Contract Marriage with My CEO Boss (Kylan and Katrina)

Katrina slept restlessly that night, her mind plaguing her with dreams of Kylan, for the first time ever. When she awoke the next morning, she was all too grateful that it was Saturday.

She vaguely remembered it was her birthday, and she spent the next few hours reading comments on her social media and Kylan's alike, all from people hoping she would have a good day.

She also saw a few pictures from the ball already circling the internet, each one from people romanticizing herself and Kylan. Then a picture of the scaled invitation was also posted. Good thing they covered the place and time of the wedding or else, the paparazzi and those uninvited will be flocking on the day of the wedding. They couldn't afford to let someone ruin their special day, even if it is fake.

It made her feel sour if she was honest. The memory of Kylan's kiss had her completely conflicted. But his reaction afterward, deflated any positive feelings she may have had about it at all.

right

She was happy when she changed into sweatpants and an oversized sweater. She was happy when Aaron and Maine arrived with just the ri amount of junk food and scary movies that she desperately needed to distract her.

She was happy when her dad called to wish her a Happy Birthday until he asked about her visiting and she begrudgingly told him when her flight

WEL

She did her best to enjoy her time with her friends, she really did. They were going above and beyond to help her ring in her last year in her twenties, and she was thankful for them.

But her mind was back in the hallway with Kylan pressed against her, and her hands in his hair.

She hated that she couldn't stop thinking about the kiss, or about him. It was inappropriate, a fact she was reminded of when she transferred the money he sent her to her bank.

Why did it make her feel sick to accept the money y now? Why was she so uncomfortablet

Halfway through her third scary movie and half a bottle of wine, there was a knock on her front door.

Aaron paused the movie and walked to answer it for her. She couldn't see who it was in the darkness of her apartment

"It's uh, Kylan." Aaron came back to tell her, a curious look on his face.

She rolled her eyes at him, having no doubt he would fire way too many questions at her the second he could

She completely forgot Kylan had asked her if he could stop by on her birthday. She wasn't ready to see him, but she knew she had no choice.

She stood from the couch, acutely aware that she looked far less put together than she usually did around him. She walked to her door slowly, the light from the hallway illuminating her entryway.

Kylan was waiting for her, also looking more casual in a light blue button-down and black slacks. Visions of her kiss and through her head and she tried not to glare at him. She really had no reason to be upset with him. She needed to remember that. what

"I'm not going to stay. I only wanted to bring you this," Kylan told her as soon as he saw her.

He had his usual stoic facial expression and seemed far 100 calm, considering what happened between them the night before

after flashed.

She looked down and saw that Kylan was holding a rather large, square object, wrapped in light brown paper. He handed is to her, and she took it, surprised by how heavy it was.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

"Happy Birthday, Kate," Kylan told her a little awkwardly.

"Thank you, sir," the responded quietly.

He stared at her for another minute, and he looked like he might say more, but then he turned away from her and left, just like the night before She sighed and watched him leave, also like the night before.

As soon as he was out of sight, she heaved Kylan's present into her apartment and carried it precariously to her kitchen table. She set it down and then switched the light of the chandelier above the table on Aaron and Maine came to stand on either side of her while she carefully peeled the paper back from the present.

And then she gasped, and tears sprang to her eyes of their own accord.

She stared down at the painting. The painting from the exhibit. The first painting she described to Kylan.

i was the snowscape. The beautiful, transcendent scene that she fell in love with.

He bought it for her, though it had cost thousands of dollars

He hand delivered it to her, even though he lived across

She closed her eyes, her fingers glossing over the gold frame that adorned the painting. Her heart flip-flopped in her chest, even as Maine and Aaron looked at her with unspoken questions.

te street below, the knew Kylan was leaving her building and heading

Her own eyes then traveled to her living room window, where outside on the home.

She found she had never wanted to both thank him and yell at him more. -0-0-0-

Katrina honestly didn't know if she wanted to throw away the painting or hang it up. She was equally annoyed and flattered. Kylan had never so much as addressed her birthday in the past, let alone gotten her a gif of any kind. She didn't even receive a Christmas bonus, for heaven's sake. And now! Now, he had spent a ridiculous amount of money on something that he had to of known would mean a great deal to her.

