Louis' POV
Today was day one of us being under the same roof, and I was feeling restless. Sleep refused to come. I was acutely aware of her presence in the house, more so of the room beside mine.
I glanced at the bedside table. 1:25 a.m.
After tossing and turning for far too long, I gave up. There was no way sleep could come.
I swung my legs over the bed and headed downstairs, only to freeze halfway down when I realized I wasn't the only one awake.
The dining area light was on, casting a warm glow on her little self propped on the dining chair.
Claire.
I glanced down at myself and noted, belatedly, that I was shirtless.
For a brief moment, I considered going back upstairs to put a shirt on, to be decent.
But I decided against it, I was already here.
Plus, part of me was curious. I wanted to see her reaction when she noticed.
Besides, I wasn't entirely lacking in confidence. I did have a good physique, if I said so myself.
And if that happened to distract her, even just a little…
Well.
That wouldn't be the worst thing to happen.
She sat quietly at the table, legs pulled up onto the chair and wrapped in her embrace, a half-open bag of chips resting on the table in front of her. She stared ahead, lost in thought, as though she carried something unbearably heavy on her shoulders.
I should return to bed. Maybe she needed to be alone. I wouldn't want to intrude.
But I'm leaning I was prettt selfish when it came to certain matters.
Because before I knew it, I was already walking toward her. My feet leading me before the logical part of my brain could stop me.
"Why aren't you in bed?" I asked gently, taking the seat beside her. "Is something the matter?"
She startled slightly. Not expecting to see me. "Oh—Louis, sorry. I didn't think anyone would be up," she said, embarrassed. "I just… couldn't sleep."
I take note of the way her eyes dipped to my chest, before quickly darting away. Her face flushed slightly.
I cheer inwardly, yes! Mission successful.
Good.
So I wasn't the only one affected by this. That sent a quiet spark of satisfaction through me.
She shifted slightly in her seat, suddenly more aware, and I resisted the urge to smile.
"Is the room not to your liking," I asked, watching her closely, "or is something else wrong?"
Was she unsettled by being in the same house as me too?
I found myself hoping she was. I couldn't be the only one utterly affected by this.
"Oh…no, everything is just right," she rushed out. "The room is perfect—very much to my liking. Thank you." Her cheeks flushed a faint pink.
Cute. She flushed too easily.
"So…" I pressed, refusing to let it go. "What's the matter then?"
She fiddled with the hem of her sleep shorts, nervous. She looked different under the warm dining light—face bare of makeup, soft, completely disarming.
"I just… it's kind of…" she stuttered, then exhaled. "Being in an unfamiliar environment has me a bit on the edge. I've never really slept outside my home before. Not to talk of moving somewhere for this long."
Her eyes stayed downcast as she hugged her legs tighter to her body, her smooth skin catching the light. Damn.
I hadn't thought that far ahead. About how uncomfortable this might be for her.
I wondered if she'd ever had a boyfriend. School?. Surely she must have stayed over at a guys place at least once.
The thought sent an unexpected wave of irritation through me.
I really hoped not.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I didn't think that through. If you'd like, you can choose any of the other rooms in the house."
Why did I just say that?
"I…no, it's fine," she replied quickly. "I'll get used to it. I just need time to settle in. It's probably just nerves from the sudden move." She hesitated. "I'll be okay."
"I hope so," I said. "You can always come to me if you have any problems or concerns. This place..this house, is as much yours as it is mine." I paused. "At least for the duration of the contract."
Her eyes widened slightly, lips parting as if she wanted to say something. Then she thought better of it. She lowered her legs from the chair, and only then did I take in her full attire.
And now, I'm very distracted. I quickly took notice of how light the sleep wear actually was because not only can I see the outline of her breasts, I can see her nipples straining through the material, distractingly so.
She doesn't seem to notice this and I will myself to look away before she notices my gaze but before I found the guts to. I got caught.
I mentally face palm. But I swear I couldn't help it.
She followed my gaze, glancing down to see what I'd been staring at so intently and gasped.
She shot to her feet as if startled by her own realization.
"Oh my God, I should go," she stuttered, her hands instinctively moving to cover herself.
Too late for that.
The thought hit me all at once, sharp and unwelcome, and whatever smug satisfaction I'd felt earlier evaporated. Now I just felt like a creep.
This wasn't how I'd meant for this to play out.
"It's…it's alright. I was about to leave too. Goodnight," I rambled, sounding like a complete freak.
I didn't wait for her response.
I turned and practically fled the room, retreating upstairs with my ears burning and my dignity in shambles.
I didn't even wait to see if she still remained or not. I was cooked.
If this was how the first night goes, how would the many orher nights to come end.
This wasn't going to be an easy ride.
But now I can say with utmost certainty, it was going to be hard to fall asleep now.