Snuggle Application

NINE

MAY

"Why would you do that?" That was my initial reaction. Like any reasonable person. 

"Why wouldn't I?" Edmond shot back, switching on his phone and proceeding to ignore me. "This is my house and I am only doing this because you gaslighted me into doing so."

It took a lot to put on my big girl jeans and be the better person. This whiny man had nothing to lose. Except of course huge wads of cash and his estate and for thirty days. Sure it would have its drawbacks but a billionaire like him would surely bounce back up. Fit me, it was an entirely different story. Thirty days felt so far away. If Snuggle had not popped up on my screen at that moment, I might have checked my mail. I might have made it in time to work. I might not have gotten fired but things were drastically not so. It's just thirty days, I mumbled to myself as I slipped under the blanket, making sure I was turned away from Edmond. He was probably one of those weirdos who liked the lights on, I said to myself. So I did not bother asking. I shut my eyed under the gleam of orange and willed myself to sleep. I needed it. It, unfortunately, did not come. No matter how many sheep I counted or the boring stories I told myself. My brain had some questions and it refused to unwind until it had gotten answers or at least a rejection. 

"Why..." I sighed as I spoke, swallowing at the last minute because I knew I would regret asking. "...did you get the app?"

"What app?" Edmond again played dumb. 

This time, I was not going to let it slide. I whirled to face him, beet red. "Why do you do that?" I asked.

"Do what?" He retorted, still deluding my existence as his face remained glued to his phone screen.  

"That!" I most certainly screamed. "You act stupid just for the sole purpose of shutting me up. It's barbaric."His eyes flicked in my direction at the last moment. I swear to God, I choked on my saliva as those blue eyes scrutinized me. It was odd but despite fighting for my breath, I didn't choke out loud. Something within me knew I would ruin the moment. Thankfully, his lingering eyes only endured for a minute.

"Well, I don't think it is any of your business." Edmond curtly returned. It was the first juncture since I had seen him look so disturbed. The unbothered grinch did have a kryptonite after all.

"Perhaps," I agreed, meeting his gaze. "But we matched. That means you opened an account within the timeframe that I did. It makes me wonder why you were looking for a happily ever after. Not sure why but I was certain CEOs wouldn't be lacking in the romance department."

I watched his cheeks shift from a hue of peach to violent red. I was hitting all the right spots. Yet, I was in doubt. Sure, happily ever after was a stretch. The best CEOs could probably gather were snobbish gold diggers and models. Their choice. I just found it an odd sight for someone like Edmond Walters to race something as unsustainable as that forever person. 

"Since you want to know so bad," Edmond dropped the phone and drew close. "I did have my heart shattered. So in my volatile state, when an app popped out of the blues promising me happily ever after with thousands of five-star reviews to back their promises, I was certain it was godsent. Imagine my surprise when I got married against my will."

 It was as if he had been waiting for an opportunity to pour his heart out and I had given him that. He looked at the ceiling once he was finished with his rant and swallowed. It was hard on him. I could tell. It also answered a question that might have lingered in the back of my mind when I was fired. I was not the first to make a mistake at the agency. Many had made bigger mistakes and while it did warrant a cut in their salary, none of them had been fired. I had been the lamb because Edmond was going through a rough breakup. I didn't even know if I was to feel sorry for him or be flat-out pissed. 

"Why did you download the app?" Edmond asked, intruding on my myriad of thoughts.

"It's stupid," I assured him.

"C'mon. It probably is but that doesn't mean I don't want to hear it."

"I downloaded snuggle because I found their pop-up ads annoying and I wanted to give it a scathing review. It sure came back to bite me."

"Yeah," Edmond recoiled with a false smile. "You definitely had it worse."

 I agreed. I did have it worse. Nothing was more cringeworthy than having to share a bed with your ex-boss turned husband all thanks to an ad that briefly infuriated you. s**t, now that I thought about it, It was much more worse. I turned to his side to talk a bit more but Edmond's eyes were now closed. Most of me believed he wasn't really asleep and he was just tired of having to deal with me but I didn't probe into the matter. I merely looked at the beautiful ceiling and before I realized it, my eyes gradually clasped shut.  

***

 Like routine, my eyes sprawled despite it still being dark. I looked past the blinds to behold a dull blanket of orange and blue. The beautiful ombre indicated it was almost morning. It was beautiful but I had never pictured waking up with Edmond Walters under the glow of the rising sun in a bed that was not my own. The color was like a gold shimmer over his slack face. His lips looked particularly pink and tempting. I found it odd that I hadn't noticed them before. 

He was sprawled on his stomach, his right knee sticking out. Coiled on my side facing him, I’d only have to shift an inch and our knees would touch. I’d only have to shift a bit farther to kiss those pink lips.

Obviously, I wouldn’t.

His raven black hair got a gold tip in the glow of the morning lights. He hugged a pillow to his face and neck. The duvet had slipped down to the middle of his back, and I worried he was cold considering he was butt naked, but I didn’t want to wake him by adjusting it. It would be an awkward moment for both of us I concurred. My phone chimed and I reached my hand to the nightstand to pick it up. I was hoping it was from Snuggle. However, before my hand could touch the damned thing, Edmond's big strong hand nestled around my waist and as if that was not jarring enough, he instinctively pulled me close. The effect that had on me was instant, my toes warmed up and curled. My heart went fluttering with madness as his body pressed into mine.

Fuck! f**k! f**k!!!

"Don't go." He whispered into my ears in a voice so deep, smooth, and pleasant.