Suddenly, I Am Rich

It was already morning. The morning light slipped through the curtains of Selina’s room. Gray stirred awake first. His body was physically exhausted.

For a moment, he didn’t move. He just lay there, feeling the stillness.

When he finally turned his head to the side, his gaze landed on Selina.

She was sleeping beside him. Her breathing was even and slow, a sign that she was in a deep sleep. Her hair was now loose, messy even after all the things they had done yesterday night.

Amidst the quietness and with the sunlight softly hitting her, Selina almost looked unreal. She looked angelic and peaceful in a way that made Gray pause to look at her.

He stared at her and simply watched her for a while.

His mind was quieter than usual. Thoughts drifted in and out of his head, pulling him back to the night before, to what they had done.

He didn’t regret it. Not when they did it multiple times until they couldn’t just do it anymore. However, he had to admit that it was a new and different step he hadn’t really planned for.

Selina frowned a little, her lips parting just a little as she exhaled. She moved slightly in her sleep, turning to Gray’s side even more.

Gray inhaled deeply, then let it out slowly. He reached up, rubbing the back of his neck as he leaned onto his side. His eyes never left her face.

”She really looks like an angel...” he muttered under his breath. His voice was so low that it barely made a sound.

A faint smile appeared on his face. It was already the weekend, so he didn’t need to go to work.

Selina woke up not long after. Her lashes fluttered lightly before her eyes slowly opened. It took her a second to adjust to the light, and another second to realize Gray was already awake and was watching her.

Her cheeks instantly reddened.

”Good morning,” she whispered in a low voice, her tone was still husky from sleep.

”Good morning.” Gray’s lips curved faintly.

Their gazes met each other for a moment. However, they quickly looked away. Both of them seemed to remember the same thing at the same time. The heat in Selina’s face reddened more while Gray’s faint smile grew into something softer.

The silence broke when the two of them chuckled quietly. It was as if they were laughing at a small secret only the two of them knew.

Selina sat up slowly, brushing her messy hair back. She knew she probably looked like a mess right now, but she wasn’t bothered by it. Gray did the same, too. He sat up and reached for his shirt, which was on the floor.

Neither of them spoke for a while as they dressed themselves up. For some reason, they weren’t shy at all. Probably because they did way more shameless things yesterday than dressing up in front of one another.

As Gray slid his arms through his sleeves, a sudden thought hit him.

”Right, Lily...” he muttered, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was already past eight. ”She must be awake by now.”

Selina also paused. Her eyes widened when she realized it.

”Oh, right! Your sister!” she muttered out loud. Worried flickered across her face as she thought of Lily. The poor little girl is alone right now!

Gray sighed and pulled on his pants. ”Yeah. I should head back first. Otherwise, she’s going to wonder where I disappeared to.” He looked at Selina, his tone softening. ”Shower, get dressed, and come over after. I’ll cook breakfast for all of us.”

Selina’s lips curved into a small smile. She nodded.

”Alright. Go first. Your sister must already be looking for you.”

”I will then,” Gray smirked faintly, then glanced at her one last time before heading for the door. Selina stayed where she was, hugging the blanket to her chest. She watched him leave with her heart still racing.

Gray quietly closed Selina’s bedroom behind him. He walked through her living room and also left the main door. What greeted him was the empty hallway on their floor.

He ran a hand down his face, letting out a slow breath. His body was still heavy, with his muscles aching in places he didn’t expect. His head wasn’t exactly clear either.

’Alright. Just... act normal. It’s fine.’

He slipped into his own room next door.

However, the moment he opened the door, he froze.

What sat in the dining room, which can be seen from the door, was Lily. She was sitting on the high chair with her arms folded across her chest. The expression on her face doesn’t look as welcoming as it usually is.

”Where did you go, brother?” Lily’s eyes narrowed instantly as she saw him.

”What?” Gray blinked. He didn’t expect to be greeted this way.