If she wasn't already feeling off balance because of their kiss, or rather a make-out session, with Kylan. Now she was Now she felt sick to her stomach. Now she felt warm, the same kind of warns she experienced when Kylan was kissing her. When he was holding her tightly against him.

Her mind was reeling and she didn't realize how long she had just been staring at the painting until Aaron reached a hand out and touched her arm gently

"Kate, you look like you're about to pass the f*ck out." His voice mapped her out of her daze, if only slightly.

Her eyes moved to has and she blinked a few times. He and Maine were both looking at her with equal looks of concern,

I'm. Gosh. I'm fine

but also curiosity too,

She felt herself take a single, shuddering breath, and then she licked her lips and walked over to her kitchen counter. She busied her shaking hands with washing some fruit, the only healthy mack Aaron and Maine brought with them.

She didn't look up as they approached the counter together. "Are you going to tell us why your boss, your boss who definitely doesn't give people gifts, just bought you a painting from Mr. Wilson! The Mr. Wilson. You know, the artist that sells his paintings for like. At least ten thousand dollars apiece." Aaron wouldn't relent, and she couldn't blame him.

If it were her in his shoes, she would be just as curious and weary. This kind of gesture from Kylan was completely out of character, even with how things had been between the two of them lately.

"I'm well aware of who the artist is," she mumbled while she began to cut the stem n off from each strawberry with a small paring knife.

"Why is Kylan buying you things like this? It's not part of the contract, I remember very clearly that it isn't. The fact that Aaron wouldn't let it go without more of an explanation only further fueled her already anxious thoughts.

She sat the knife down on the cutting board and moved her hands to grip the counter, her knuckles already turning white from how firmly she was holding on.

"Look, Aaron. I don't understand half the shit that Kylan does anymore, okay! I really don't. I know you're wanting me to clarify all of it for you, but truthfully, I can't I can't because I don't know. Okay? So just.. Shit Just please, stop.

In her slightly inebriated state of being, she was more emotional than when she was sober, and as if to prove that, tears suddenly filled her eyes and she blinked them away binerly.

Aaron seemed to pick up on this instantly because both his tone and posture changed. "Hey, hey I didn't want to make you cry on your birthday, Kate. I'm sorry. It's none of my business, okay? I just.. Has he hurt you? He hasn't hurt you, right?"

He moved to stand next to her, placing what she knew was meant to be a comforting hand, on her shoulder.

She considered his question. Had Kylan hurt her? She wasn't sure, really. She couldn't help but feel silly for any confusion she was

was experiencing. The contract had been clear from the start. And yet, he kept weering from it. He kissed her when it was clear there was no reason for such a gesture

at the moment

She wouldn't say she was hurt, necessarily. But she was troubled.

"No, no he hasn't. Not really. He's just. She sighed and shrugged her shoulders, moving the hand away that Aaron still had on her. "He's confusing, you know? He's always been complicated, but I don't think I understood just how much, until this contract. The worst of it is, I know there's more no him that I still haven't gotten to see, and I doubt I ever will." She walked to a cupboard, pulled out a bowl, and then scooped up the strawberries to place them inside.

you guys have been busy, though." It was Maine that spoke up this time, leaning

"That seems pretty on par with Kylan so far. It feels like y on her counter and watching her work.

his elbows

Again, she shrugged. "I suppose we have been, she agreed, turning on the sink next to her and washing her hands with soap. She pulled off a paper towel from near the end of the counter and dried her hands before throwing it away.

0

244 PM

Look, I appreciate your concern. I always do. But Kylan's most likely keeping up appearances by giving me a gift like that one. That's all there is to "She shrugged one more time. "I don't really want to talk about him anymore. Can we please get back to watching other people be murdered on

She picked up the bowl of strawberries and wandered back over to her couch. She sank onto one of the cushions and draped a blanket over her lap Aaron and Maine sat on either side of her, each of them putting an arm around her shoulders. "Absolutely" Aaron agreed, ruffling her hair for a

She gave him a playful glare and then resumed the movie. She offered them both some strawberries and tried to focus on the cheesy horror movie that usually made her smile on her birthday.

This time, though, her eyes kept being drawn to the painting on her kitchen table. She still didn't know if she wanted to accept the gift, but something told her that she'd end up doing just that, which bothered her.

Just like the fact that she had to resist the urge to call Kylan for the remainder of the night also bothered her.