Chapter 217 I Don’t Remember
?Veyra woke up with a sharp gasp, her lungs pulling in air as if she had just surfaced from underwater. Her heart was pounding hard against her ribs, and her skin felt damp with a thin layer of nervous sweat. The thick blanket was tangled tightly around her legs, trapping her in place. She sat up abruptly and looked around the room. The bedroom was quiet, filled with the morning sun. Dorian was still fast asleep right there on the bed beside her. She pressed her trembling hand flat against her chest to steady her pulse. It had all been a dream, just a terrifying dream. But it had felt far too real. She could still vividly recall his body weight, his roaming hands, and the pressure of his mouth. A wave of heat rushed up her neck, making her face burn with intense embarrassment. The dream was tied directly to what had actually taken place the night before, the sudden kiss, the skin-to-skin touch, and the exact moment she had lost all control of herself. She felt completely ashamed.
?A soft rustle broke her thoughts as Dorian stirred on the mattress. He let out a low groan of discomfort, his hand moving up to massage his throbbing temples. He blinked slowly a few times, trying to focus his vision, and looked around the unfamiliar surroundings. He slowly realized he was lying right in bed, wearing nothing except his underwear, with the cozy blanket securely tucked up around his shoulders. He sat up very slowly, his face still looking pale and his eyes completely hazy with lingering sleep.
?"What happened?" he muttered, his voice raspy.
?Veyra felt her heart skip a beat inside her chest. He did not remember a single thing.
?She had spent the early morning hours planning out exactly what she would do. Her original plan was to pretend she remembered nothing at all, acting as if the previous night had never happened. But Dorian spoke up first, shattering her quiet strategy.
?"Why am I in bed?" he asked, looking straight at her.
?She stared back at him with wide eyes, caught off guard.
?"You do not remember?" she asked.
?He shook his head slowly from side to side. "No, I do not."
?She took a deep, steadying breath to calm her nerves before speaking.
?"Kaelen brought you home late last night because you were completely drunk," she explained carefully. "He asked me to take care of you."
?Dorian frowned deeply, bringing his fingers up to rub his temples again. "Kaelen brought me here?"
?"Yes, he helped you walk up and onto the bed."
?He looked right at her, his eyes searching her face with suspicion. "Did I... do anything stupid?"
?Veyra felt her heart pound furiously against her ribs again. She forced her voice to remain calm and level.
?"No, you just passed out immediately."
?Dorian nodded slowly, looking down at the bed, then at the blanket, and finally down at his own bare chest. He tried hard to recall the missing hours, his brow furrowing deeply and his jaw tightening with frustration. Nothing came to mind. He could not remember a single detail from the night before. Veyra let out a quiet breath of relief, keeping it small so he would not notice. He genuinely did not remember any of it.
?Dorian looked down at himself again with a confused frown.
?"Why am I wearing only my underwear?" he asked, looking up.
?Veyra felt a hot flush rush straight to her face, turning her skin bright red.
?"Kaelen undressed you so you would be comfortable," she lied quickly.
?Dorian blinked in disbelief. "Kaelen did that?"
?"Yes," she answered.
?He seemed to accept the explanation without questioning it any further. He swung his legs over the side of the mattress and stood up to his feet. He swayed slightly to the side just a little bit before catching his balance.
?"I need to take a hot shower," he muttered.
?He walked straight toward the bathroom door.
?The bathroom door clicked shut behind him, cutting off the sound of his footsteps. Veyra instantly collapsed backward onto the bed, pressing both of her hands flat against her face. He actually did not remember. She would not have to face him with the truth, she would not have to explain her actions, and she would not have to relive the burning shame of what happened. A profound sense of relief washed over her, making her shoulders drop.
?A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened again with a soft click. Dorian stepped out into the bedroom. He was wearing only a white towel wrapped securely around his waist, his hair was still damp with water droplets, and his face looked a little less pale than before.
?"Veyra," he said, his voice cutting through the quiet room.
?She looked up from the sheets.
?"Come downstairs with me right now."
?She blinked in utter confusion. "What did you say?"
?"Come downstairs with me," he repeated.
?She stared at him, completely baffled by the unexpected request.
?"Why on earth would I go downstairs with you?" she asked.
?He did not give her any kind of answer. He simply turned away, walked over to the closet, and pulled out fresh clothes. He dressed quickly and efficiently. Veyra sat frozen on the edge of the bed, her mind spinning with wild questions. Why did he want her to come downstairs with him all of a sudden, and what on earth was he planning to do? She stood up, walked to her own section of the closet, and pulled out simple clothes for herself. She dressed quickly, brushed her teeth in a rush, and ran a quick comb through her hair to make herself presentable. She was ready.
?Dorian turned around and looked her up and down. He looked noticeably different now. His eyes were much clearer, the sickly paleness in his face was gone, and his shoulders were far less tense than they had been in weeks. He looked like a man who had finally experienced a full night of deep sleep, someone who had not been running on empty for days on end. She could not help but notice the sudden change in his appearance. Before this morning, he had barely been sleeping or eating, completely worn out from exhaustion. But now, after one solid night of rest, he looked like a completely different person.
?He walked over to the bedroom door and pulled it open. He stepped out into the hallway first without looking back.
?Veyra followed right behind him, keeping her steps quiet. She kept wondering why he had suddenly asked her to come downstairs with him, and what secret motive he might be hiding.