Married To The Billionaire Alpha King-Chapter 57 - you’ll survive

57

~Elara’s POV

We tried the arcade games next, and honestly, the whole place felt too bright and too cheerful for anything but laughter. Janae made the first loud noise, jumping in front of the racing game with unnecessary determination. But the moment the car on the screen began to move, she started panicking.

"Why is the car not stopping?!" she shouted, pressing every button like she was fighting the machine.

David almost fell to the floor laughing. "Because you’re pressing the accelerator, not the brake."

She paused. Looked at the buttons. Then looked at him. "Oh."

He imitated her voice dramatically. "Yeah. Oh."

I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. The two of them bickered a little more before the car crashed on screen, and Janae threw her hands up in surrender.

Darlon tugged gently on my hand. "Come challenge me."

I raised a brow. "Challenge you in what?"

He pointed at the basketball arcade machine with a little smirk. "This."

I shook my head immediately. "You’ll win. It’s not even a contest."

"Maybe," he teased, stepping closer. "Or maybe you’ll surprise me."

There was something playful in his eyes that made me narrow mine. "Fine. Let’s play."

We took our places at the machine, and the buzzer beeped. The balls started rolling out. I grabbed one quickly and threw it. It hit the side of the rim and bounced away. Then I missed another. And another. And another.

"I suck," I groaned loudly, dragging a hand down my face.

"No," he said, laughing softly, his voice warm and annoyingly charming. "You’re adorable."

I shot him a look. "Stop distracting me."

He leaned in slightly. "But that’s my job."

"Darlon!" I said sharply, though I couldn’t stop the smile creeping up on me.

He laughed and picked up another ball, holding it out to me. "Try again."

I took it, threw it, and watched it bounce uselessly off the backboard.

I sighed loudly. "See? Useless."

He walked behind me, his presence wrapping around me before he even touched me. Then his hands slid over mine, steady and warm. His chest pressed against my back, slow and firm, like he was trying not to overwhelm me. My breath caught a little without warning.

"Like this," he murmured near my ear. "Aim a little higher."

I swallowed slowly. His voice was low and soft, and my hands trembled just a bit under his. He adjusted my wrists gently, taking his time, moving me like he wasn’t in a hurry at all.

"Now throw," he whispered.

I did. The ball went up. It dropped in cleanly through the net.

I gasped happily and turned my head toward him. "I did it!"

He smiled, and then he leaned in to kiss my cheek, slow and soft. "Good girl."

My knees almost gave up on me right there. I held the machine for support, trying not to melt into the floor.

Behind us, I heard clapping.

"Awwwwwwww," David and Janae sang together like two annoying parrots.

I spun around and glared at them. "Shut up."

Janae giggled loudly. "No."

David grinned. "Never."

Even though I rolled my eyes, I couldn’t stop smiling. Something about the whole moment felt warm, like a blanket wrapped around a cold evening.

We kept playing after that. Sometimes I would win a round surprisingly, and Darlon would act like I had just achieved the greatest victory on earth. Other times, I lost terribly, and he would tease me gently, telling me to focus or asking if he should guide me again. I pretended to be annoyed, but the truth was that I liked every second of his attention.

Janae and David argued over every tiny thing, from who cheated to who missed the easiest shot. Their bickering made everything louder and funnier. Sometimes I laughed too much to even throw the ball properly. Darlon kept smiling at me like he enjoyed seeing me so free, and every time our eyes met, something warm flickered between us.

I settled deeper into the couch cushions, trying to catch my breath. My legs felt like jelly from all the running around, and the back of my neck was damp with sweat. I didn’t even care. I just pressed my cheek against Darlon’s shoulder, letting myself melt a little.

"I’m tired," I murmured. My voice came out soft and tiny, like the words were slipping out without permission.

"Then come here," he said, almost like he’d been waiting for me to admit it. He tugged me closer with that quiet confidence he always carried. His arm slid around my waist, warm and firm, and I settled into him before I even thought about it. My head rested on his chest, and I could hear the steady thump of his heart. It made me feel... safe, in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Janae stretched dramatically, her toes pointing out like a tired ballerina. "This place is heaven. I’m never leaving," she announced, flopping back into the couch opposite us.

David gave her this amused, slightly confused look. "You live here now?"

"Maybe," she said with a lazy grin, closing her eyes like she was already imagining the idea. "I’ll just move in. I’ll take the room with the big mirror and the soft pillows."

He chuckled, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "Then I guess I’ll stay too."

Janae’s eyes flew open. She turned to him so fast her curls bounced. "Really?"

The way she asked it... almost scared, almost excited. Like she wasn’t sure she heard him right.

David nodded once, serious but gentle. "Sure."

And something changed in the air. Subtle, but real.

Janae blinked. Then blinked again. Then let out this tiny, awkward laugh. "You...you can’t just decide that. You don’t even know if I snore."

David shrugged. "I don’t mind."

"You don’t mind snoring?" she asked, pointing at herself like she was the biggest trouble he could ever take on.

"I don’t mind you," he corrected.

Her face softened. Just melted. I swear, I saw her lips tremble a little before she quickly tucked them in.

I didn’t say a word. Neither did Darlon. We just watched quietly, like we were witnessing something neither of them was ready to name yet.

Janae cleared her throat, trying to act normal. "Well... you can’t stay in my room for free. I’ll charge you rent."

David’s mouth lifted. "Fine. What’s the price?"

"One meat pie a day."

"Deal."

They sat there staring at each other in this strange, warm silence.

I nudged Darlon with my shoulder, whispering, "They’re so gone."

"They’re finished," he murmured back, and I felt the quiet laugh rumble through his chest against my cheek.

Janae caught us looking and wrinkled her nose. "What? Why are you smiling like that?"

"Nothing," I said quickly, though I couldn’t stop my smile. "Absolutely nothing."

But we all knew something had shifted. Something soft. Something sweet.

And maybe, just maybe... something real.

"Just make sure you use protection," I screamed.

It came out louder than I intended, sharp enough that even Darlon’s chest jerked beneath me. Janae’s eyes widened so much I thought they might pop out. David’s mouth fell open like he hadn’t expected me to have lungs that strong.

"ELARA!" Janae practically choked. "Why would you say that out loud?"

I lifted my head from Darlon’s chest, blinking innocently. "What? I’m just being a responsible friend."

"You’re being a menace," she fired back, covering her face with both hands.

David coughed, trying so hard not to laugh that his shoulders shook. "She’s... not wrong."

"DAVID!" Janae hit him with a pillow so hard the poor boy gasped.

I couldn’t help laughing. Maybe I should’ve felt bad, but honestly? No. The moment was too sweet, too ridiculous.

Darlon wrapped his arm tighter around me and whispered near my ear, "You enjoy chaos."

"Not all the time," I whispered back. "Just when Janae starts acting like she’s in a romance movie."

"I am not acting," Janae shot back, glaring at me through her fingers. "You embarrassed me."

I smiled. "You love me."

"I don’t love that statement."

David raised his hands slowly. "For what it’s worth... I appreciate the advice, your majesty."

She groaned again. "Can someone drag me out of this room?"

"No," I said sweetly. "You’ll survive."

Janae buried her face into the pillow, kicking her legs like a frustrated child. "I hate all of you."

"You don’t," David murmured, leaning closer to her.

She froze. Completely still.