Enraptured

Chapter 17

I groaned as the bright ray of morning beated against my eyelids.

I haphazardly threw my arm across my eyes and rolled into the back of my couch, trying to hide from the obnoxious sunlight. Due to the fact that my couch was much too small for my much larger frame, I was barely able to get any sleep last night with my feet dangling way off the end of the couch. My entire body was definitely aching from this damned couch.

I wondered if the other two had a good night's sleep.

I hoped they did, especially after all the stress they had gone through yesterday. But, at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if they freaked out from waking up in an unfamiliar environment today.

My mind drifted off, considering several things that I could potentially do to try to help ease their nerves.

Maybe I could make them breakfast...

But I had nothing in my apartment...

Should I hop out to one of the nearby grocery stores and quickly pick up some stuff? But if they accidentally woke up while I was out, it would only make them more stressed out if they woke up in an unfamiliar environment without someone to explain how they had gotten here.

I guess I could...

Amongst all of my thoughts, a soft voice greeted me, "Good morning, Mr. Nikolaos."

"Good morning, Ms. Caddel." I mindlessly replied on autopilot as my thoughts wandered elsewhere.

When my brain finally registered my words, I stiffened and slowly pulled my arm off of my eyes.

Leaning right over me from behind the couch was the little lady who wouldn't stop plaguing my mind these past few weeks.

I was mesmerized by her devastatingly bright eyes as she mindlessly leaned closer. My breath hitched as her light hazelnut-colored hair fell in loose rings over me, just barely brushing against the tops of my cheeks.

Unable to handle it any longer, I hastily rolled away from her and off the couch. I winced as a searing pain shot through my neck and reflexively covered my neck.

She rounded the couch in a panic. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to startle you. You're in pain because of us, right? Because we took your bed, you had to—"

"No, no, it's quite alright. You needed to more than me, and I gave it to the two of you willingly, so please don't feel bad."

She was standing less than a foot away from me. It felt like her eyes were burning a hole into me as they worriedly raked over my body. Her lips were pressed into a thin line as if she wanted to refute my words.

Trying to lighten the mood, I asked, "Is Theo alright?"

She nodded her head silently as she continued to trace her eyes worriedly over my facial features.

"That's good..." I nervously backed up, unable to handle how fast my heart was beating from such a small action. "Um, I don't really have any groceries at home, but you must be hungry, so I can probably get breakfast delivered if you like. There a little café on—"

"Mr. Nikolaos... Why are you always so nice to me?"

I paused, taken off guard by the sudden question.

"You don't treat all your employees like this, right? Everyone on our floor talked about how you were always so distant and cold... but I never felt like that... You were always watching out for me even though I have only caused trouble for you... And you saved me multiple times already..." Her trembling hands were clenched into tight little fists in front of her chest, and yet she still managed to ask the question that she must've churned over and over again in her mind.