Chapter 91: sleepwalking

Upon reopening his eyes, he pondered the necessity to rouse her, concerned that lingering in the water could expose her to the chill of the night. His gaze traversed her tousled locks, delicately adhering to her face like gossamer threads, descending to frame her porcelain features. Noting the striking length and elegance of her eyelashes, he marveled at their delicate sweep, before alighting upon her pointy nose, a trait, he couldn't help but muse, she had inherited from her father. Observing the vibrant colour of her lips, a deep, lustrous crimson under the chandelier, he found himself captivated.

As he lingered, his focus fixated upon her lips, a primal instinct stirred within him, compelling him to entertain an intoxicating impulse—one that sought to savor the essence of those cherry-colored lips. Leaning in, inch by inch, he found himself suspended within mere inches of her, his resolve hanging in the balance. Her breath, a warm current brushing against his countenance, threatened to disrupt his very senses, leaving him teetering on the precipice of a moment both thrilling and perilous.

His resilience teetered precariously on a delicate thread, the tension between restraint and longing threatening to unravel with every passing moment. The fervent struggle to shield himself from engaging in an act bound to breed remorse gnawed at him, yet the relentless tug of his emotions seemed perilously close to overriding his steadfast resolve.

Summoning his courage, he pressed his lips tenderly against her brow, allowing the kiss to linger for a beat longer before regaining his composure and righting himself.

"Fucking hell," he muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he discerned the unwelcome bulge that had formed in his trousers, casting an agitated glance at his reflection in the mirror. The air in the bathroom, once peaceful and serene, now seemed to thicken with an oppressive heat, prompting him to make a swift exit.

Returning minutes later, driven by the necessity of coaxing her from the water's comforting embrace, he carried with him a pristine white towel, intent on drawing her from her restful repose.

Gently placing a reassuring hand upon her shoulder, he made the effort to rouse her from her repose. "Lauren, it's time to come out from the water," he murmured in a gentle, unwavering tone, careful not to jolt her from her slumber.

When his initial attempt remained met with fleeting murmurs and a lulling return to sleep, he tried once more, addressing her with greater urgency. "Lauren," he called out, watching as she stirred briefly, murmuring unintelligible words before drifting back into the embrace of sleep.

He found himself at a precarious crossroads, pondering the best course of action to rouse her from her peaceful immersion without resorting to a method that might potentially compromise his own stability. Hesitantly, he attempted to gently call out to her, cautious not to disrupt her tranquil repose.

Leaning in closer, he called her name once more, his voice a soft, soothing cadence designed to prompt her awakening. After a fleeting pause, her eyes fluttered open, meeting his gaze for a fleeting moment before drifting shut once more.

"Lauren, you need to get out of the water," he murmured earnestly, seeking to jolt her from her drowsy state.

Suddenly, her hand reached out, grasping the fabric of his shirt, leaving him momentarily perplexed. Her eyes remained closed, and an enigmatic stillness enveloped her. "Could this be what they speak of when referring to sleepwalking?" he mused inwardly, somewhat intrigued by the unexpected turn of events.

Before he could decipher her intentions, she deftly tugged him into the water. As he struggled to regain his balance, grappling with the slippery edges of the bathtub, he found himself tumbling into the depths, his sides submerged within the foamy embrace of the water.

The resultant tumultuous splash echoed through the bathroom, causing him to hold his breath in anticipation, half-expecting the sudden disturbance to rouse her from her slumber.

Just as he contemplated rising from the water, her voice pierced the stillness of the room, each syllable seemingly reverberating with an enigmatic resonance. "Damien," she intoned in a manner that set his Adam's apple in motion.

Squinting her eyes and parting her lips, she gazed at him, the delicate flutter of her eyelids adding an ethereal quality to her countenance. "What are you doing in my dream, D?" she continued, her voice tender, almost to the point of rendering him senseless.

Despite discerning that she was still ensconced in slumber, evident from the fluttering of her eyes and the nonsensical nature of her speech, he endeavored to get himself out of the water so as to lift her gently from the tub. Before he could make any attempt to move, she propelled herself towards him, her knees planting firmly as her hands pressed him against the confines of the bathtub.

"Lauren," he uttered, his voice barely more than a whisper, his countenance obediently resting atop hers as he fought against sinking any lower than her neck. In her somnolent state, Lauren regarded him with an inscrutable expression.

"Ah, well, since this is merely a dream,I figure I might as well say the things I can't voice in person. So, listen closely, hmm..." Her delicate fingers lightly tapped her temple as she continued, her tone wistful, "I suppose it matters not, as you won't recall any of this once we awaken. Nevertheless, I simply wish to convey that I dont really like you..." Her voice trailed off as she delivered a casual shrug, her words hanging in the air. Damien could do naught but watch in silence as her revelation unfolded before him.

"I must confess, it has always been love, I believe... right from the start. But it's disheartening to realize that the sentiment isn't reciprocated," she divulged, her voice barely above a whisper, yet each syllable resounding with poignant clarity. Before Damien could interject, she gently hushed him, a singular motion from her slender index finger silencing his words.

The touch of her damp fingers against his lips seemed to unravel the icy ramparts that had encased his heart, allowing a profound warmth to unfurl within him.

"Please allow me to finish... What I felt for you encompassed a depth of emotion I had never experienced with anyone else. Hence, the sting of rejection cut deeper than any wound I had hitherto endured," she continued in a voice laden with simple honesty, her words a wellspring of raw vulnerability.

The thoughts that rang through his mind as he heard her words only served to deepen the ache within him, each syllable she uttered seemed to inflict a deeper wound upon him, , as he was acutely aware of the unnecessary lie he had woven, now exacerbated by the raw emotions unfurling before him.

She met his gaze, her fluttering eyelashes betraying an unspoken emotion, an impulsive impulse seizing her as she gingerly cupped his face, gently lowering her lips to meet his in a tender, unbidden kiss.