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I slightly bristled at that.
“Why am I strange? Because I’m hesitant to share your bed?” I asked with a hint of defiance.
“We’re soulmates,” he said as if that was all the information needed. “Mates share a bed.”
“Yes, but I don’t know you,” I countered in a tone I hoped would be non-confrontational.
“True, but how will separating help the process of us getting to know each other?” Taelen asked, seeming genuinely baffled.
“It won’t,” I conceded. “But this also feels a little rushed.”
His confusion cranked up another notch. He opened his mouth before closing it. I couldn’t tell whether he had intended to argue or further question my logic. Instead, he shrugged.
“Very well. You can sleep in my sister’s old room. This way,” he said, waving towards the door before starting to leave the room.
“Wait!” I exclaimed, feeling like a complete idiot. “It’s okay. I can sleep here with you.”
He just stared at me in silence, a million different emotions fleeting over his face. I would have given anything to read his thoughts right this instant. He was probably starting to wonder about my intelligence level to see me flip-flopping like this.
“I’m sorry,” I said sheepishly when the seconds stretched. “My previous reaction was just instinctive. In my world, it can be frowned upon for a woman to put herself in what is deemed an intimate position with a male she just met. Even though mentalities have greatly evolved on that front, some people still see it as a woman being too easy.”
“A woman but not a man?” he challenged.
“It used to be only frowned upon for the woman—and it still predominantly is—but men are also perceived as unserious and frivolous nowadays if they are too eager,” I said timidly.
His less-than-impressed look struck another nerve. Considering their open mentality, comparable to the Thalans, I understood perfectly why he would see this as completely irrational.
“Why do humans overcomplicate what is simple? What difference does it make whether two people attracted to each other put themselves in an intimate position the first day or the twentieth day?” he asked with a curiosity devoid of judgment or aggression.
“I guess it’s about making sure that this person is worth having sex with,” I said pensively. “You may be physically attracted to someone, but spending a few days in their company may reveal that they are complete idiots not worthy of your time, let alone of access to your body.”
“Then, the day you realize that, you can simply stop intimate interactions with them,” he said in a self-evident manner.
“Yes, but they still had you,” I argued.
“Just like you had them. Why is it a problem?” Taelen asked, truly baffled.
“Because humans tend to judge each other’s value based on how many people they’ve been with and the quality of those people. So if you were in a relationship with an idiot, you must be an idiot yourself,” I said while tucking a lock of hair behind my ear.
“So you think I might be an idiot not worthy of sharing your bed?” he asked.
“NO! I didn’t mean it that way!” I exclaimed, horrified, only to see the teasing smirk on his lips. “Oh my God, you brat! You’re making fun of me!”
“Yes, a little,” he admitted shamelessly. “You and your people have a really strange mentality. Do you think I would think less of you if we slept in the same bed?”
“No,” I replied honestly.
“Would you think less of me for it?” he insisted.
“Of course not,” I replied, my cheeks heating when he raised an eyebrow at the self-evident tone I used, implying it was a silly question.
“Do you think I would consider you easy should we be intimate today, tomorrow, or any other day thereafter?”
I heaved the sigh. “No. You made your point.”
“I’m not trying to shame you, let alone coerce you into anything, Mirella. We are soulmates from very different cultures. I need to understand your way of thinking and explain mine to you so that we can build a harmonious future,” he said in a gentle tone.
“I understand that,” I said with an awkward smile.
