Love and Lust in Contract Marriage

Chapter 22

It all felt so good.

She was sitting on the expanse of green and vast grassland in the riverside, really enjoying her relaxing time there. The weather in the morning leading up to the afternoon was so bright that she used it to bask in the hot sun and dozens of other people who did similar activities not far from her. Some sat in groups and enjoyed joking with each other in the sun; some came with their little family and ran along the meadow; some came in twos or threes and looked more intimate in their casual chat. And some sit alone, like herself, and chose to enjoy their activities in silence.

She lifted her head to look up at the beautiful blue sky above. The white clouds that floated were also no less clean, indicating that it was bright on that day. And its brilliance rubbed off on her mood, which was radiant and happy. A smile crossed her lips due to the joy that welled up in her chest.

Suddenly, an ice cream, out of nowhere, covered her view. Before she had time to find out who was interfering with her fun, the person stood before her and showed his face. A familiar man gave her a big smile. And she replied to him with the same big smile.

The smile was so broad that she could feel the corners of her lips pulled to the side. No, no. She was smiling even at the moment. Although her beautiful eyes were still hidden behind her closed eyelids, her consciousness slowly returned as the sweet dream that colored her sleep ended. Yes, dream. The series of fun scenes was just a dream.

The eyelids began to open and reveal her beautiful hazel beads. She blinked a few times to make sure she was fully awake and noticed that a big smile was still on her face.

Then, she positioned herself to sit and leaned against the back of the bed. She held her chest, which was beating fast from the dream that felt so real. It was as if she had experienced it in reality because the happiness had a strong imprint on her heart. And somehow, tucked a bit of longing there.

She turned her face to the right. Her eyes immediately looked for the presence of a familiar object that had been sitting there sweetly for quite a long time. The painting of a man with gray eyes, that was deliberately placed close to her bed. She didn't hang or put it in a strategic corner of her apartment. Instead, she set it down on the easel that kept it standing and placed it within her reach.

She liked the look of him. Her heart seemed to calm down every time she saw his face, although it often caused a strange longing in her chest. And one more. There was pain there that again she did not know why it appeared.

Perhaps, the gray eyes were the cause. The expression shown through that gaze was complicated. Elle was confused to describe it. Wounds, longing, love, sadness, happiness… All those feelings were in his beautiful eyes. The painting might also not be able to describe the complexity of his feelings. However, her memory still clearly recorded everything.

Then, it dispersed. The ringing of the phone that came into Elle's cellphone managed to break her daydream after waking up. She glanced at her phone, which was on. It flashed Amy's name on the screen. Instantly, a realization hit her. She had an appointment with that woman.

"Hi," she greeted after receiving the call.

"Elle, where are you?" asked Amy on the other side without preamble.

"At home. I just woke up." Elle answered in a tone that sounded less than excited. But, understandably, her body still needed time to wake up completely.

"Hey, are you okay?" There was worry in Amy's voice. But, of course, it was almost noon, and her best friend had just woken up? It wasn't Elle's habit at all.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep well the last few days."

"Was he still coming to your dream?"

Hearing that question, Elle turned her face back to the portrait of the man. It had been in her room for the past two years. Yes, he was the figure who was present in her dream earlier. Not just once, but many times, although it was erratically. Surprisingly, the man always appeared whenever she had trouble sleeping. There was a time when she had almost three consecutive days of hard sleep, and the man in the painting came to calm all her worries and ended up putting her to sleep. So sleepy that even without taking sleeping pills, her sleep rhythm could return to normal. It was weird, wasn't it? Elle herself was astonished at the effect made on her body.

"You know he will," she answered, staring intently at the man's painting.

"Perhaps, you should see your doctor," Amy suggested.

Yes, Elle should go to the doctor to consult about her insomnia problem. She already did. She had done it, even from the first time the problem hit her. The doctor prescribed her sleeping pills and some pills because sometimes insomnia was present along with excessive anxiety.

"It has been better now." Elle chimed in. She didn't lie. Compared to when it first appeared, her sleep problem was much better. She also no longer needed pills after she had learned the pattern.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm okay."

Silence for a moment. Elle seemed still enjoying her reverie with the figure of a foreign but familiar man.

"Then, are you coming? Lunch is almost ready," Amy asked again, this time asking something that was her motive to contact Elle.

Elle gasped. She had already guessed what the purpose for Amy to call her. However, being too lost in her thoughts, she forgot about it. Amy invited her to have lunch together at her house. Something they did often. However, since she had made a promise, she had to keep it. Elle must thank Amy for bothering to contact her. If not, chances were she was still lulling in her sweet dreams. Well, even then, she managed to get up without any help. But, it was all uncertain, as the rhythm of her sleep.