CHAPTER TWO
1238 Words
MIA POV
I padded out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around me, and one tucked around my hair. I'd just taken a bath in the luxurious en suite attached to Julian's bedroom.
Yes. His bedroom.
I had been horrified when Melissa helpfully informed me that she'd asked the servants to put my bags away in Julian's room since I would be rooming with him. Her attempts at matchmaking we're not subtle. She was another brand of delusional if she thought making me sleep in the same room as her son would make us magically grow attached to each other.
I made no fuss though, silently accepting to stay with my husband. That's what a good, agreeable wife does, right? Nevermind that at the moment, she would love nothing more than to smother said husband in his sleep.
I walked into the walk-in closet that was almost as big as the average bedroom and got out the most modest and comfiest sleep clothes I owned. A cutesy shirt and pants ensemble with little bunnies printed on them. I emerged from the closet clothed and patting my hair dry when a deep voice startled me.
"What are you doing here?"
I whirled around to find Julian leaning on the doorjamb, glaring at me. I put my hand up to my chest in alarm.
"Christ, you scared me! Make some nosie next time", I scolded.
Julian pushed himself away from the door and shoved his hands in his pants pockets. I forced my eyes to stay glued to his annoying face.
"You didn't answer my question", he said. "What are you doing here?"
I rolled my eyes and gestured at my attire, with the towel in my hand.
"What does it look like I'm doing here?", I asked. "I'm preparing for bed."
"Perhaps I wasn't formerly clear", Julian said. "But why are you preparing for bed in my room?"
"Because I live here now", I told him.
"No, you don't. This is my room."
"I know that."
"And? Are you going to leave?"
"You'll have to ask your mother that."
"My mother?" His brow furrowed. "What does she have to do with this?"
"She asked me to stay here, if that wasn't obvious at first. Why else would I be here? I'd much rather be anywhere else."
Julian raised an eyebrow. "You would, wouldn't you?"
I nodded decisively.
"And did you tell my mother that?"
I shrugged. "You can go tell her yourself. She didn't exactly give me much of a chance."
Julian groaned and I started in surprise. I didn't expect such a human expression from the ice block, Mr Julian.
"Isn't it enough I have to bear being married to you? Now I have to see you every single time and have you in my space too?"
My eyes narrowed as I returned his glare. "If being married to me is so unbearable, go jump off a bridge or something. And I am not in your space. We're in each other's spaces. This place is mine now too."
He snorted and shook his head. "Keep telling yourself that."
I sneered. "I'm not going to let you bully me."
"You can't let me do anything, bunny", Julian retorted.
One of my eyebrows raised. "Bunny?" I looked down at my pajamas. "How original."
A slight hint of pink bloomed on his cheekbones, and he began to stalk away from me, towards the bathroom.
"Stay out of my way, Mia."
"Wait!", I called, just as his hand closed around the doorknob.
"What now?", He snapped.
I blushed, but stood my ground. "I have some rules we should go over too."
He looked at me questioningly. "What rules?"
"We never talked about our other relationships", I said. "It would be inconvenient for either of us if we want to pursue... something."
"Are you asking me if you can have s*x with your boyfriend in my bedroom?", Julian asked bluntly. "Because the answer is no."
I blushed a furious red. "I don't have a boyfriend", I said hotly. "And I wouldn't have s*x with him here if I did. I was talking about you."
"Me?"
"Yes", I snapped. "You can't bring any women in here!"
"Oh?" Again, that maddening eyebrow raise.
"Yes! It's disrespectful."
"To?"
"To me!" I felt like pulling my hair out from their roots. "Jeez."
"I assure you, I have no one I currently engage in s****l relations with at the moment", Julian said cooly.
I hmmphed. "Whatever."
"Is that all?", He asked, still poised to throw open the bathroom door.
"Yes." I marched towards the bed and threw the comforter backwards. Julian paused again and stared at me.
"What are you doing?"
"Going skydiving!", I almost yelled, but not quite. "I'm going to bed, Captain Obvious."
"Bed where?", He asked.
I took in a deep calming breath, then turned to glare at him.
"Are you being purposely obtuse?"
"I am not", he assured me. "Now, answer the question."
"Where am I going to bed down?", I repeated.
He nodded.
I gestured at the bed exasperatedly. "The bed, duh. It's this piece of furniture found in bedrooms like this one. People use them to sleep, or get some rest."
"You're not sleeping on my bed."
I narrowed my eyes and scowled at him. "No, I'm not. Because it's our bed."
Julian suddenly stalked towards me and I resisted the urge to take a step backwards. He would not intimidate me!
He leaned down until he was looming over me, our noses almost touching.
"Listen to me very closely, Mia", he hissed. "What's mine is mine, and what's yours is yours. That doesn't include this room, or anything in it. Everything here is mine. Understood?"
Inwardly seething, I clenched my fists to keep from poking him in the middle of his stupid chest that was most probably hard.
"That...hardly seems fair", I said, trying not to sound as angry as I felt. Here we were, both thrown in an impossible situation, and instead of trying to make it work, he needed every avenue to frustrate me.
"Deal with it, Mia", Julian said, then abruptly turned to walk back in the direction he'd come.
Don't kill him, don't kill him, I chanted in my head, counting to twenty. When I was sure I could speak without screaming, I deigned to give him a reply.
"Where do I sleep then?", I asked.
He turned slightly, giving me the side of his head. "There's a couch."
I glanced over at the couch. "Oh, come on! There's a perfectly good king-sized bed there. Surely, even a man of your size won't need all that space."
"My size has got nothing to do with anything", Julian said.
"Look, I'm small", I said frankly, trying to negotiate. "If we make a wall with pillows, you won't even notice I'm there."
"Since you're so small, you'll have no problem fitting into the couch now, will you?"
I scowled at the side of his face, wishing I could wipe that smug, entitled expression off it.
"You are very unreasonable", I said to him.
"I've been told that on occasion", he replied smoothly. "There are blankets in the upper shelf in the closet. There's a step stool if you can't reach. Goodnight, Mia."
The bathroom door shut behind him with a click and I violently showed the door my middle finger.
"Goodnight, husband", I seethed.
Julian, two. Mia, zero.
- Writer
