It was a bizarre feeling, being surrounded by and drowned in so much nice warmth that could put any blanket to shame because this had as much comforting cold as well in the form of a sort of soft and steady breeze blowing against her neck and shoulder.

Involuntarily Sofia shivered and then moaned, her eyes fluttering open after a few lazy trials.

The immediate thing that came to her mind was the realization of having the best sleep in a very long while. The white ceiling and the usual smell of a hospital were registered through her senses next. And as her mind awakened in a steadfast speed right afterward she began getting aware of the very much male body, stout and defined, snugly cuddling her from one side.

Sofia jerked her head so fast to the side that her neck creaked coarsely. She gasped in shock and gawked horrified at her besotted husband's face tucked into the nape of her neck. Finally, she figured out the source of all the warmth and that soft, rhythmic breeze against her skin. What had seemed like the blanket of warmth and the nicest summer breeze now looked all wretched.

Because certain things can be indubitably accepted with eyes closed only.

A Series of questions erupted like a volcano in her mind. Why the heck was Max sleeping next to her? And why this close?

And to think that he was the reason behind one of the best beauty sleep she had ever had—it frightened Sofia shitless.

Her reaction after that was purely based on the fright of the moment and the awkward realization that popped into her mind that last night was in fact the first night her husband had shared a bed with her. Not in that way—but still!

Sofia slid back onto one elbow, lifting herself a bit. Her numb spine from sleep creaked deliciously but more than enjoying that bodily pleasure after the long respite, she concentrated on swinging her good foot towards Max's sleeping form.

What a marvelous kick it was no matter how feeble the strength invested!

Max was basically and barely hanging beside Sofia on the single bed, it was easy therefore to have him roll away and finally fall out with that one swift kick.

However, every action has a similar and opposite reaction, and so, Sofia's injured foot got grazed a little because of her violent intentions. But she forgot to even register that little pain for no doubt the sight of Max's shocked face and his loud growl of surprise as he sat wide awake and disoriented on the floor was more intriguing.

"Who gave you permission to sleep in my bed?" Sofia accused, watching him putting his palms behind on the floor to push himself up as he slowly figured out what had happened to him.

Max stood in front of her sporting an irritated scowl, crossing his arms over his chest he sighed. "You were having a nightmare," he stated.

"Do you have them often?" Max asked patiently when she looked away, remembering all about the nightmare and how he had shaken her awake and without her knowledge had slid into her bed.

Sofia couldn't specify if it was because of his art of stealthiness or her medication-induced slumber that forbade her from realizing that someone had climbed onto her bed. Anyways, all of the other things aside, Sofia couldn't help but see the screaming fact here, that it was Max who was the sole member of her rescue mission every time, from hotel rooms to scary nightmares—he was always there when she least expected him to be.

Sighing, Sofia sat up properly on the bed, gesturing for Max to stop when he was coming to help her.

"It doesn't matter, they're just... mere nightmares," Sofia said with a slow shrug. "Anyway, thanks for waking me last night. But that doesn't mean I appreciate you sleeping next to me afterward," she said the last bit with her voice rising from genuine gratefulness to a firm warning.

"Mere nightmares! And you downplay it all over again." Promptly he discarded the later part of what she said.

He was so much to the point that Sofia felt like being cornered.

Her suffering in the world of nightmares was something personal to her. She didn't know how to actually feel as Max invaded it.

"Leave it be, Max," she warned again, her dislike clear in her voice. Because it was not new to her. She had been reliving her childhood at night for a long while, Mevil was a recent addition, and Max was a randomly flickering doubt blended into the shadows.

The depths of her misery could not be understood. It must be lived and relived.

And, out of all people, Sofia didn't count on Max to heal her.

Because despite the many times he had saved her and was saving her still, she had only found him hurting her afterward.

He had never let himself heal, and he would not allow her to heal. It was as simple as that. She had realized it in the absolute hard way.

Sofia pressed the magic button to summon a nurse, and she felt highly suspicious when Max didn't stop her this time or demand that he helped her. He just stood at the same spot, observing her quietly, or perhaps he was thinking hard about something.

It took Sofia some fifteen minutes to brush her teeth and do all her morning business as the nurse helped her to and fro from the bathroom. That Sofia was getting an elbow crutch after breakfast filled her with satisfaction as the nurse informed it to her.

Max was missing from the room when she came back though. She felt glad for the much-needed space. The nagging awkwardness from waking up next to him and realizing that he had been there that close all damn night was still there.

Sofia found his absence as the perfect opportunity to talk to the nurse about the direst issue that had been on her mind ever since she opened her eyes and realized she was in a hospital.

"I need to get discharged as soon as possible," Sofia pleaded to the nurse after hearing the cost of the luxury single per day. "In fact, it would be better if I can go right now."

"But the doctor wants you to stay another night," the nurse opposed her idea strongly.

"Please, sister," Sofia said desperately. "I wouldn't be able to pay the bill. It's already going to be too much for me."

The nurse frowned in confusion. "But ma'am isn't your husband—"

"Filthy rich, yes, of course, he is," Sofia cut in with a scoff. "But I would like to pay my own bills and...," she stammered while trying to explain and attempting not to reveal what actually was her so-called married life. At last, ceasing her struggle for an explanation she exhaled a long breath and said, "Please just prepare my discharge papers, sister."

Finally and without prying more, the nurse gave a curt nod and left giving her a soft smile. "As you wish."

But what was supposed to be a victory for Sofia turned into a full-blown case of irritation, when a while later the nurse came back with Sofia's frowning doctor, a livid Max, and a smart-ass psychiatrist in tow.

"Freaking hell," Sofia groaned under her breath.