The following day, I woke up feeling sticky and ufortable.


    Opening my eyes, I realized I was lying there half-exposed, with only a thin sheet covering me, as if it were myst shred of dignity.


    Suddenly, I heard a soft sigh, and when I looked down, I saw Selena lying in my


    arms.


    She, too, was bare, with only a sliver of modesty left.


    Seeing her like this left my mind nk.


    It was obvious that something had happened between Selena and I the previous night.


    The very thing I had always been worried about had finally happened.


    I had thought about how I might handle it if something like this urred, but now that it had, I was at aplete loss.


    Staring at Selena nestled in my arms, my thoughts were in disarray.


    I pulled myself free from her embrace and got up to dress myself.


    Maybe I moved too abruptly, because it woke Selena.


    She rubbed her eyes, looking at me. Instead of shock or panic, she smiled at me, almost like she''d been waiting for this moment.


    "Good morning, Hud. Did you sleep wellst night?"


    Because of the drinks, my memory of the night before was fragmented, and what I could recall were only blurry scenes of being entangled with Selena. Just thinking about it made my cheeks heat up.


    Selena noticed and reached out to poke my flushed face. Laughing, she asked, "Hud, why are you blushing this early in the morning?"


    "Selena, aboutst night... we..." I couldn''t bring myself to say it, but I knew she understood.


    She chuckled and got up, and as she did, the sheet fell from her shoulders, revealing her graceful figure.


    After a month or two of recovery, the scars on Selena''s back had faded significantly, making them look less harsh than before. In fact, they even added a strange, haunting beauty to her back.


    Her figure had also grown thinner from the fatigue of recent days, making her waist appear fragile, and it seemed like a gust of wind could topple her.


    Selena walked over, wrapped her arms around my neck, leaned down, and kissed my cheek. With a yful smile, she said, "Hudson, did you forget? Legally, we''re already married, so what we did ispletely normal and allowed. So, why are you so surprised?"


    "Oh, and I forgot to ask. Did you have a good timest night? Because I certainly did. How about a little more, now that we still have time?"


    "Selena, you..." I looked at her, not knowing what to say.


    I quickly disentangled myself from her hold and put on my clothes.


    "Selena, wasst night your doing? What did you do to me?"


    I pride myself on my self-control, and I know for sure I wouldn''t just lose it from drinking.


    I had been drunk enough times to know that this shouldn''t have happened.


    There had to be something more going on.


    Selena''s face turned red at my usation.


    Lowering her head, she replied with a hurt expression, "What could I have done? You got drunk, and I was nice enough to take you home. I didn''t expect you to... to lose yourself like that. Then one thing led to another..."


    "You were relentlessst night," she continued to say, putting on a hurt expression


    as she rubbed her sore back. "I''m still sore all over."


    Watching her shamelessly lie, I took a deep breath, struggling to keep my emotions in check.