[BL] Dear Hushand, I want divorce-Chapter 144: My plan is working

When they reached the reception, the girl behind the desk looked up at them, clearly puzzled by the sight of Ryder carrying Noah in his arms. Thankfully, the hall was empty, and they didn’t attract too much attention. Noah, still red with embarrassment, glared at the situation he was in.

"How can I help you?" the receptionist asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We need a room," Ryder said casually and Noah lowered his head out of embarrassment.

She typed quickly. "How many rooms?"

"One," Ryder said smoothly. frёewebηovel.cѳm

"Two," Noah said at the exact same moment.

They exchanged a disbelieving look, Noah’s eyes burning with indignation. Ryder gave a half-smirk and asked, "Can’t you just keep your mouth shut for once?"

Noah scoffed. "I’m not staying with you in one room."

The receptionist looked at them both, clearly wondering what kind of situation she had stumbled upon. "Unfortunately," she said slowly, "we only have one room left. We’re fully booked because of the rain."

Ryder sighed dramatically, though there was a hint of satisfaction behind his expression. "Guess we’re stuck together, Doll face." He took the key without missing a beat and nodded toward the elevator.

Noah glared at him. "I’ll just sleep in the hallway."

Ryder ignored him, and began to walk much to his protest. "Let’s go," he said, his voice teasing as always.

"Put me down now!" Noah demanded, squirming in Ryder’s arms.

"You’re too slow on that ankle," Ryder said with a smirk, carrying him all the way to their room. When they entered, Ryder threw Noah onto the bed with little ceremony, causing him to wince at the sudden movement.

"Are you insane?!" Noah rubbed his leg, glaring at Ryder, who casually strolled over and pinched Noah’s cheeks playfully.

"You almost made me deaf with all that complaining," Ryder teased, shaking his head in mock frustration.

Noah swatted his hand away. "Maybe if you weren’t such a pain in the ass, I wouldn’t need to complain."

Ryder sat on the edge of the bed, smirking. "A pain in the ass? Oh, I can certainly give you pain in your ass if you want."

"I hate this," Noah corrected him, his voice dripping with annoyance. "And you know what else I hate? You."

Ryder chuckled, stretching his arms out. "You keep saying that, but your body language says otherwise. You let me carry you all the way here."

Noah rolled his eyes. "Because you couldn’t listen to me, you idiot. And now my leg hurts more thanks to your ’gentle’ treatment."

Ryder leaned in slightly, his smirk growing wider. "Well, my bad. But I gotta say, you’re pretty cute when you’re angry. So, how do you feel with me as your roommate for the night."

Noah cursed under his breath, muttering, "I’d rather share a room with a snake."

"Ssssss," Ryder hissed playfully, making Noah groan even louder in frustration.

Noah shivered as the cold from his damp clothes seeped into his bones. He tried to move, but the pain in his leg shot up like fire, making him wince.

"You should shower," Ryder said, his voice surprisingly soft now. "I’ll call the service to bring us some dry clothes."

Noah barely managed a nod as he attempted to shift himself toward the edge of the bed. He gritted his teeth, determined not to show how much pain he was in, but every movement made it worse. Just as he tried to stand, he collapsed back onto the bed, cursing under his breath.

Ryder noticed instantly, his brow furrowing in concern. "Is it hurting that much?" he asked, walking over to Noah. His voice carried an edge of worry, and despite Noah’s best efforts to hold back, he shot Ryder a savage look.

"No, I’m just pretending for attention," Noah snapped sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Ryder glared back, though the irritation didn’t last long. He sighed and sat beside Noah on the bed, gently taking Noah’s injured leg and resting it on his knee. "Let me take a look," he muttered, inspecting the swelling that had worsened since their walk in the rain.

As Ryder’s hands moved carefully over his leg, Noah couldn’t help but wince, his face tightening with the sting of pain. "Ow—dammit, Ryder!" he cursed, glaring at him.

Ryder held his hands up for a moment, feigning innocence. "Alright, alright. I didn’t know you were this delicate."

Noah groaned, trying to ignore the jolt of pain still traveling up his leg.

Ryder, however, looked serious as he examined the injury. "I don’t know if we can find a doctor in this weather, but I’ll ask for ice packs and some ointment," he said, his focus entirely on Noah’s leg as if it was the most important thing in the world.

