JOANNE
–
My eyes widened in response to the sound of something heavy colliding with another large object.
I was still drowsy, so when I spotted Hardy in my room, standing opposite my bed, staring at me like a lunatic,.
I brushed the tiredness off my voice. It terrified me, but I tried not to show it.
Instead, I asked.
“What are you doing?”
Without uttering a single word, he completely disregarded my question and began approaching me.
What was the matter with this man?
As soon as he approached, the scent of alcohol wafted towards me and caught my breath in a wave.
Was he drunk? How much did he take, if he did? He was behaving more creepy than drunk.
What the heck did he want?
All I wanted was to drift off to sleep right then.
He had been a jerk hours ago, a dickhead that almost made me cry.
Why was he here? To apologize?
An apology would not settle for how I’ve crisscrossed his face in my heart. I couldn’t believe I almost took sympathy for a man as shitty as Hardy.
Maybe I should just listen to Theodore, and he could help me get out of here.
I slowly sat up.
Was he here to literally have sex? Because, according to Trinity, that was his routine when he grieved for Lisa. Alcohol and sleeping around.
I was not a toy. A sex one at that.
I was now a surrogate for him. Bailey has been found. Hasn’t she?
If I hadn’t been so sleepy, I would have decked him the moment he walked over to the other side of the bed and climbed in.
His weight pulled more than my body could possibly handle.
“What are you doing?” I asked again, taking a big shift that almost caused me to fall from the bed.
He scooted close to me, lying on his back.
I moved.
He moved close to me again.
I tried to move, but his voice stopped my every brain cell.
“Do not move another inch.”
He sounded mean but also tired, like he was deeply exhausted, was begging for me to stay, and was also strangely demanding.
Or maybe I misheard.
I didn’t move an inch and quietly stayed in my spot on the bed, the blanket still covering half of my body.
“Go back to sleep,” he ordered.
“What?” That was what left my mouth.
“Sleep.” He repeated it and didn’t stutter.
I turned to gently face him. The room was not very bright, but it was enough to see his face, which was flushed. He had his eyes shut, and long, thick hair was falling over his face.
What on earth was the issue with him?
If he came back to apologize-not like I would ever accept his stupid apology. But he should say so and stop being a drunken bug about it.
“I’m not comfortable lying in the same bed with a stranger,” I snarled, letting the words go so far as to make him mad.
But instead, he started chuckling, a soft-airing chuckle that caused his stomach to rise a little and his cheeks to pucker out.
I stared at him owlishly.
“You’re not comfortable lying in the same bed with a stranger?” He repeated. “What about Theodore?”
I shut my eyes and let out a breath of anguish.
I just needed sleep and wondered if Hardy was going to do this all night. I wouldn’t mind slipping a light bulb into his mouth and letting him chew it.
“Theodore isn’t a jerk,” I wanted to say, but instead I kept my words to myself and succumbed to my heavy eyelids.
I gently laid down on the bed.
There was no point in arguing with Hardy; he might tell me to go die again or just say something worse.
He had a fancy and endangering way of entering my skin.
I didn’t say a word and pulled the covers over my body.
The best way was to ignore him and fall back asleep.
And I did fall asleep, with him lying right beside me on his end of the bed.
–
I opened my eyes about an hour later, and my body was already wrapped in Hardy’s arm, and I could feel his breath on my neck.
I tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but he let out a gruff sound and pulled me back into his gigantic body.
Okay, what the hell was actually happening?
After making me feel like shit. He had the guts to get drunk and use me as a sleeping pill.
I let my body stay in his grip for a few seconds before trying to pull myself out of it again.
His strong and muscly hand angrily crooked around my waist, almost breaking my bone.
“Hey!” I slapped his hand, and he instantly let go.
What was I? Some sleeping pillows?
“I am pregnant for crying out loud!” I scowled, getting out of bed.
He opened his eyes and scoffed at him.
His eyes were bloodshot red, and you could tell it was either he slept or it had mixed with the intoxication from the drinks he had earlier.
“It’s Mine. Not yours!” He slammed. His voice was thick.
I rolled my eyes, and a teasing smirk took over his face.
What?
I glowered at him and watched him palm the side of the bed I was in.
“Get in here.” He ordered.
“No. You reek of alcohol.” I blasted and heard him chuckle.
“Get in,” he repeated. His eyes are slowly getting dark.
I wanted to say no, but he immediately noticed and glared at me.
“Since when did you have a choice?” He asked, and I felt a pang in my chest.
The last time he drank this much, he was different. An entire person far from Hardy, he had been so vulnerable I almost wanted to protect him. I had seen actual tears in his eyes-not that they actually dropped. But I saw tears, and I pitied him.
I thought he would be like that every time he drank.
But I was wrong.
It seemed like he had different personalities every night.
And tonight, he was most likely the original Hardy that I knew.
The wicked.
Somehow, he was enjoying the look I had on my face. I didn’t know what kind of expression I had, but the egoistic smirk on his face proved I was somewhat showing what left me beneath him.
Hardy was a man; you could never tell what he was thinking.
In public. He was a great actor.
Tonight. He was a creep.
“Do not make me repeat myself.” His voice made me shudder, and I gently got on the bed and laid down again.
Damn him!
His head wrapped around me again, and I shut my eyes in agony.
“I want to pee,” I said as an excuse. I could feel his hard body now pressing against my curved back, and it was making me feel a bit-all over the place.
“Liar” He scoffed, and his breath controlled a few strands of my hair that were lying on my neck.
“Liar,” he accused.
Damn it! There was no way I was actually going to get through to him.
But wait. What if I had actually wanted to pee?
“Tools don’t pee,” he bit. “Now go back to sleep.”
So all I was was a darn pillow to him?
He left his fucking room only to come here to use me as a pillow to help him sleep.
Wow.
How could I sleep with an enormous, mean man like him behind me? Controlling the little shits out of my life.
He let out a relaxing breath, and I just wanted to punch him so bad.
*
The room was quiet. Only the sound of Hardy’s breath evaded the place. It had been exactly ten minutes.
I was keeping track and waiting till he fell asleep. Deeply, then, I could walk out of his grip.
He probably thought I was asleep, because I had stayed still and only breathed like I had been sleeping.
I was planning to get out of his grip when I slowly felt Hardy’s grip loosen on me.
Thanking my stars, I would finally leave. I felt his hand slowly start to move up on me.
What?
He wasn’t asleep. All this time?
I could feel his mouth open beside me, and he let out a hot, raspy breath on my neck, and it made my body shiver immediately.
Suddenly, his hand landed on my breast, and I geeked out and tossed it off.
He hissed and lifted his body.
“You do not oppose,” he said sternly. It was an order, and I was some servant, and he was his king, and I had no right to tell him no.
I kind of had no right. I could say no if I wanted to, but he would still do what he has in mind.
“Jerk.” I mumbled quietly.
“Remember, I own you?” His voice was wicked and raspy.
“Not anymore.” I made it clear. “Bailey’s back! You have nothing to do with me anymore. The only thing left between you and me is this stupid baby I’m carrying.” I let my voice be loud enough to leave an imprint on his brain.
I was mad. So mad. And I also silently pleaded for the little one in my stomach to forgive me. Because it is not stupid, and none of it is its fault.
“You think so?”
Hardy’s voice was rash as he started to rise up. “We’ll see about that.”
In an instant, I was flipped over by Hardy, with my back facing the bed and face towards His face, which was now above me and his big body caging me.
I was like a lamb caught in a lion’s den.
And I knew none of this would end well.
–
*