Page 9 of Sold to the Devil
'What's wrong with me?'I think.
I get under the covers, squeeze my eyes shut and hope he doesn't start another fight once he leaves the bathroom. My body freezes when I hear the door open, and I wait for him to get into bed too, but all I hear are footsteps and then another door opening and closing. I turn around, scanning the room, only to find he's gone. I assume he's gone to dinner, and I exhale in relief. This will give me some peace for a while. I'll probably already be asleep once he comes back.
CHAPTER 4
Aelys
When I open my eyes the next morning, my gaze falls on Mattheo's sleeping body. He's lying on his stomach, his head turned away from me. The sheets fall to his waist and I let my eyes wander over his back.
I guessed he was muscular when I first saw him and I was right. I feel my cheeks flush and I rush out of bed. I go to the bathroom and lock the door behind me.
I turn on the shower and undress. I let the warm water touch my skin and let out a contented sigh. My mind wanders to the Academy, we'll go tomorrow and I'm excited to see Nancy again. It's been ages since I've seen her and I reallymiss her.
I rinse the soap off and wrap a towel around my body. My eyes widen when I realize I didn't bring any clothes with me. I was so eager to escape Mattheo that I forgot.
“Good God,” I whisper.
I sigh deeply and unlock the door, then leave the bathroom to go into the closet. I hear the rustling of sheets coming from the bed and my heart rate increases. He's awake and about to get up.
Was he going to insult me today too? I hope he'll leave me alone for at least a while, but I'm not kidding myself.
I start looking through the drawers, looking for underwear and an outfit. I find a set of green underwear that I know will be comfortable, then I grab a pair of gray pants and a black tank top. It's not too revealing around the cleavage, so I decide it'll do.
I have no idea if Mattheo is planning to do anything with me or if he'll leave me alone today. Which means that I'll probably hang out with Arthur if he wants to, stay in the room or even go out into the garden to read a book. I haven't finishedThe Red Letter.
I turn to go back to the bathroom but let out a gasp of surprise when I almost walk into Mattheo. He was standing behind me, looking at me with an unreadable expression.
I feel myself blush. I'm only wearing a towel and his gaze makes me nervous. His words from last night are running through my head.
I'm really in deep shit.
Two long minutes pass before he goes to his side of the closet, rummaging through his clothes. I exhale silently and run to the bathroom, locking the door before pressing my forehead against the wood. I take a deep breath, trying to relax a little. Then I start getting dressed. Once I'm done, I brush my hair and brush my teeth. I don't wear makeup, because I don't want to. I will probably be staying at the Manor after all, so it doesn't matter.
I'm starting to feel hungry because I haven't eaten since the day before. I leave the bathroom, glance left, where my eyes fall on the silhouette of Mattheo sitting at his desk. He seems to be writing a letter. I walk to the door and leave the room, heading for the kitchen. No one is there, so I make myself some tea and grab a pastry made by the elves. I close my eyes in satisfaction. It's delicious and I feel better after taking a few more bites.
I was really hungry.
Once I'm done, I put my mug in the sink and head back to our room. It's a nice day outside, so I decide to grab my book and head out into the garden to finish it in the sunshine. Mattheo is still at his desk, completely ignoring me, which suits me perfectly. I grab the book and head back to the door, but I'm stopped by his deep voice.
“And where are you going so early in the morning?”
I freeze and swallow, my hand on the doorknob.
“To the garden. I want toread…”
He hums thoughtfully, and I quickly leave the room, not wanting to start another argument. My feet lead me to a large tree at the back of the manor. A small fountain on its left and flowers surround the area. It's truly beautiful! I sit with my back against the tree and open my book, immersing myself in the story.
I hear footsteps approaching me and I look up to meet a boy who looks about my age, whom I've never seen before. He has curly brown hair similar to Mattheo's and blue eyes that sparkle in the sunlight. He's really attractive, and I feel myself blushing slightly. He has a small smile on his lips.
“I don't think I've seen you here before, darling.”
“Because this is my first time here. I arrived two days ago. My name is Aelys, Aelys Hewloc,” I smile shyly.
“Tom. Tom Rigast.”
My brow furrows. Rigast? Is he related to Mattheo? He laughs softly, visibly amused by my confusion.
“I am indeed related to Mattheo. He is my brother.”