Noah watched him closely, his mind swirling with conflicting emotions. Ryder looked so...caring. He almost looked like a different person—worried, focused, and gentle.

But if Ryder really cared, then why had he hurt Noah so much in the past? Why did he treat him like a plaything, then act as if nothing happened? Was this the real Ryder? Or was it just another trick?

The harder Noah tried to make sense of it, the more confused he became. He couldn’t appreciate this side of Ryder, not with the pain of his past still fresh. His mind battled between the warmth Ryder was showing now and the cold-hearted man who had shattered him before.

"Why are you staring at me?" Ryder’s voice pulled Noah from his thoughts.

Noah blinked, quickly looking away. "I wasn’t staring."

Ryder chuckled under his breath, a slight smirk forming on his lips. "Right. Anyway, you should go shower before you wet the whole bed."

Noah looked at him incredulously. "How do you expect me to shower when I can barely move?"

Ryder pulled Noah’s leg a bit, making him yelp. "You don’t want to freeze to death, do you?"

Noah muttered a curse, trying to move off the bed, but the pain flared up again. He clenched his fists, feeling the frustration build.

"Fine," Noah snapped, "but I’m taking the bed. I’m injured, after all."

Ryder stood up, stretching. "Yeah, right. So, where am I supposed to sleep?"

Noah shot him a glare. "You can sleep on the floor."

Ryder raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "The floor? Me? No way." He crossed his arms and smirked. "I guess we’ll have to share the bed then."

"No," Noah said firmly, narrowing his eyes. "I’m not sharing a bed with you."

Ryder tilted his head, amused. "Oh, come on. You act like it’s the worst thing in the world."

"It is the worst thing," Noah replied, eyes burning with frustration.

Ryder grinned wickedly, leaning a bit closer. "I don’t know. You say that, but if I’m remembering correctly, you didn’t seem to mind when I was holding you earlier."

Noah’s face turned red. "That was because I had no choice! My leg is broken, you moron."

Ryder’s grin only widened. "And what’s stopping you from enjoying my company now? You know, I could warm you up a bit, if you’re still cold."

Noah’s eyes widened, his face flushing even more. "Eww, disgusting."

Ryder shrugged casually. "Just saying, sharing the bed might be a lot more fun than you think. Especially with all this tension and fight between us.

Noah glared, biting back the urge to smack him. "I swear, if you so much as touch me—"

Ryder chuckled darkly, enjoying Noah’s reactions far too much. "Relax, Doll face. I won’t do anything...unless, of course, you want me to misbehave."

Noah ground his teeth together, his heart racing despite the anger bubbling inside him. How was Ryder still able to get under his skin like this? He refused to give in, but Ryder’s presence made it impossible to ignore the tension between them.

After a while. Ryder stepped out of the shower, running a hand through his damp hair. The steam followed him as he entered the room, and his gaze immediately locked on Noah, sitting on the bed, still shivering slightly. Noah’s shirt, now practically see-through from the rain, clung to his skin, outlining the curves of his body. His wet hair stuck to his forehead, and the sight of him—flushed, vulnerable, and utterly gorgeous—sent a wave of heat through Ryder.

Fuck.

Ryder’s thoughts instantly veered into dangerous territory. Noah, sitting there like that, looking so damn tempting. His mind spiralled further as he drank in every detail—how Noah’s shirt clung to his chest, the way his lips were slightly parted, still catching his breath. Ryder could feel himself hardening just from the sight of it. God, he looks...perfect. The way the water dripped from his hair, the way his skin glistened—it all made Ryder’s pulse race.

Noah looked up at Ryder, and for a brief second, their eyes met. Ryder noticed the way Noah’s breath caught, and his face flushed even more when he realised Ryder was standing there in nothing but a towel, droplets of water still rolling down his toned chest. Noah quickly averted his eyes, but not before Ryder caught the way they flickered with something...more.

Ryder smirked, unable to resist pushing Noah’s buttons. "Enjoying the view?"

Noah scowled, though the blush deepening on his cheeks betrayed him. "Put some damn clothes on," he muttered, turning his gaze toward the floor, flustered.

"Where’s the fun in that?" Ryder shot back, stepping closer. He couldn’t help but admire the way Noah tried—and failed—to maintain his composure.

