Free Web NovelChapter 46: Chapter 46: I Didn’t Say I Don’t Believe You
###Chapter 46: I Never Said I Didn’t Believe You
Since Fiona Forrest hadn’t left, Aiden Xavier didn’t dare leave either, so he had to stay the night. And that meant he could only stay in the same room as Hazel Hawthorne.
At that moment, Hazel Hawthorne and Aiden Xavier were in the room, staring at each other. Neither knew what to say to break the awkward atmosphere. freewebnσvel.cøm
Hazel Hawthorne cleared her throat twice, her expression unnatural as she asked, "Where are you sleeping tonight?"
"The bed." Aiden Xavier’s reply was concise. He crossed his legs, folded his hands in his lap, and looked at Hazel Hawthorne with a leisurely air. He knew she wanted him to offer to sleep on the sofa. ’But why should I?’
"No way! Isn’t there a sofa in the room? You can sleep on the sofa." Hazel Hawthorne pointed to the 1.8-meter-long sofa nearby. "It might be a bit of a raw deal for you, but it’s better than sharing a bed. I’m a really restless sleeper. I kick off the blankets, I snore, and sometimes I even talk in my sleep."
Hazel Hawthorne described her sleeping habits in the most unacceptable way possible, hoping that Aiden Xavier would see the difficulty and back down.
Aiden Xavier glanced over. "So?"
"So, to avoid disturbing the quality of your sleep, it would be better for you to sleep on the sofa. At least you won’t have to listen to my snoring, sleep-talking, and teeth-grinding." Hazel Hawthorne sat cross-legged across from him, speaking with the utmost seriousness.
Aiden Xavier just sneered, "I don’t care." He stared at Hazel Hawthorne’s face, which looked as if she were constipated. "Mom is staying here tonight. Do you really want her to find out we’ve actually been sleeping in separate rooms all this time?"
Of course Hazel Hawthorne didn’t want that. She lowered her head in defeat. "But I’m not used to sleeping with another person." ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
"It’s not like I’m going to do anything to you. You can relax."
Hearing this, Hazel Hawthorne immediately clutched her chest. "A man and a woman alone in a room, sharing the same bed, and you’re in the prime of your life... how could I possibly relax? What if you take advantage of me while I’m asleep and have your way with me?"
Aiden Xavier once again looked at Hazel Hawthorne’s figure with disdain. "With a body like yours, I wouldn’t feel a thing even if you stood naked in front of me."
Hazel Hawthorne let out a cold laugh. "Fine. You’d better remember what you just said."
The body she was most proud of was always an object of disdain for Aiden Xavier. In the past, she would have argued with him, but now, she just treated his words as bullshit.
"If you’re really that unused to sleeping with someone else, then you can sleep on the sofa."
This was her room; why would she sleep on the sofa?
Besides, a sofa was nowhere near as comfortable as a bed.
Hazel Hawthorne wasn’t willing either, and the negotiation between them broke down completely.
She turned and went into the bathroom to wash up. If she stayed here and exchanged even a few more words with Aiden Xavier, her blood pressure would skyrocket from anger.
Hazel Hawthorne’s scent lingered in the room after she left. Aiden Xavier sat alone on the sofa, recalling how she had deliberately puffed out her chest in front of him just before leaving. He couldn’t help but find it amusing, as if she were trying to tell him he had no taste.
A woman’s refusal to concede defeat when it comes to her looks and figure is just like a man’s inability to accept being told he’s "not good enough."
The corners of Aiden Xavier’s mouth couldn’t help but lift. The sound of running water, SPLASH SPLASH, came from the bathroom. Suddenly, Aiden Xavier recalled Hazel Hawthorne’s bold actions when she had been drugged before, and he started to feel a little restless.
’If Hazel Hawthorne would just yield a little, perhaps I could even grow to like her.’
’But Hazel Hawthorne is just too stubborn; she never learned how to yield.’
’If Mom hadn’t come over today, Hazel Hawthorne and I might still not be speaking to each other. Because of the incident with Raina Lowell, her attitude toward me has been lukewarm.’
