Chapter 772 Johnny, I Get Tired Too
Johnny's heart skipped a beat.
He was certain that Lola knew Tracy's identity. She was saying this just to get under his skin.
As he took the cup, he pondered how to respond.
The next second, his body trembled slightly because Lola's hand covered the back of his. He hadn't felt that soft, delicate touch of a woman in a long time, especially from the woman he loved most.
He couldn't muster a single word to explain or refute.
He could even feel her palm move slightly. They had been married for years, and even the smallest physical contact was enough to stir emotions.
Something was quietly awakening inside him!
Since his leg injury, this was the first time Johnny felt such a strong desire. He knew the timing and place were all wrong, but he couldn't help but swallow hard.
Lola smiled faintly. "Johnny, what's wrong? Why is your forehead all sweaty?"
As she spoke, she reached out to touch his forehead.
"I'm fine!"
Johnny's response was quick and urgent, clearly a bit guilty. After he spoke, the atmosphere became very subtle. Lola watched him, then slowly said, "As long as you're fine."
For some reason, Johnny felt like his emotions were being controlled by her.
Johnny didn't like this feeling, but for now, he had no way to deal with Lola. Sure enough, Lola leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "Johnny, you don't look fine to me!"
Lola finished speaking slowly, then let go of his hand and bent down to take care of Stella.
Johnny finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, his whole body tensed up as he caught a glimpse of Lola's neckline from his angle.
It had been two years since Sunset City, and he had been celibate all this time.
Two years without a woman.
He suspected Lola was doing it on purpose, but her expression was so gentle and focused on taking care of Stella that it didn't seem like she was trying to seduce him at all.
Johnny tilted his head back and drank most of the water in the cup, still feeling unsatisfied.
At this moment, Lola straightened up and said, "Stella's fine now. If you're not feeling well, you can go back first."
Johnny leaned back against the sofa and said calmly, "I already sent the driver back."
This meant he wasn't leaving.
Lola didn't push him. She glanced in the direction of the hospital room and said, "You can sleep inside. It'll be more comfortable."
Johnny wanted to stay with Stella a bit longer.
Lola had no objections. She leaned against the head of the hospital bed, flipping through some law firm documents.
Johnny couldn't help but ask, "Do you have to look at those tonight? Are you that busy?"
Lola didn't look up, just said softly, "Yes, I'm quite busy. Not only do I have to handle the law firm's affairs with Vertex Innovations Group, but I also have three kids to take care of. It's not as easy as it is for you and Tracy."
Johnny fell silent.
After a moment, his voice was hoarse, "If it gets too much, you can send the kids to stay with me."
Lola smiled, "Wouldn't that disturb your alone time with Tracy?"
She always had a sarcastic tone, and Johnny was starting to lose his patience. He said quietly, "Lola, you don't need to probe me like this!"
Lola looked up at him.
Her gaze was deep, and even Johnny couldn't see through it or understand what she was thinking.
She put down the documents in her hand and spoke very gently, "Let me help you inside to rest."
Johnny was a proud man. He didn't want to be helped by Lola like a cripple. He replied quickly and urgently, "No need!"
But he got up too quickly and almost fell.
Lola said calmly, "Let me help you! Johnny, when did you become so sensitive?"
This time, Johnny didn't refuse.
The small room was dimly lit, and as they entered, their pores involuntarily opened. Lola didn't know what she tripped over, but she ended up twisting her ankle and bringing Johnny down with her.
When they came to their senses, they were both on the bed, with her on top of him.
Their bodies were intertwined, and even the slightest movement was enough to make it unbearable. Lola's face was pressed against Johnny's, and she felt his skin burning hot.
She was a mature woman and could naturally feel his arousal.
Lola's lips were close to his neck, her voice hoarse, "What's going on now? Johnny, are you this much of a jerk?"
Johnny's breathing was erratic.
He knew it wasn't a coincidence. Lola did it on purpose, deliberately pressing him down on the bed to provoke a reaction, just to force him to admit he cared about her, wanted her.
In the dim light, Johnny's hand rested on her waist, gently stroking.
His other hand lightly caressed her face, and he laughed softly, "Ms. Hawkins, you're something! After all this planning, aren't you going to make a move now that we're on the bed? Can't bring yourself to do it?"
Lola mimicked his actions, also stroking his handsome face.
She breathed softly in his ear, "What should I do? Mr. Flores is still being stubborn!"
The next second, he flipped her over, pinning her beneath him.
Johnny used one leg to press down on her body, while his other hand gripped her slender wrists, pinning them above her head. Such a dominant move would make any woman emotional.
But not Lola.
She wanted to be with him, but her body instinctively resisted. Not pushing him away was already her limit, and her body was trembling slightly.
Johnny stared at her face, intensely as if trying to see through her.
After a long while, he sneered, "It's just a physical reaction, nothing more!"
