Side Story 14
Honestly, I was half-joking when I asked. I figured he was already on edge, concerned about my injury and making sure no water got in. There was no way he would act impulsively in this situation.
…But I didn’t expect him to react like this.
“Please, stop.”
Claude ran a hand through his messy hair, clearly frustrated.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he seemed to realize his mistake.
“Rose, what I meant was…”
“It’s fine. I get it.”
The problem was that I was already ticked. I pulled my hand away from him, my expression turning serious. His face immediately showed regret.
“Don’t worry. I’m not misunderstanding. It’s not that you don’t like me, you’re just worried about putting strain on my injuries, right? But… am I doing this for no reason? Isn’t it your fault that I’m feeling this way in the first place?”
“…What?”
“This is all because! You’re constantly in front of me with that perfect face and body! And if that wasn’t enough, you keep pulling me into those strong arms and chest, so of course I’m like this!”
“No, that’s not…”
“Yeah, whatever the reason, like the doctor said, a relationship isn’t one-sided. It’s mutual. So I’ll respect your feelings. If you’re not ready yet, I’ll hold back. But since I’m making concessions, you’ll have to cooperate with me too, right?”
“Rose.”
Claude, sensing where this was going, immediately turned serious. But I wasn’t backing down.
“Get out.”
“Please…”
“Not leaving?”
I glared at him with wide eyes until he finally let out a heavy sigh.
* * *
Click.
When I opened the bathroom door after finishing my bath alone, it wasn’t a surprise to find Claude standing there. Even though I’d kicked him out, he couldn’t rest easy, too worried about me.
As if taking a bath on my own was going to kill me, ugh. A surge of rebelliousness swelled inside me.
Still, I didn’t refuse when he wrapped a towel around my damp body and lifted me up. Even though I could have walked from the bathroom to the bedroom without any problem, there was no way Claude would let that happen.
Of course, just because I let him carry me didn’t mean my mood had improved. The moment he set me down on the bed, I grabbed the blanket and burrowed into it like a mole before he could do anything else.
I knew how childish it was. But I stubbornly stayed hidden under the blanket. At this point, the reason I was angry didn’t even matter anymore.
“…Rose, get up.”
After a brief silence, he sighed and spoke softly. Naturally, I ignored him.
But when he tugged the blanket and lifted me up, I was helpless.
“No, stop! Don’t use your strength!”
Claude didn’t listen. There was no way I could win in a contest of strength against him. Like a stuffed bear, I was effortlessly lifted into his arms. If that wasn’t enough, he even dragged my tangled hair out from under the blanket.
Even though I was forced to show my face, I glared at him, ready to bite, or so I thought.
The moment his lips met mine, I knew things were different. This wasn’t the usual careful touch he gave me these days.
His tongue was soft but insistent, not the calm, gentle kisses I was used to. There was no sign of the restraint he normally showed when trying to calm me down.
Instead, I sensed an urgency that was almost overwhelming.
Now, I was the one caught off guard. But there was no way I was going to miss this opportunity.
Even as I trembled when his hand slipped between my thighs, I reached out, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck.
It felt like my heart was pounding so loudly I could hear it. Suddenly, it hit me—this was really happening for the first time in a long while.
Our bodies tangled tightly together as he laid me back down on the soft mattress. Even as our breath mingled and his kiss grew more impatient, one of his hands fumbled clumsily on the nightstand.
The contrast between his rough handling of the drawer and the gentle way he touched me was striking.
But then, he froze.
He rose slightly, casting a long shadow over me, his face suddenly rigid.
“Why… What’s wrong…?”
I had lifted myself up after him, my tongue still hanging out from our kiss, when I noticed where his eyes had landed.
That’s when I realized why he had suddenly stopped moving.
Oh no…
“Rose, don’t tell me, you…”
“…No! No way!”
Guilty people always give themselves away, and I was no exception.
Facing his suspicious, crimson eyes, all I could do was sigh inwardly.
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