They shared a bedroom now.
It wasn't planned—it just happened. First out of convenience, then habit, and now… it was complicated. The bed was wide enough to leave space between them. Most nights, they used it. But lately, that space had started to shrink.
---
"Do you regret it?"
The question landed quietly, but it echoed. Naya stood at the dresser brushing her hair, caught off guard by the weight in Kian's voice behind her.
"Regret what?" she asked, her eyes meeting his in the mirror.
"This... arrangement. Marrying me. Living like this."
She turned, fully now, the brush still in her hand. "No. I regret not knowing you before everything got messy."
The silence that followed was full of things they didn't have the courage to say.
---
The custody hearing was in two days. Pressure sat on Kian's chest like a sleeping giant. He'd done everything—lawyers, witnesses, clean records. But there was one final move that could tip the scales: a public show of love, family, commitment.
That meant stepping in front of cameras with the woman he'd married on paper—who was now sleeping on the other side of his bed.
---
They sat side by side in the interview studio, styled and smiling, but with something real simmering underneath.
"Yes, our relationship moved quickly," Naya said smoothly. "But love doesn't always need time. Sometimes it just needs the right person."
Kian added, "I didn't expect her. But she showed up for me in a way no one ever has."
Their fingers brushed on the armrest. Neither pulled away.
By the time the segment ended, they were trending again, the media praised their love—but this time, it wasn't scandal. It was admiration.
#SecondChances
#ModernLove
---
That night, the air between them changed.
Back home, they moved quietly through the motions—changing, brushing teeth, folding laundry like some strange version of domestic bliss. Naya climbed into bed first. Kian followed minutes later.
No one said, "Good night." The words felt too final.
The room was dim. Their bodies just inches apart.
When her bare leg brushed his under the covers, she didn't move away.
When he turned to face her, she let him.
No one kissed. No clothes came off.
But his hand found her waist.
And she let it stay there.