Alan's hand paused stroking slow circles on my back.
The room was quiet, just our breathing and the sheets pulled halfway up my waist.
His other hand was buried in my hair, and he asked in a monotonous voice, “what?”
“What are we?” I said quietly again.
I sat up a bit, resting on my elbow, staring down at him. “I mean... I know we started this as a fake marriage or whatever. But clearly, this”...I gestured between us....“isn’t just fake anymore.”
He blinked, his whole body still, “Hazel, what are you even talking about?”
I narrowed my eyes, “are you being serious right now?”
He sat up against the headboard, pulling the sheets up with him, “this isn’t complicated, we had a deal.”
My throat clenched. I stared at him like he’d slapped me, “a deal?”
He nodded, his jaw tight, “a contr
