For a second neither of us moved.
Water was still dripping from Chak's hair, sliding down his shoulders and falling onto the bathroom floor.
His hand slowly lifted to his neck.
To the place where I had just bitten him.
He touched the mark carefully, then looked at me.
The surprise on his face slowly faded.
And then—
He laughed.
Not loudly.
But enough to make my irritation flare again.
"Oh, that's funny to you?" I snapped.
Chak shook his head slightly, still smiling.
"No."
His eyes moved between the two sides of his neck.
"One mark from my wife."
His fingers brushed the fresh one I had left.
"And one from you."
Then he looked back at me.
"I guess I'm very popular tonight."
I glared at him.
"This isn't a joke."
"I know."
But the amusement in his eyes hadn't fully disappeared.
That only made my anger simmer more.
Before I could say anything else, Chak suddenly stepped forward.
Closing the distance between us again.
Instinctively, I stepped back.
My back hit the cold tiles of the wall.
Chak placed one hand beside my head, leaning slightly closer.
Water from his hair dripped onto my pajama shirt.
"You said something interesting a minute ago," he said quietly.
My eyebrows pulled together.
"What?"
His gaze didn't leave mine.
"You said you'd show her who I belong to."
My chest tightened.
Heat crept up my neck immediately.
"That's not—"
Before I could finish, Chak lowered his head slightly.
His voice dropped to a soft murmur.
"Careful, Niran."
His eyes flicked briefly to my lips.
"You're starting to sound very possessive."
My heart jumped.
I tried to push against his chest.
"Move."
He didn't.
Instead, his expression softened slightly.
"Three hours ago," he said quietly, "you were asleep on the couch."
My push against him weakened a little.
"I saw you."
His voice was calm now.
"You and Anamarija both passed out."
My eyes flicked up to him.
"And?"
Chak studied my face for a moment.
"You looked peaceful."
The anger inside me faltered for just a second.
Then the memory of the dance floor returned.
Phalin.
The kiss.
The mark on his neck.
My jaw tightened again.
"You're still married," I muttered.
Chak didn't deny it.
Instead, he reached up slowly.
His fingers gently touched the necklace resting against my chest.
The eagle-pencil pendant.
"You're still wearing this," he said quietly.
My breath caught.
"I never told you to take it off."
I swallowed.
"That doesn't change anything."
Chak's fingers remained lightly around the pendant.
His eyes lifted back to mine.
"It changes everything."
Chak's fingers were still lightly holding the eagle and pencil pendant.
His gaze lifted from the necklace back to my eyes.
For a moment the space between us felt charged.
Heavy.
Like the air itself had thickened.
Slowly, Chak leaned a little closer.
I saw it coming.
The way his eyes dropped briefly to my lips.
The small shift of his body.
He was about to kiss me.
My heart jumped.
But instead of staying there, I suddenly turned away.
Before he could reach me, I stepped past him and walked out of the bathroom.
"Niran—"
I ignored him.
My bare feet moved quickly across the floor into the bedroom.
I opened the wardrobe and reached inside.
A few seconds later I pulled out a familiar set of black pajamas.
Chak's.
I turned back toward the bathroom door just as he stepped out, still damp from the shower, a towel loosely around his waist.
I walked straight toward him and shoved the pajamas into his hands.
"Put these on," I said.
My voice was still cold.
Still angry.
Chak looked down at the clothes for a moment.
Then back at me.
He didn't argue.
He pulled the pajama pants on first, then the shirt.
While he dressed, I stood near the bed with my arms crossed, watching him.
When he finally finished, Chak lifted his head again.
And that's when he saw the way I was looking at him.
Still furious.
Still hurt.
Still not ready to forgive anything.
His eyebrow lifted slightly.
"You're still mad," he said quietly.
I didn't even hesitate.
"Yes."
My eyes flicked briefly to the bite mark on his neck.
Then back to his face.
"And don't think a shower fixes that."
Chak looked at me for a long moment.
His hair was still slightly wet, a few drops sliding down the side of his neck and disappearing under the collar of the black pajama shirt.
My eyes immediately caught the red mark again.
The one she had left.
My jaw tightened.
Chak noticed where I was looking.
Of course he did.
Slowly, he lifted a hand and touched the side of his neck.
"The bite?" he asked quietly.
I didn't answer.
I just looked away and walked past him toward the bed.
But before I could sit down, Chak spoke again.
"She did that on purpose."
My steps stopped.
I turned back toward him slowly.
"What do you mean?"
Chak leaned slightly against the dresser, crossing his arms.
"Phalin isn't stupid," he said calmly.
"She saw where you and I looking the entire night."
My chest tightened.
"And when she kissed me," he continued, "she leaned close and whispered something."
I frowned slightly.
"What?"
Chak's eyes stayed on mine.
"She said: "Now let's see if he still wants you after this."
My stomach twisted.
Of course.
Of course she had done it to provoke me.
To mark him.
To make sure I would see it.
The anger that had started to calm down suddenly flared again.
"She thinks this is some kind of game," I muttered.
