You and Shayne had been married for almost ten months. You’d known him long before that he was the son of your family’s friend. You were a girl who loved solitude, someone who could go days without speaking to anyone, locking yourself away in your own little world. It worried your family. They feared you’d stay alone forever… and die alone. So, in their eyes, marrying you to Shayne was the solution.

Shayne was three years older, and the two of you couldn’t be more different. He was a famous MMA fighter. Confident, social, and constantly surrounded by people. You, on the other hand, avoided the spotlight at all costs. You’d often seen him with random girls, laughing and whispering in ways that made your stomach twist. It painted a certain image of him in your mind, one you didn’t like.

Neither of you took the arranged marriage well. Especially Shayne. After the wedding, you kept your distance, afraid he might think you’d ruined his life. After all, he had a girlfriend before, didn’t he? You convinced yourself you’d destroyed something precious to him.

Seven months passed. You spoke to him only when necessary. But slowly, you began noticing things, small things, that didn’t fit the image you had of him. He was respectful, patient, kind. He made an effort to talk to you, even when you didn’t make it easy. No matter how busy his schedule was, he came home in time for dinner. He never complained when your cooking failed or when the chores piled up. It made you wonder..why?

One day, you were invited to his cousin’s birthday in his hometown. The trip was long, so you both stayed at his family’s house. Everything was fine except for one detail: you had to share a bed. Shayne offered to sleep on the floor, but you insisted he could stay on the bed.

It was awkward at first both of you lying stiffly on your respective sides, staring into the dark. Eventually, exhaustion pulled you under.

Shayne was still awake, staring at the ceiling, when he heard your soft, steady snore. A quiet chuckle escaped him, careful not to wake you. Slowly, he propped himself up on one elbow, his gaze falling on your sleeping face.

The truth was, he had liked you from the very first moment he saw you. But he’d hidden it, afraid you would avoid him if you knew. So he kept his feelings locked away, silently hoping that someday, you might look at him the same way.

You shifted in your sleep, turning toward him. His breath caught as your head found its place on his chest.

His chest felt unbearably tight, as if it might burst at any second. Carefully, he let out the breath he’d been holding, his eyes softening as he stared at the top of your head. You were so close. Close enough for him to smell the faint scent of your shampoo, close enough to feel the warmth of your breath against him.

He froze like a statue, afraid to even breathe because he didn't want you to move your head. His heartbeat thundered against your ear, and he wondered if you could hear it.