Part 3The Platonic Husband Who Cannot Intimacy

The bathroom door creaked open slightly.

Larry's voice drifted out through the warm steam.

"...Catherine, I forgot my pajamas. Could you pass them to me?"

I blinked. There were towels in the bathroom. Since when was he so modest?

I rolled out of bed and grabbed a silk robe.

The door opened a fraction wider.

He hadn't wrapped a towel around himself. He stood entirely bare in the swirling mist.

Damp hair clung to his forehead, and his pale skin was flushed a delicate pink from the heat.

His waist was impossibly lean, droplets of water tracing the curve of his hips.

My pulse quickened. My gaze drifted downward, but I forced myself to snap back.

"Here," I said, shoving the robe through the gap.

He took it but didn't close the door.

As the steam poured out, he stood half-cloaked in the light, murmuring, "Thank you, sweetheart."

His Adam's apple bobbed. The corners of his eyes were flushed, and he looked at me as if there was something he desperately wanted to say but couldn't.

That look was different from before. My heart skipped a beat.

A comment floated above my head:

[The male lead is terrified. He's so scared she's going to force herself on him.]

[Then why did he ask her to bring him pajamas?]

[Because walking out naked would guarantee she'd eat him alive! A towel can slip off easily, but a robe at least has a belt.]

Me: "..."

Larry waited for a few seconds, only to hear me say, "Dry your hair before you come out."

He seemed momentarily dazed, looking down at himself. He lingered, waiting for something more, but nothing came.

Finally, he lowered his lashes and quietly pulled the door shut.

[Lmao, look at his face! He is so confused!]

[Safe for another day.jpg]

I slid back under the covers. Ten minutes later, he emerged.

Carrying the cool, damp scent of the bath, he carefully lifted the duvet and slid in beside me.

The faint scent of the rose body wash, the exact same one I used, drifted off him.

I kept my back turned, pretending to be fast asleep.

Behind me, the space fell quiet.

[The male lead must be laughing in relief right now, celebrating silently.]

[Oh my god, his silent joy is sending me.]

I didn't turn around. I only heard the rustle of the sheets as he rolled over, facing my back.

After a long while, a tiny whisper broke the quiet.

"...Catherine?"

I didn't move.

A gentle tug pulled at the edge of the blanket, tucking the cold draft away from my exposed back.