”You weren’t in your room when I woke up.” Lily’s voice was filled with questioning. Her expression was also dead serious.

”I just... went out for a bit.” Gray shut the door behind him slowly. He didn’t expect that Lily can be as scary as this!

”Out? Where?” Her brows rose in suspicion. ”You’re not carrying any grocery bag so you didn’t go out for groceries, brother.”

”Yeah, I didn’t...” His eyes moved around his room like an answer might be hiding in the corner. ”But I went to check something. In the hallway.”

Lily tilted her head, not buying it.

”In the hallway? For how long? I woke up more than an hour ago, brother!”

Gray rubbed the back of his neck, trying not to look as guilty as he felt.

”Okay, I went downstairs to walk around. Then on the way up, I saw your Sister Selina in the hallway. I talked to her for a while.”

Lily’s expression changed in an instant. The suspicion in her eyes disappeared, replaced by surprise.

”Really? You met sister Selina?!” Now, she looked excited.

”Yeah,” Gray answered. He cleared his throat and continued to change the topic.

”I ran into her earlier. I invited her for breakfast. She’ll be coming over soon.”

That worked too well. Lily’s mouth dropped open.

”What?!” She scrambled off the chair, staring at him in horror. ”She’s coming here? For breakfast? Right now?”

Gray smirked faintly as he saw her panic.

”Yeah. Why?”

”Brother!” Lily waved her arms before clutching at her old sleepwear.

”Look at me! I look bad! I look so bad!”

”You look fine.” He chuckled.

”No, I don’t!” she exclaimed and ran to her room. ”I can’t let Sister Selina see me like this!”

Before he could respond, she was already gone, the sound of her feet running against the wooden floor echoed through the condo. Her door slammed shut.

Gray couldn’t stop himself from laughing. He leaned against the wall, shaking his head.

”That little girl is really cute.”

Still smiling, he went to the kitchen. He rolled up his sleeves, washed his hands, and started pulling out ingredients.

There were eggs, bread, butter, a few strips of bacon he had stashed in the fridge. He cooked at ease in the kitchen.

As he flipped bacon on the pan, he thought about the morning so far. Lily’s suspicious face still lingered in his mind that he had to sigh.

’Lily’s not dumb. I need to be more careful.’

But then again, seeing her get flustered over Selina made him laugh all over again.

After a few minutes, the smell of breakfast was already filling the air when Lily finally emerged from her door again. She had changed into a neat home dress. Her hair was still damp, but it was already combed straight down.

She looked fresher and more energetic now.

”What are you cooking, brother?” She came straight into the kitchen, peeking at the table.

”Why are you asking?” Gray raised a brow at her. ”You will eat everything I cook anyway.”

”Don’t tease me.” Her lips pursed, but she still tiptoed to see the food.

Gray chuckled at it.

”I’m cooking bacon and eggs, okay?”

”Yayy!” Lily clapped her hands and did a small, excited dance.

Gray laughed loudly at it. Lily just watched Gray cook for a while. Not long after, their banters and laughter got interrupted by a soft knock.

Lily’s head immediately snapped toward the sound, eyes wide.

”She’s here! Sister Selina is here!”

Gray put the pan down and wiped his hands.

”Lily, go open the door.”

”I will, Brother!” Lily exclaimed out loud before she sprinted towards the door. She had a huge smile on her face as she opened it quickly.

In there, Lily found Selina standing in front of the door. She was freshly showered and dressed in a simple blouse and jeans. Her hair was now tied back into a neat ponytail, and she had a small.

”Good morning, Lily. How are you?” Her voice was soft as she greeted Lily. She placed her hand on Lily’s head and lightly patted it. ”Did you have a good sleep?”

”Yes, Sister!” Lily nodded enthusiastically. She quickly held onto Selina’s hand and pulled her towards their unit.

”You looked so pretty and glowing today, Sister Selina!”