Chapter 42

After the bonfire, Emily and Oliver made their way back to their room and changed into their sleeping attire. The warmth of the fire still lingered in their bones, but the reality of their situation quickly settled in as they closed the door behind them. They stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, neither quite sure how to proceed.

Oliver cleared his throat and offered, "I can take the couch, Ms. Collins. You should take the bed."

Emily shook her head, her sense of duty as his secretary kicking in but also noticing that he easily switched the way he called her.

"No, Oliver—I mean Sir, you're the one who should take the bed. I’m fine with the couch."

"Ms. Collins, I insist. You've been through a lot today, and you deserve to be comfortable."

"No, really. It's just a couch. I’ll be fine." Before Oliver could move to the couch, Emily grabbed a pillow and made a dash for it.

"Emily, wait!" Oliver called out, reaching for her hand. As he did, Emily accidentally slipped on a piece of