CHAPTER 99: CHAPTER 99: VERY SWEET

Zinnia Lawrence let go of the door handle and turned to take her phone out of her pocket.

"I’m going to call Grandma."

Just as she was about to dial, the man plucked the phone from her grasp with two long fingers.

Zinnia looked up into Jenson Forrest’s deep eyes. His thin lips were pressed into a line.

"Is staying with me so unbearable?"

Zinnia quickly shook her head and smiled. "No, not at all."

Jenson saw through her lie in an instant. His brow furrowed as he suppressed his frustration and spoke in a gentle voice. "Wait to call her. Even if you get through now, Grandma won’t open the door for us."

Zinnia figured he was right and nodded.

Silence fell again. Jenson was still wearing a loosely draped bathrobe, and Zinnia wasn’t sure where to look. She pursed her lips.

"You should drink the ginger soup first."

However, Jenson remained standing motionlessly in front of her. Puzzled, Zinnia looked up, and a shadow fell over her face. His fingers brushed against her eyes, and she instinctively closed them.

"Do your eyes hurt?"

Jenson gently traced the reddened corners of her eyes. She had just lost control of her emotions, crying so much her eyelids had swollen.

His touch sent a tickle across her skin, making her eyelids and lashes tremble. She turned her head slightly to avoid his touch, then opened her eyes, which curved into a smile as she looked at him. "It doesn’t hurt. I’m not that delicate."

That wasn’t true, either.

Jenson let his hand fall to his side, where his fingers curled slightly. His thumb and forefinger rubbed together subconsciously, as if the soft, damp feel of her eyelid still lingered on them.

He remembered what she was like when she first arrived at the Forrest family estate: a strong but silent little girl. Like a wounded little animal, her hackles were always raised, utterly wary of the world. She wouldn’t cry or make a fuss, even when she was hurt.

But she had relied solely on him. She would curl up in his arms at night to cry, voicing her grievances to him and him alone.

He, however, wasn’t a particularly gentle or patient older brother and often grew annoyed with her.

Back then, he would pat the little girl’s head, or sometimes even scowl as he scolded her.

"So useless. Don’t you know how to fight back when you’re wronged? You’re embarrassing me. If you act like this again, don’t call me your brother. I don’t have a cowardly sister like you."

He had been fierce, yet she had foolishly smiled at him through her red, tear-filled eyes.

She was so obedient that it defused all his anger, making him want to protect her under his wing for a lifetime and hide her away from the world.

But the obedient little girl was bound to grow up. Gradually, her mind filled with complicated thoughts she was no longer willing to share with him.

He didn’t know when it started, but she learned to hide her true self from him. She stopped telling him the truth, and now, she wouldn’t even show him her vulnerability.

Jenson didn’t know how to comfort her or what to do with her anymore.

Suppressing the bitter frustration in his heart, he gently patted the top of her head. "Go take a shower and change. Your clothes are all wet."

Zinnia looked down at herself. He had held her in the bathroom earlier, and her clothes were indeed a little damp.

Not particularly wanting to face Jenson, she nodded. "Okay. You remember to drink the ginger soup. I’m going to take a shower."

Zinnia found a change of clothes and went into the bathroom. The scent of Jenson’s shower still lingered in the air, and the floor was still wet.

She stood there for a moment before undressing. She showered quickly.

But when she came out of the bathroom, Jenson was nowhere to be seen. On the table, however, sat an empty bowl. He had drunk the ginger soup.

Zinnia walked to the door and tried to open it. Strangely, it was still locked from the outside. Clearly, Old Madam Forrest hadn’t been the one to let him out.

What happened?

Just as Zinnia was wondering, she heard a noise from the window.

Towel-drying her hair, she walked toward it. Just as she reached the window, it was suddenly thrown open. A tall, agile figure braced his hands on the sill and vaulted inside.

"AH!" Zinnia cried, stumbling backward in fright as her slipper caught on the carpet.