Hazel Hawthorne came out of the bathroom wearing a very conservative set of pajamas, her wet hair hanging down. She dried her hair, sneaking glances at Aiden Xavier. ’He’d better not be staring at me.’
"You’re staying here tonight. Aren’t you going to let Raina Lowell know? The last thing I need is for her to come looking for trouble with me right after getting out of the hospital."
Aiden Xavier had already told Raina Lowell, but seeing the pointed way Hazel Hawthorne spoke, he couldn’t help but retort, "Raina has never said a single bad thing about you from start to finish. Why do you have to keep dwelling on this?"
"Oh? So by your logic, I should thank her for being the bigger person?" Hazel Hawthorne threw the towel she was using to dry her hair down in front of Aiden Xavier and said arrogantly, "Too bad, because I’m just petty. That’s the kind of person I am. If you feel so bad that Raina Lowell was bullied, then just divorce me."
Hazel Hawthorne gave him a cold look. "Just say the word, and we’ll go to the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow."
"I’m trying to have a rational discussion with you about this. I never said anything about divorce. Hazel, can’t you tone down your temper just a little?"
"That’s what it sounds like to me. Why are you so convinced that I was the one who started it with Raina Lowell? Her having a heart condition is her problem. If she hadn’t deliberately provoked me, how would it have even happened? You don’t have to believe me. You can go ask the household staff."
Hazel Hawthorne couldn’t stand the questioning look Aiden Xavier was giving her. "I will absolutely admit to the things I’ve done. But for something I didn’t do, you could beat me to death and I still wouldn’t admit to it."
"I never said I didn’t believe you."
"Aiden Xavier, don’t lie to me, okay? Do you think I’m a three-year-old kid? I know Raina Lowell is the one you love, so as long as she doesn’t come looking for trouble, I won’t go looking for her," Hazel Hawthorne said coldly. "You just need to keep her in check. Stay out of my business."
Hazel Hawthorne had already lost all interest in talking to Aiden Xavier. She picked up the towel again and continued drying her hair, pretending not to hear anything he said. Even when Aiden got on the phone with Raina Lowell, she acted as if nothing were wrong, minding her own business.
The room became exceptionally quiet, and the atmosphere was strange.
Hazel Hawthorne could hear Aiden Xavier’s voice as he coaxed Raina Lowell, gentler than she had ever heard it before. Perhaps in front of the one he loved, even a man of iron could have a side as tender as water.
But the person who could bring out that water-like tenderness in Aiden Xavier was Raina Lowell.
Hazel Hawthorne finished drying her hair and lay down on the bed. Aiden Xavier, in turn, went into the bathroom. Hazel ignored him completely, playing on her phone and watching videos. When Aiden came out of the bathroom, she was still in the exact same position.
Her back to Aiden Xavier.
Aiden Xavier lifted the covers. The movement startled Hazel Hawthorne, and she sat up reflexively. Upon seeing it was him, she lay back down as if nothing had happened, though in reality, her heart was pounding with nervousness.
This was the first time she and Aiden Xavier had ever lain in the same bed together.
Aiden Xavier remained silent. He reached out and dimmed the bedside lamp. As the room darkened, Hazel Hawthorne, her back still to Aiden, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She lay on her side, put down her phone, and closed her eyes, but sleep was a long time coming.
Aiden Xavier, on the other hand, seemed to fall asleep in a second.
In the dim light, Hazel Hawthorne slowly opened her eyes. The sound of Aiden Xavier’s steady breathing came from behind her. Driven by a mix of insomnia and curiosity, Hazel, as if possessed, turned over to face him.
Aiden Xavier’s eyes were tightly shut. Observing him up close, she discovered that his eyelashes were long and curled. His peaceful sleeping face was much more likable, and gentler, than when he was awake.
Hazel Hawthorne slipped her hand out from under the covers, wanting to see just how straight Aiden Xavier’s nose was. But before her hand could touch it, a large, powerful hand shot out and, with unerring accuracy in the dimness, caught her restless fingers.
Panicked, Hazel Hawthorne tried to pull free, but Aiden Xavier opened his eyes and stared intently at her, caught red-handed. Their eyes met, and Hazel’s cheeks turned as red as a monkey’s bottom.
*****
