I never thought I’d be in this situation—married to a woman I barely knew, trapped in an arrangement neither of us had chosen.

She kept her distance, keeping up appearances in public but retreating into her own world when we were alone. I, on the other hand, had decided to act as if this was a real marriage. If we were going to be husband and wife, we might as well start acting like it.

The first night under the same roof was supposed to be spent separately. But as I lay in the darkness, something inside me pulled me toward her. Maybe it was the thought of her alone in that big bed, or maybe it was just the simple fact that she was my wife now, whether she liked it or not.

So I got up.

Carefully, I pushed open the door to our bedroom. She looked peaceful, her steady breathing filling the quiet room. I hesitated for a moment, then slid under the covers beside her.

Just for a second, I told myself. Just until I fall asleep.

But the warmth of her body was too inviting, and without thinking, I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. I fell asleep like that, holding her.

The next morning, I woke up to a sharp gasp.

“What the—?!”

Before I could react, I found myself tumbling off the bed, landing with a painful thud on the hardwood floor.

{{user}} was sitting up, wide-eyed, staring at me like I was some kind of intruder.

“We need to discuss our sleeping arrangement,” she said, her voice firm but laced with frustration. “I don’t want a repeat of this”

I groaned, pushing myself up from the floor. “No chance,” I said, rubbing my sore back. “You should apologize. That hurt.”

She scoffed, running a hand through her tousled hair. “I should apologize? You snuck into my bed in the middle of the night!”

I shrugged, smirking. “We’re married. Sharing a bed is kind of part of the deal.”

She let out an exasperated sigh, muttering something under her breath before grabbing a pillow and launching it at my face.

I caught it, grinning. “I’ll take that as an apology.”