Before Noah could respond, there was a knock on the door. Ryder opened it to find room service, handing over a bag with dry clothes and some medications. "Thanks," he said, closing the door and tossing the bag on the bed next to Noah.

He glanced down at Noah’s leg. It was still swollen, and though Noah tried to hide it, Ryder could tell it was hurting him. "Go shower first," Ryder said, his voice softer now. "Then I’ll put some meds on your leg. We need to get the swelling down."

Noah looked up at him, hesitating for a moment. His gaze lingered longer than usual, trailing over Ryder’s broad shoulders and down his chest, and Ryder couldn’t help but notice. Noah’s face turned an even deeper shade of red, and he quickly looked away again, his voice barely above a whisper. "I-I can take care of myself."

Ryder raised an eyebrow, enjoying how flustered Noah had become. "Sure you can," he said with a smirk. "But your leg says otherwise. Go on, shower. I’ll handle the rest."

Noah’s pride wouldn’t let him admit defeat so easily, but the pain in his leg was making it impossible to argue. He nodded, standing slowly, wincing as he moved toward the bathroom.

Ryder’s eyes followed him, unable to tear himself away from the sight. Noah, beautiful and stubborn, trying to act unaffected. But Ryder knew better.

When Noah disappeared into the bathroom, Ryder sat on the bed, running a hand through his wet hair, trying to focus on something—anything—other than the thoughts running wild in his mind. What the hell is wrong with me? You horny monster!

And damn, Noah was making it hard to resist.

After a while, the bathroom door opened, and Noah stepped out, his hair still wet but freshly showered. He was wearing one of the hotel’s oversized bathrobes, but it did little to hide the way it hung loosely off his shoulder, exposing just enough skin to make Ryder’s thoughts wander again.

Ryder’s mouth went dry for a second as he took in the sight of Noah, fresh and clean, with an almost innocent look on his face. Too tempting. Way too tempting.

"Sit," Ryder said, gesturing to the bed. "Let me put the meds on your leg."

Noah hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with how much Ryder was seeing through him right now. But he limped over and sat down on the edge of the bed, his eyes avoiding Ryder’s as much as possible.

Ryder knelt down, pulling Noah’s injured leg onto his lap to get a better look. He unscrewed the cap of the ointment and started rubbing it gently over the swollen area. Noah winced again, biting his lip to keep from cursing.

"You’re such a baby," Ryder muttered, though there was no malice in his tone.

"And you’re an ass," Noah shot back, though his voice lacked its usual bite.

Ryder glanced up, locking eyes with him. "At least I’m a helpful ass," he quipped, but his smirk faded as his gaze softened, and for a brief second, something more tender passed between them.

Noah, flustered as ever, quickly looked away, his voice low. "Why are you...doing this? Being nice all of a sudden?"

Ryder paused, his hands stilling on Noah’s leg. He wasn’t sure how to answer that. Part of him wanted to keep teasing and stay oblivious But another part of him—a part he wasn’t used to—wanted to be real, to tell Noah just how much he cared for Noah.

But instead, Ryder smirked, leaning in just a bit closer. "Maybe I just like having you in my debt. Or maybe," his voice lowered, "I enjoy watching you squirm."

Noah’s eyes widened, his face heating up again, and Ryder chuckled.

Noah scoffed. "Asshole!"

Ryder finished applying the ointment, standing up with a cocky grin. "You’re welcome, by the way."

Noah glared at him but couldn’t hold it for long, especially with how Ryder was looking at him now. He shifted awkwardly, trying to maintain some semblance of control. "Fine," Noah muttered. "But I’m still taking the bed."

Ryder raised an eyebrow. "And where am I supposed to sleep?"

"The floor," Noah said flatly, folding his arms.

Ryder smirked. "You think I’m going to sleep on the floor when there’s a perfectly good bed right here?"

Noah warned him. "You are not sleeping in the same bed as me."

Ryder’s grin widened. "What, afraid you won’t be able to resist?"

Noah’s face flushed again. "That’s not—no, I just—"

"Relax," Ryder cut him off, his tone dripping with amusement. "I’ll keep my hands to myself... unless you ask nicely. You can’t get me so easily."

"Shut up," Noah grumbled, turning his back to Ryder, but his heart was racing, and Ryder could see it.

Maybe it was indeed the best idea to come here.

My plan is working. Ryder thought.