw and unguarded that made her chest tighten.

Sky wanted to pull away, to tell him she couldn't stay, but her voice failed her. She stood there, watching him as he struggled to form words, his lips trembling slightly. 

"Don't leave, Amanda," he said again, and the name fell from his mouth like a confession. Sky felt her breath hitch, her chest constricting with an ache she hadn't expected. Amanda. The name struck her like a wave, explaining everything—the drinking, the haunted look in his eyes, the way he'd barely been able to look at her all evening.

Her hand stayed in his, though her instincts screamed at her to let go. "Ocean," she started, her voice softer than she intended. 

"You're drunk." The words were weak, insufficient against the storm of emotions she saw flickering across his face. He didn't respond, just held onto her hand like it was the only thing tethering him to reality.

Sky's heart ached further. She couldn't believe she had to put up with all of this and it made it worse because this might be her for the rest of her life. She watched him with her heart aching and pathetically as she couldn't believe that for a man like him who could have any girl in the world, he chose to stay stuck with his cold hearted ex, a woman who didn't even care about him.

Sky left the room with a tight jaw and an ache in her chest she couldn't shake. She didn't look back, even though everything inside her screamed for her to turn around, to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions. By the time she crawled into bed, her heart felt like it carried the weight of the world. She lay there, staring at the ceiling, willing herself not to cry. It didn't work. Sleep came late and heavy, dragging her into a restless slumber where her thoughts wouldn't leave her alone.

The next morning, Sky forced herself into a routine, clinging to the simplicity of small tasks. She spent time in the kitchen, making a hangover soup- one of Ocean's favorite remedies. The scent of broth and herbs filled the air, but it brought no comfort. By the time the soup was done, she was still replaying everything she didn't want to think about. 

Carrying the bowl, she made her way to Ocean's room. She knocked lightly before pushing the door open. He sat up in bed, his hair disheveled and his eyes puffy, a clear indication of his rough night. 

"Morning," she said, setting the bowl down on his bedside table. "Made you some soup." 

Ocean blinked at her, then smiled sheepishly. "Thanks. You're a lifesaver." He reached for the bowl, the aroma pulling a soft groan of appreciation from him. 

"Hey, uh, I didn't do anything stupid last night, did I?" 

Sky froze for a moment, her hands clasping together tightly. "You don't remember?" she asked, her voice steady despite the pang in her chest. 

He shook his head, blowing on the soup before taking a small sip. "It's all kind of a blur, honestly. I mean, I know I got way too drunk, but… nothing too embarrassing, right?" 

She studied him for a long second, her face unreadable. Then, she gave a slight shake of her head. 

"No, nothing too embarrassing," she said quietly, her words deliberate. "Don't worry about it." 

Relief washed over Ocean's face as he leaned back against the headboard. "Good. I'd hate to think I did something stupid and made things weird." 

Sky gave him a tight smile, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "No, it's fine. Anyway, I'm heading out today. Meeting up with a friend." 

Ocean raised a brow, pausing mid-spoonful. "Oh? Anyone I know?" 

"Not really." she replied quickly, her tone dismissive. 

"Then who are you going to meet?" He asked almost immediately.

"A friend," She replied.

"The one I saw the other day?" He asked.

"Yes, that's him." 

For some seconds, his facial expression looked like he was against the whole idea, like he wanted to refuse her from going to meet him.

"You can go but remember you are a married woman and not everyone knows you as my wife yet but there will be someone out there who might. Don't do anything that would cost my reputation," he stated firmly.

"You have nothing to worry about, nothing is going to happen," she assured him, letting out a small sigh.

There was a pause in their conversation, an hesitation either of them was too scared to breach and for the first time since Sky woke up that morning, she badly wanted to get away from Ocean as fast as she could and even as she walked out the door, she really wished she wouldn't be coming back to the house.