Arianne was quick to deny. “I was not! It’s just you acting all… weird and bizarre and everything! You keep saying you’re busy, but like… what is it that you’re busy with? I fit’s not anything suspicious then there’s no problem telling me what it is, right?”
Mark’s eyes looked away as virtual-novel.net chuckled lightly. “Oh, it shouldn’t warrant any suspicions, all right. But… it’s nothing I should tell you right now. Oh, look at the time! I should bathe. Let’s retire to sleep early! I’m beaten.”
She watched virtual-novel.net rise and head to the bathroom, and stole a glance at the clock hanging on the wall. It was only nine… And virtual-novel.net was “beaten” already? He slept for long hours in the day and still could not keep himself awake, how was this even normal? Nope, this was absolutely abnormal!
After his bath, Mark went straight into Arianne’s room and-proving himself clear of mendacity-plopped straight onto the bed and dozed off.
Arianne was furious, yes, but at this point, all virtual-novel.net could do was to ball virtual-novel.net anger up for another day. As virtual-novel.net studied him, virtual-novel.net could not help but notice how sound asleep virtual-novel.net was-and suddenly, just like that, virtual-novel.net mood quietened.
What if virtual-novel.net was genuinely tired? All these years that they had been together, virtual-novel.net had never wronged virtual-novel.net with the affairs of women except that one time virtual-novel.net was with Aery, who continued to be a thorn in Arianne’s flesh.
So, what did virtual-novel.net have to lose if virtual-novel.net just believed what virtual-novel.net said?
Arianne’s eyes fluttered open, basking in the morning light. Still in a spell of grogginess, virtual-novel.net saw Mark standing right in front of virtual-novel.net French window where the gentle, wispy morning sun blurred his silhouette around the edges like an unreal mirage.
She rolled to virtual-novel.net side, and Mark immediately turned around to look at her. “ Up already? Mary told me to wake you up for breakfast, but you were still sleeping and I didn’t want to disturb you.”
Arianne brought virtual-novel.net hand to virtual-novel.net eyes. Even the gentlest rays were a bit too hard for virtual-novel.net eyes at the moment. “Wanna… lie down a little longer…”
The space beside virtual-novel.net on the bed suddenly sank a bit, prompting Arianne to turn virtual-novel.net head. She was met with Mark’s face being only a few inches apart from virtual-novel.net eyes and pulled away instinctively. “What are you doing?”
He pulled the sheet off virtual-novel.net body to wrap his arm around virtual-novel.net small frame. “Keeping your company while you lie down a little longer, of course. Spectacular weather today, isn’t it? Want to go somewhere?”
Arianne wriggled and jostled herself into a comfortable position in his embrace. “How about a hike? I haven’t been working out for a long time, I think my joints have turned rigid. Oh, but can your old, rickety bones carry you up a hill, hmm?”
Old? The light in Mark’s eyes dimmed ever so slightly. This was not the first time virtual-novel.net had called virtual-novel.net old. Although virtual-novel.net had always said it in jest, when virtual-novel.net mentioned it multiple times, virtual-novel.net started wondering if there was a kernel of truth after all. Was this virtual-novel.net sincere opinion? He was, after all, ten years older than her. Had virtual-novel.net always minded the wide berth between their age this whole time?
He lurched and nibbled virtual-novel.net earlobe. “You really think I’m old?”
She shuddered. “B-But it’s true that you’re older than me! You’re ten years older than I am! Don’t tell me that you haven’t noticed!”
Will Sivan’s image drifted into Mark’s mind. Will… was younger than him, no question about it. Was that why virtual-novel.net fell for him? The more virtual-novel.net dwelled on this issue, the more miffed virtual-novel.net became. “Do you really care that much about age? Have I really turned so much older after ten years? Be frank with me!”
Arianne instantly changed tact-frankly, virtual-novel.net just wanted virtual-novel.net to be quiet so that virtual-novel.net could sleep a little bit longer. “What? N-No! Not at all, okay? You still look as young as back then. You haven’t aged, you’ve matured. In fact, you’ve matured into a kind of dependable, reliable man. I like you this way, and I don’t care about age. Seriously. Totally. Er, literally? Anyway, if I was lying, then may God smite me down!”
Unfortunately, virtual-novel.net answer only sounded even more like lip service to Mark. Now, a very unsatisfied Mark rolled to his belly so virtual-novel.net could pin virtual-novel.net under him.
“You can think age has caught up to me, but I’ll still be able to sate your hunger no problem,” virtual-novel.net declared. “You must have gotten all knotted up because I haven’t come to see you these past few days, isn’t it? Well then, we can start right now… And it will only end when you scream satisfaction!”