Women Confuse Me

Avelina pondered for a second before answering Draven's question. 

"No…I just think you need one."

Draven immediately disagreed. "I don't think so."

Avelina offered him a smile and proceeded to give him a quick hug, but instinctively, Draven jolted away from her, instantly creating a distance between them on the bed. 

Avelina was more than startled. She could see his shoulder rising and falling in heavy breathing. This caused her to wonder if she did something wrong. 

"Um…what is going on? Did I do something I shouldn't have?" 

"No," Draven furiously shook his head. "I…I don't like hugs." 

Avelina gave him a bewildered look. She was not sure if she was seeing correctly or not but this man's eyes held pain. It was as though something in his mind—a memory or so, got triggered and therefore caused the loss of his phlegmatic and expressionless composure. 

She couldn't seem to comprehend what exactly could make a man like him petrified of hugs. 

There must be something wrong! She concurred with her thoughts. 

"I apologize if I reminded you of something I shouldn't have." She smiled remorsefully. 

Draven's voice quivered slightly as he spoke. 

"You did not do anything wrong. I will be sitting over there, on the sofa."

Avelina's eyes followed him as he walked over to sit down on the couch. She silently watched him for a few a minute or so before letting out a soft breath. 

She lay on the bed and covered herself with the duvet. 

"Goodnight!" 

"Bonne nuit, Avelina," Draven responded. 

——

The day dawned crisp and clear as the rising sun cast a rosy hue across the morning sky. The first rays of sunshine lit up the entire room where a young woman lay with her ginger curls scattered all over the bed

She was laid in a very un lady-like sleeping manner.

Avelina blinked her lashes apart and yawned blissfully as she opened her eyes. 

When was the last time she slept this beautifully? Her whole body felt as though every little stress had been evacuated. It could be said that she slept like a newborn baby.

She sat up on the bed and stretched the muscles in her body, her face filled with satisfaction. She looked over at the sofa and the second her gaze met with those sets of red eyes, she flinched, startled. 

"What are you…doing?" she asked. 

"What do you mean?" Draven's intent gaze was fixed on her. 

"Have you been sitting there the whole night?" Avelina questioned, curiosity tinged in her tone.

She then said, "Last I remember, you were in that exact position before I went to sleep." 

Draven replied honestly, "Yes, I have. I watched you sleep all night." 

"What?" For a moment there, Avelina didn't quite catch his words. 

"You have a very interesting way of sleeping," Draven continued. "You turned to the left and to the right a few times. Then at one point you sat up on the bed for no reason and laid back down again. You smiled a few times as well and I deduced you must have been having a good dream."

"Oh before I forget to add, you did fall off the bed twice. It was amusing how you rolled all the way to fall off. Not only that, but you snore, although not loudly." He blinked once he was done recounting all her activities. 

Avelina's mouth was agape, completely shocked and embarrassed at the same time. "I will never be able to sleep peacefully at night again. Not with all this information." 

She buried her face in the bed and screamed into it. 

Draven tilted his head a bit to his side, confused. "Are you okay? Why are you shrieking into the bed?" 

Avelina whipped her head up and glared at him. "You are a very clueless man!"

"Am I?…" Draven inquired. 

Avelina face-palmed herself and climbed down from the bed. She walked over and stood in front of him.

"Draven, you don't go telling a woman she snores, rolls on the bed, falls off the bed. No! That is only going to make her feel ashamed and scared to sleep at night." 

"Now all I am going to wonder about at night is whether I am snoring or not, no peace at all!" she explained. 

"But why?" Draven wrinkled his brows at her. "I don't mind if you snore or fall off the bed. I will always pick you up and put you back on the bed like I did last night." 

"Thank you for that, but that is not the point." Avelina rubbed her temples and took a deep breath. 

"Women confuse me," Draven muttered to himself as he stood up from the couch. 

"Do you want to have breakfast with me later?" he asked.