Sleeping With The CEO
Chapter 235: If She Says No

Chapter 235: If She Says No

In all of the rom-coms that Emily watched but would swear until she was blue in the face that she did not. Being asked to be someone’s girlfriend was a big deal.

Whenever it came to that point in the movie where the guy finally worked up the courage to ask the girl out. Emily was always cheering.

Often with tears in her eyes and a big smile on her face. That was how important the will you be my girlfriend question was.

After all, that was the question that led to the beautiful dates. The extravagant wedding where the couple had eyes only for each other. The big house that they moved into afterwards, and had kids that looked like them. The happily ever after. It all started with, will you be my girlfriend? And before all of that could start, it just needed one word from the girl, a simple yes, and the story would move along, the couple heading off into the sunset together.

That was how things went in the movies. And Emily really loved that part. That being said, the movies were the movies and real life was real life. When Derek had refused to accept her apology, Emily had been crestfallen. And then, the smooth man that he was. He had somehow turned that into him asking her to be his girlfriend. Emily had felt like swooning.

’Yes, yes Derek, I will be your girlfriend,’ She had wanted to say. But then the cold chains of reality

had wound tight around her, and pulled her back from the edge. Reminding her that this was not some romantic comedy.

That this was a real life question. One that would have real life consequences depending on how she answered it.

It was not something that she could rush into. And so Emily had looked into Derek’s expectant eyes and she had done something that had felt like it would be an impossible feat.

"No Derek, I cannot," She had said, shaking her head.

With those few words, she had destroyed the joy on Derek’s face.

It had looked as though she had killed the sun, the way the light had gone out from his eyes. Rather than get angry or ask her to leave, Derek had simply nodded.

His eyes glistening with unshed tears, and Emily had felt like kicking herself.

"You don’t um..." He had cleared his throat. His voice sounding suspiciously wet. "You do not have to explain yourself to me. Will this affect our sleeping arrangement?" He had asked and Emily had shaken her head.

"If you are still willing to share the bed with me. Then yes, you and I can continue. But if this makes you uncomfortable, then I can go," She had told him.

By some miracle, Derek had managed to find it in himself,

to not end the whole thing. Emily was pretty sure that if she had been in his shoes, she would have asked him to leave. At least for that very night, so that she could gather the pieces of her broken heart, and try to arrange them into something that looked and felt a little less broken.

But Derek was not like her. And now they were currently in bed together. But neither of them were sleeping.

Derek was on his back, staring at the ceiling, his breathing ragged. Nothing like the calm even inhales and exhales that Emily had come to associate with him when he was in bed. And she for her part was on her side, staring at the wall. Her hand beneath her pillow. The hours ticked away like that, both of them not sleeping and not speaking either.

All the while Emily’s mind was running. A multitude of thoughts coming at her all at once, until finally she whispered into the darkness.

"Derek?"

Behind her she felt Derek shift. Emily took that as a cue to roll over, their eyes meeting in the semi-darkness.

"I did not mean to turn you down," Emily found herself whispering.

"Then why did you say no? Derek asked.

She took a breath.

"If I said yes, and you and I broke up at some point in the future. Would our sleeping arrangement break off too" She asked. Emily was of the mind that a lot of relationships broke down because couples did not sit and talk about potential problems before they became issues.

"Emily, you and I were sleeping together way before I asked you to be my girlfriend. Even tonight when you said no, and it felt like my world was falling apart we have still kept on with our routine," He had a point there.

"So even if something were to happen in the future. You and I, our sleeping arrangement will most likely remain unchanged," Emily nodded.

At least he was being honest. He was not saying one hundred percent that if they were to date and break up, things would be okay. But there was still more that Emily wanted to be sure of.

"If I say yes to being your girlfriend. Then I could no longer be your PA. It just would not feel right for me to do, too many lines would blur,"

"I am not opposed to finding another job. But I would rather be sure of myself on where exactly it is that we stand before I take such a drastic decision," She told him.

"Dating is a big step. Would you be alright with us keeping it to ourselves?

At least for a little while?"

Emily asked" Across from her Derek took a breath. It sounded like a startled gasp, like he was beginning to hope. But he was forcing himself not to.

"Emily the two of us are keeping our sleeping arrangement secret.

because we have to. But if you were my girlfriend, I would not want to keep you secret. You are not some dirty skeleton to be hidden at the back of my closet. I would want to show you off to the world to tell everybody that this is Emily Molson, and she is the one for me,"

"She is my girl. But if such a thing were to make you uncomfortable, I will not force you into it,"

In the near darkness, Emily bit her lip. Every single thing that she had thought of as a stumbling block to their would-be relationship. Derek was systematically breaking down. Doing so with such single-mindedness that Emily could not help but believe him.

And just like that she felt the last of her reservations when it came to dating him begin to melt away. Emily had been the one to initiate their very first kiss, and then she had run away and come back with an apology, an apology that Derek had refused. Moving in the darkness, Emily leaned forward, and her lips found Derek’s in the dark. This time, when she pulled back. She did not apologize. Instead, she smiled.

"Derek Haven, I, Emily Molson, will be your girlfriend," She had barely finished the last word before Derek was on her, his lips insistent against her own.

A few moments later when they broke apart, she could hear the smile in Derek’s voice.

"Hello, girlfriend," He said. And Emily could not help a widening smile of her own. "Hello, boyfriend," She replied.