Chapter 8: The First Night

Harper's POV

"I have to share a room with you?" This can't be right. I said I would fake marry the man, not share a room with him for a year.

Asher walks further into the room. Sometime during the party, a member dropped our luggage off in here. My suitcase is sat on the left side of the bed.

"I thought you knew that." He sits at the foot of the bed, "The compound is at capacity. Besides, if we're going to be a real couple, we need to share a bedroom."

He does have a point. I was so caught up in both of our plans, I hadn't stopped to consider the details of our situation.

"Okay, well, I hope you don't snore," I say, walking around the room.

Asher's room isn't what I expected. He has band posters of groups I've never heard of taped to the wall. A small wooden desk sits in the far-right corner of the room, with the ensuite situated next to it. The bed sheets are black with gold patterns and details circling the length of it, and its unusually clean for a twenty-five-year-old man. I wonder if he has someone come in here to clean.

Asher laughs, "As far as I know I don't."

The large wooden bookshelf on my side of the room catches my attention. I scan the spines of the novels, making a mental note of the ones I've read and what sounds interesting to read when I'm bored.

"No cuddling during the night." I hate being touched while I'm sleeping.

Asher scoffs, "We're not actually together so we don't need to be intimate when no one is around."

Oh, that's right.

I move to my suitcase and begin unpacking. It doesn't take me long to realize I have nowhere to put my belongings.

"Where do you expect me to store my things?" I ask. Asher is occupied with unpacking his own suitcase.

"Oh, right. I'll clear a drawer for you to put your clothes in and you can put any other objects on the bookshelf," He responds without looking at me.

We unpack in silence.

We managed to find a spot in the room for all my belongings. I take a shower before I get into bed because I was feeling sticky and gross after the party today. Multiple drunk people spilt their drinks on me during the afternoon. I didn't know whether to kick them in the face or smile and say, 'it's okay.' I went with the latter.

I snuggle under the comforter. The rain is pouring outside, hitting the roof with such force. It's a comforting evening with the rain and the comfortable bed. Asher gets in beside me. He has cute plaid pajamas on, which is surprising given his appearance. We're far apart due to him owning a king-sized bed. The lucky b*astard.

"I heard we have wedding preparations to begin tomorrow," Asher's voice is softer than usual, "Get a good night's rest, okay?"

I nod my head, "Yeah, of course."

He leans over and turns off the lamp, letting the room fall into complete darkness. My body is exhausted, feeling the effects of the strenuous day. As much as I want to fall asleep in this comfortable bed to the sound of rain, I know my brain is running too fast to allow that.

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I'm not sure how much time has passed. The sun hasn't risen from its sleep, so I know it's not morning yet. I haven't been able to take my eyes off the roof. It's not because I'm paralyzed, I'm trying to stop myself from watching Asher sleep as an alternate way to fall asleep.

The roof is getting boring, however. Maybe watching another person sleep will help my insomniac brain fall asleep. I roll on my left side and see Asher's lips in the darkness. Soon, I can make out most of the features on his face. He's facing me, his hair falling over his eyes.

Soft snores escape his lips, his breathing is light. This is the most at peace I've seen him since we met. During the day he appears stressed and anxious, but at night he's calm and relaxed with not a care in the world. I want to be like that.

Instead of counting sheep, I count the freckles on Asher's nose.

One freckle, two freckles, three freckles, and so on.

I get to twenty-five freckles when my eyelids get heavy. I don't fight what's coming, I welcome it with open arms.

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I'm woken by the sound of running water. I pull the comforter up under my chin, snuggling further into it. I'm assuming the sound is the rain from last night, bashing against the roof.

My eyes peek open, only to find Asher is nowhere to be found. Light shines out from under the bathroom door, creating a light glow around the room. I'm wrong about the rain.

"What time is it?" I mumble to myself, rolling over to check the time on the alarm clock.

Five a.m. Is he insane? Why is he showering at this ungodly hour?

The water stops, and silence falls over the room. I close my eyes and pretend to be asleep. A few moments later I hear Asher open the bathroom door, steam rolls out in waves.

I hear him turn the lamp on. I force my eyes to stay shut and act like he isn't there. He moves slowly around the room. He's trying to be quiet but at times he'll close a drawer too hard or mumble something under his breath. I try not to smile in case he catches me out.

I peek an eye open when the room grows silent. Glancing around I see him standing by the desk, he's flicking through some papers. He turns around when he finds what he is looking for. My eyes meet his exposed torso and abs.

His body is sculpted to perfection, he looks like he works out a lot. No matter how hard I try I cannot tear my eyes away. I can't quite make out the ink on his skin, but I do notice a large scar on the top of his left shoulder that races down the length of his body stopping at his belly button.

When Asher walks towards the bed, I close my eyes, breaking sight with the amazing view.

"Were you just checking me out?" His voice scares the sh*t out of me.

My heart begins to race. I hope he doesn't think I was watching him because I like him. I can appreciate a beautiful man when I see one.

"Don't flatter yourself," My voice comes out smaller than I intended.

His laughter rings throughout the room, "Okay, pervert."

I sit up straight in bed, "I'm not a pervert!"

Asher pulls a long-sleeved shirt over his head, his hair falls in a tangled mess over his eyes, "Whatever you say."

I shake my head and fall back into the sheets, "Why are you awake so early? Do you have somewhere to be?"

Asher sits on the edge of the bed, putting shoes on I assume, "Not in particular. I start my morning with a run, then I help with breakfast preparation."

"I'm not much of a morning person," I grumble, pulling the comforter over my eyes.

Asher moves around to my side of the bed. I pull the covers down to look at him.

"Go back to sleep," He smiles, "You don't need to rush into the day because it'll be a long one."

He gives me a soft smile before leaving the room. I roll across the bed to turn the lamp off, needing the room to be dark so I can fall back asleep.

I want to get to know everyone in the compound better and make a good impression, but I'm exhausted as I haven't slept much during the night. I'll take Asher's advice and go to sleep.

My body knows I'm alone, because within minutes I'm falling asleep, dreaming about home and Asher's abs.