Jenson, who had just vaulted through the window, took a quick step forward, his arm shooting out to wrap around her waist and pull her back.

Zinnia fell into his arms, clutching his shirt and looking up, still shaken.

Their eyes met, and she froze.

Jenson was casually dressed in sportswear. His hair was tousled and unstyled, a stark contrast to his usual immaculate appearance. He hadn’t dried it, and damp strands hung before his eyes. Sunlight poured in from the window, dancing in the strands and making him look years younger, even giving him a boyish air.

He looked just like the handsome young man from her memories, the one who had made her blush and fluster back when she was first discovering romance.

Zinnia couldn’t control the fluttering in her chest. Her heart raced, and her mind went blank.

Then, a hint of amusement flashed in Jenson’s eyes. "Scared? Why are you so timid?"

Zinnia came to her senses and pushed him away.

"Why did you come in through the window? This is the second floor! If you were in such a hurry to get out, I could have spoken to Grandma..."

Before she could finish, Jenson opened his palm toward her. In it lay a few pieces of orange candy.

Zinnia froze again. Jenson raised his hand, holding the candies out to her. She felt breathless, as if in a dream.

A boy climbing up to his beloved’s window, just to give her a piece of candy... It was so beautifully innocent it felt unreal.

"What are you spacing out for? See if this is your favorite kind," Jenson said, his voice laced with a smile. Seeing that she didn’t move, he unwrapped a candy and held it to her lips.

Zinnia instinctively opened her mouth and took it. The sweet and tangy orange flavor spread through her mouth. A bittersweet feeling bloomed in Zinnia’s heart as well.

"Is it good?" Jenson reached out again and patted her head.

As she savored the candy he’d given her, she felt a rare wave of tenderness from him.

Zinnia felt as if her heart were floating on a cloud. She lifted her head.

"It’s very sweet."

Jenson seemed pleased with her answer. The tension in his features eased considerably, and he bent slightly to look her in the eye.

"Still angry?"

The tip of Zinnia’s nose tingled, but she couldn’t stop her lips from curving into a real smile.

Her face flushing slightly, she shook her head and said stubbornly, "I already told you, I’m not angry anymore."

Jenson chuckled. How could he not see that only now had she truly gotten over the incident in the water? Amused and a little exasperated, Jenson playfully tapped her on the head.

"So easy to please. Other women want bags, cars, jewels, or houses when they’re angry. You’re still the same as when you were little. A single piece of candy is enough to appease you?"

With the candy in her mouth, Zinnia snatched the remaining pieces from Jenson’s palm. Pursing her lips, she said, "I just like candy. It’s sweet."

She turned, but Jenson laughed and reached for her.

"Let me taste just how sweet it is, that it’s better than bank cards and jewelry."

But Zinnia clutched the candy in her fist, stuffed it into her pocket, and covered the opening with her hand. "You found them, so you can go get more yourself. You gave these to me, so now they’re mine."

Guarding the candy, she looked like a child, or a little kitten protecting its food.

Utterly adorable.

Jenson found it so amusing that he bent down and swept her into his arms. Zinnia cried out in surprise, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck as her head snapped up. Before she could get a clear look at his face, a shadow fell over her.

He lowered his head and kissed her, his tongue exploring her mouth until it found the half-eaten orange candy, sharing its sweet and sour taste with her.

Flustered and annoyed, Zinnia balled her hands into fists and beat against his chest. Jenson carried her a few steps, laid her down on the bed, and pressed down on top of her, deepening the kiss.

His lips and tongue were scorching. In moments, the candy dissolved under the onslaught, its lingering taste swallowed and gone.

Zinnia’s face was flushed, her body went limp, and her head spun from the kiss.

The man’s large hand slid down her back to her waist and hips. His own body was reacting intensely, and the air grew stiflingly hot.

Only the breeze drifting in from the wide-open window offered a hint of coolness.