Chak shrugged slightly.
"For her, it probably is."
Silence filled the room for a moment.
Then he pushed himself off the dresser and walked toward the bed.
Stopping just a step away from me.
"But you know what she didn't expect?" he said quietly.
I looked up at him.
"What?"
A small, almost dangerous smile appeared on his lips.
"That you'd bite me back."
I stared at him for a long moment.
Then the question I had been holding back finally slipped out.
"Did you…?" My voice was tight. "Did you spend your wedding night with her?"
Chak blinked once.
Then he shook his head.
"No."
My eyebrow lifted slowly.
Chak let out a quiet breath and ran a hand through his damp hair.
"She wanted to," he admitted.
My chest tightened slightly.
"But I told her I was exhausted."
His eyes met mine.
"She said… 'next time.'"
Silence filled the room for a second.
Then he added quietly,
"I came here instead."
My heart skipped.
Chak stepped a little closer.
"My wedding night," he said softly, "is being here with you."
The anger inside my chest cracked just enough for something else to slip through.
Before I could stop myself, I grabbed the front of his pajama shirt and pulled him down slightly.
Then I kissed him.
It wasn't gentle.
It wasn't soft.
It was quick and full of everything I had been holding back all night.
When I pulled away, I was still glaring at him.
"I'm still angry," I muttered.
Chak's lips twitched faintly.
"I noticed."
I turned away from him and walked toward the door.
"I'm sleeping somewhere else tonight."
But before I could leave the room, Chak's voice stopped me.
"Niran."
Something in his tone made me pause.
"Please don't go."
I turned back slowly.
"Why not?"
Chak opened his mouth.
Then hesitated.
For the first time that night, he looked unsure.
Like he was debating whether to say something.
My eyes narrowed slightly.
"Well?"
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"I've been… dealing with insomnia."
I frowned.
"What?"
Chak looked down for a second before continuing.
"I mean real insomnia."
His voice was quieter now.
"I've had it for years."
I crossed my arms.
"And?"
He lifted his eyes to mine.
"I fought with it for a long time."
His jaw tightened slightly.
"Until the first night you fell asleep next to me."
My expression didn't change.
"That day you fell asleep on this bed by," he continued softly, "and in the middle of the night you moved closer and wrapped your arms around me."
My breath caught slightly.
"I slept the entire night."
His voice was almost a whisper now.
"For the first time in… I don't even remember how many years."
I stared at him.
Not convinced.
"You're lying."
Chak didn't argue.
Instead, he walked to the bedside table and opened the drawer.
Then he pulled something out.
A small box.
He walked back toward me and held it out.
Inside the box were several blister packs.
White tablets.
Sleeping pills.
The box was almost full of them.
My eyes widened slightly.
For a moment I just stared at the box.
There were so many of them.
Blister packs stacked on top of each other, some half empty, some still full.
White pills.
Too many white pills.
My eyes slowly lifted from the box to Chak.
"You're serious," I said quietly.
Chak didn't answer right away.
He simply closed the box and placed it on the bedside table.
"I didn't show that to anyone," he said after a moment.
My arms slowly uncrossed.
"How long?" I asked.
Chak leaned back slightly against the edge of the table.
"Years."
The word felt heavy.
"I sleep maybe two or three hours most nights," he continued calmly.
"Sometimes less."
My chest tightened.
"And the pills?"
"They help sometimes."
His tone remained casual, but I could see the tiredness behind his eyes now.
The kind of tired that doesn't disappear after one night of sleep.
Then he looked at me again.
"But that night," he said quietly, "when you fell asleep beside me…"
His gaze softened slightly.
"I didn't take any."
I swallowed.
"And when you moved closer in your sleep…"
His voice lowered.
"…and wrapped your arms around me…"
He let out a slow breath.
"I slept."
The room felt very quiet suddenly.
"I woke up in the morning and realized something strange."
I frowned slightly.
"What?"
Chak looked directly at me.
"I didn't wake up once during the night."
My heart skipped.
"And that scared me more than the insomnia ever did," he added.
"Why?"
"Because it meant something could actually calm my mind."
His eyes stayed locked on mine.
"And that something was you."
I looked away quickly.
The weight of his words pressed heavily against my chest.
"That doesn't mean anything," I muttered.
Chak didn't argue.
Instead he said quietly,
"That's why I asked you not to leave tonight."
Silence stretched between us again.
Then he added softly,
"I just want to sleep."
My fingers curled slightly at my sides.
After a long moment, I walked back toward the bed.
Not looking directly at him.
I climbed under the blanket and turned my back to him.
"You're still annoying," I muttered.
Chak's quiet chuckle came from behind me.
"I know."
The mattress shifted as he got into bed.
For a few seconds we both stayed still.
Then, slowly, I felt his arm slide around my waist.
Careful.
Almost hesitant.
Like he wasn't sure if I would push him away.
But I didn't.
Instead, without turning around, I moved slightly closer.
And a few minutes later…
Chak's breathing behind me finally became slow and steady.