Cuddle

Her eyes widened when the mattress shifted beneath her.

Damien is beside her, and the distance between them is barely nothing. Cynthia suddenly became aware of everything. The warmth radiating from him. The faint scent of cigarette smoke on his skin. The steady rise and fall of his chest.

The simple fact that she was sharing a bed with a complete stranger made her pulse race.

For several long seconds, they didn’t speak anything even though Cynthia wanted to. The room remained silent except for the distant sound of drizzling rain outside.

Then Damien's voice broke the silence.

"I want you to hug me."

Cynthia blinked.

"Hug you?”

The request was so unexpected that she thought she had heard him wrong.

Damien turned his head slightly.

Even in the darkness, she could feel his gaze settling on her. He didn’t have the slightest shame in asking this.

"You heard me."

Cynthia stared at him. Of all the things she had imagined tonight, this was not one of them. She had prepared herself for awkward conversation, or demands, maybe even humiliation, but not this.

A cuddle. The request felt strangely innocent and strangely intimate at the same time.

When she hesitated, Damien looked sternly at her. The money is credited in her bank account and now she had to do this.

She was here because of a contract. She had promised to do what was asked of her. Slowly, Cynthia shifted closer.

Her movements were cautious. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around him. His body immediately became rigid as though he wasn't accustomed to being touched.

She too felt the same way.

It’s odd that she’s cuddling the man without even knowing his name. She just prayed that he shouldn’t ask do anything more than this.

Damien Blackwood was one of the richest men in the country.

For several moments, neither of them moved. The silence stretched between them. Cynthia expected him to say something. Expected another request.

But he simply pulled the comforter higher and closed his eyes. Nothing else.

She frowned slightly. Her arms remained around him. Tentative at first and then gradually more natural. Because, despite everything, she couldn't deny one thing.

Minutes passed. The room grew quieter. Still, Cynthia couldn't stop thinking. She wondered whether she’s allowed to leave tomorrow to visit her brother.

She also wondered about the next one year of her life. Finally, unable to contain her curiosity any longer, she spoke softly.

"I'm sorry for asking."

Damien opened his eyes.

She almost wished he hadn't but she knew he didn’t fall asleep.

"Can I know your name?"

For a moment, she thought he wouldn't answer.

Then he spoke.

"Damien, Damien Blackwood,” he said as though he rarely introduced himself.

Usually people knew exactly who he was before meeting him buy Cynthia has no idea about him.

Damien. It suits him

"Sir," she said quietly.

He didn't respond.

Instead, he glanced down toward the arm still wrapped around him.

"Stop talking and don't move."

She blinked.

“What?”

“Keep holding me,” he sounded annoyed. As though he disliked needing to ask.

"As tightly as you can."

Cynthia nodded.

"Okay."

She adjusted her position slightly. Careful not to make him uncomfortable. Her hand settled against his shoulder. For some reason, that seemed to satisfy him. His eyes closed again.

The rigidness left his posture little by little. Cynthia felt the change in him. Nobody could fake that kind of relief. And slowly he fell asleep.

Whatever reason Damien had brought her here, he genuinely seemed to find comfort in her presence. And she couldn't understand why.

Questions filled her mind. But tonight didn't feel like the right time to ask them.

Her thoughts drifted toward Leo. At least he was safe now. That thought alone eased something inside her.

For months, she had lived in constant fear. Fear of hospital bills. Fear of losing the house. Fear of losing the only family she had left.

But tonight, that fear felt smaller. Not gone, but smaller.

She looked toward Damien. The man responsible for that peace. The man she knew absolutely nothing about except that he’s lonely because who would make this unusual request.

He just wanted her to cuddle him, that’s strange. The thought was almost absurd.

Eventually, her eyelids grew heavy. She adjusted the blanket slightly and settled deeper into the mattress.

She slept hugging Damien like he was her giant teddy bear.

The next morning, she woke up and looked at her side. Damien wasn’t there, and she realized last night’s events. She immediately got out of bed, and puts on her clothes. That’s when the butler came in after asking her permission.

“Good morning, Ms. Hart. Mr. Blackwood wanted you to leave and come back here at 7 pm sharp,” he said.

“Where is he?”

“He left for work,” he said.

“Would you like to have breakfast?” he asks.

“I don’t want anything, I would like to leave,” she said. She wanted to go and meet Leo.

“I will ask one of our drivers to escort you,” he said and left.

Cynthia couldn’t be more thankful. She looked outside and saw the huge estate, and realized that this isn’t a dream because it feels like it.