CHAPTER 202: CHAPTER 202 TEASING

She hesitated, fiddling with Snowball’s flipper. "Can I... save it for later? I don’t know what to ask right now."

He considered her for a moment, then nodded. "Fine. But I’m holding you to it."

As he started to stand, he paused, frowning slightly. "It stings."

"What?" She looked up at him in confusion.

"My neck," he clarified, touching the side of it lightly. "It’s been stinging since I woke up. Look at it for me." Without waiting for her agreement, he sat back down on her bed, turning slightly so she could see.

"A-alright," Bella said, setting Snowball aside. She leaned in to inspect the skin along his neck and froze when she saw them. Long, thin red scratches. Nail marks.

His voice was calm, almost teasing. "Well? Is there something?"

Her mouth went dry. She must have scratched him in her sleep. She clearly remembered that last night, his neck had been perfectly fine. Heat flooded her cheeks as she slowly reached out, brushing her fingertips lightly over the marks.

He hissed at the contact, the sound low and sharp, almost making her jerk her hand away.

"I-I’m sorry!" Bella blurted, guilt flashing across her face.

His brows pulled together slightly. "What’s there?"

She bit her lip, glancing at the red marks again. "I think I... accidentally scratched you in my sleep." Her voice dropped to a whisper, and her eyes turned glassy, tears already gathering at the corners.

Leo froze for a moment, caught off guard by how upset she looked. "Bella..." he muttered, cursing under his breath when he saw a tear slip down her cheek.

Before she could pull back, he reached for her and drew her onto his lap, his large hand cradling the back of her head as his thumb brushed away the wetness from her cheeks. "Hey. It’s okay. I didn’t get hurt much," he said, his voice softer than usual, though his expression still carried that unreadable edge.

"Really?" she asked, blinking up at him, her lashes trembling as the tears clung stubbornly.

"Really," he confirmed, his gaze holding hers for a beat longer than necessary.

She sniffled and wiped her nose lightly with the back of her hand. "I have a band-aid."

He arched a brow. "A band-aid? For this?"

Without answering, she slid off his lap and padded over to her cabinet, pulling open the drawer with quick, purposeful movements. She retrieved a fluffy yellow pouch, unzipping it to reveal a neat little collection of items, and pulled out a small alcohol bottle along with some wipes.

He leaned back slightly, watching her with faint amusement. "Why do you even have that?"

"Stupid! It’s my emergency kit," she said with a little frown, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You never know when you’ll need it."

His lips twitched. "Okay, nurse Bella. Do your worst."

She rolled her eyes but stepped closer, her expression turning serious as she gently dabbed the scratch with the alcohol-soaked wipe. Her touch was so careful that he barely felt a sting, and for a moment, he simply watched her work — the way her brows knitted together in concentration, the way her bottom lip pressed against her teeth, the soft scent of her shampoo lingering between them.

Finally, she pulled out a pink band-aid decorated with tiny strawberries and smoothed it gently over his skin. "Done!" she declared, stepping back with a small smile of satisfaction.

He reached up, lightly touching the spot, then nodded. "Not bad."

"You can go now," Bella said, crossing her arms.

His brows shot up. "Kicking me out already?"

"No, I just... I want to change my clothes," she replied honestly.

"You could do that in the bathroom," he suggested, his tone laced with faint teasing.

"No," she said quickly, narrowing her eyes as if daring him to argue.

He smirked but didn’t push it, rising to his feet with that lazy grace of his. "Fine."

Only when the door closed behind him did Bella let out a small sigh of relief. She rummaged through her wardrobe, pulling out a fresh dress. She’d completely forgotten to bring her clothes and underwear to the bathroom earlier when she showered.

***

Downstairs, Bella had barely set foot into the living room when Jay’s voice came bouncing toward her like a ball.

"Hey, Bella? Why are your cheeks sooo red this early in the morning?!" His grin was wide, eyes glinting with mischief. "You look like an apple fresh off the tree."

Bella froze mid-step, her fingers tightening slightly on the hem of her dress. "It’s—it’s nothing!" she blurted, but the pink on her cheeks only deepened.

Jay gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. "Ohhh no... don’t tell me—"

Before he could finish, Jace’s smirk curved lazily from the couch, his gaze flicking between her flushed face and the direction of the stairs. "Looks like someone had... a very eventful morning."

"Wha—?!" Bella’s mouth dropped open. "You two—"

Jay ignored her flustered protest, stepping forward with exaggerated hurt in his tone. "Bella Bell, don’t ignore us like this! What about us, huh? We’ve been your besties since forever. Now that you have a husband, are you just going to abandon us like yesterday’s leftovers?"

"Exactly," Jace added smoothly, leaning back with his arms stretched along the couch. "You’re glowing, and it’s not because of us. I’m feeling deeply underappreciated here."

"I am not glowing!" Bella insisted, stomping a foot lightly, which only made Jay let out a fake sob.

"She’s blushing again!" he announced loudly, pointing at her as if he’d just uncovered a scandal.

Bella covered her face with both hands, groaning. "You guys are impossible."

"And you," Jace said, tilting his head toward Jay, "need to accept that we’ve been replaced."

Jay sniffled loudly for effect. "I can’t believe this betrayal... I’m going to need therapy."

"Then go book it," Bella muttered, darting toward the kitchen before they could pile on more teasing. But her ears were still burning red, and the sound of their chuckles followed her like a stubborn shadow.

Bella hurried into the kitchen, pretending to busy herself with the fridge door while her thoughts ran wild. Oh my goodness... Her eyes widened slightly as the realization hit. They probably saw Leo coming out of my room earlier!

Her stomach flipped, half with embarrassment, half with... something she didn’t want to name. That’s why they’re teasing me like vultures circling their prey.