He slowly lowered his head, leaning close to her ear, and deliberately used a vulgar tone, "Don't flatter yourself, Ms. Hawkins. I would get the same reaction to any woman lying beneath me. My leg is crippled, not my reproductive organs. Yes, Tracy is just the one I hired. What else could I do? Life is long, and I don't need your gratitude. No one is destined to be with anyone."
Lola couldn't move.
Her body was soft and unresisting, her voice hoarse and gentle, "How do you know if you don't try?"
Johnny's tone was cold, "There's no need!"
"Lola, I'm doing just fine now! I don't want to disrupt this peace."
"What you think is gratitude and redemption means nothing to me! It was just a physical reaction, it would be the same with any woman!"
Lola was quiet for a moment, then she gently pushed his shoulder.
"Get up! I'm going to check on Stella."
Johnny propped himself up and rolled to the side. He lay on the bed, watching her as she fixed her disheveled hair. Even in the dim light, he could see her hands trembling as she buttoned her shirt.
His chest rose and fell slightly.
Lola's attempt to make amends was like a powerful drug to him, hard to resist.
But no matter how hard, he couldn't accept it.
Lola stood by the bed, adjusting her clothes. With her back to him, she said softly, "Get some sleep."
As she left, Johnny watched her retreating figure, his eyes stinging with a mix of bitterness and regret. He had never felt as useless as he did today. She was right there in his arms, overcoming her psychological barriers to be with him, yet he had coldly rejected her.
Johnny didn't know how he eventually fell asleep.
He only knew that the small room's door was left slightly ajar, allowing a sliver of light from the hospital room outside to seep in, which was comforting.
But he didn't know that Lola hadn't slept at all.
After leaving, she went to the bathroom to wash her face. The cold water splashed on her face felt painfully sharp.
In the mirror, she saw a stranger's face.
Lola stared at it for a long time.
＊
When Johnny woke up early in the morning, there was a little Stella on the bed.
Stella sat cross-legged, resting her chin in her hands, watching him. As soon as she saw Johnny wake up, she scooted over and kissed his face, covering it with slobbery kisses like a little puppy.
Johnny found her adorable.
He pulled Stella into his arms and felt her forehead; it was no longer hot.
Stella snuggled into his chest, calling him "Daddy."
Johnny felt overwhelmed. He knew if he stayed here any longer, he would never be able to leave. So, during breakfast, he told Lola, "I'll go home to change clothes later and come back in the afternoon."
Lola was drinking milk. Hearing this, she looked up at him.
She could see right through him.
Lola quietly finished her milk and said softly, "I have some work at the firm. You take care of Stella this morning. I'll come back in the afternoon to handle her discharge."
Johnny didn't object.
Perhaps because of what happened last night, their interaction this morning was noticeably awkward. After breakfast, Lola hugged Stella again. Stella, knowing she was about to leave, clung to her, unwilling to let go.
Lola kissed her and reassured her, "Daddy's here."
She handed Stella over to Johnny and said softly, "I'll be back around four in the afternoon. There will be servants here all the time, and someone will bring lunch."
Johnny nodded, his attitude indifferent.
Lola looked at him quietly. After a while, she smiled faintly.
She left the hospital, got into her car, and didn't go to the law firm. There was nothing urgent. She just wanted Johnny to spend some time alone with Stella. She knew he wanted to hold Stella but was hesitant because she was around.
The car stopped by the roadside.
Lola leaned her head weakly against the seatback.
Yes, pursuing Johnny was something she had instinctively known how to do since she was young. Being rejected once or twice was nothing; she had never been ashamed.
But they both forgot that the current Lola was no longer the Lola of the past.
Her heart was already riddled with scars.
She didn't know how many more times her courage could be shattered by Johnny... Lola didn't know.
She wandered around aimlessly for most of the day. When she returned to the hospital at 3:30 in the afternoon, Johnny was already gone.
The servant spoke cautiously.
But Lola had expected it. She just patted Stella's little head, silently comforting her.
Stella looked up at her, calling out, "Daddy... Daddy."
Lola held her in her arms, soothing her gently, "Daddy will come to see you in a few days."
But in the days that followed, Stella didn't see Johnny nor did Lola.
Nor did Lola.
Half a month later, a servant from Johnny's villa called Lola, her voice trembling with tears, "Mrs. Flores, please come quickly. Mr. Flores has been drinking a lot. His doctor is out of town, and Felicity is on a business trip. No one can handle Mr. Flores. I'm really afraid something will happen."
Lola's voice tightened, "I'll be right there."
The autumn rain was relentless. By the time Lola arrived at the villa, an hour had passed.
The servant came out to meet her, looking worried, "Mr. Flores's body can't handle alcohol. When he drinks, his leg hurts terribly. I had no choice but to call you. Only you, Mrs. Flores, can persuade him."
Lola smiled wryly.
She reassured the servant with a few words and then went upstairs alone.
The master bedroom was dimly lit.
Lola stood at the door, looking inside. There were wine bottles everywhere. The air was filled with the rich aroma of red wine, and Johnny, wearing a white bathrobe, was leaning against the headboard, smoking.
The ashtray on the nightstand was filled with cigarette butts.
There were also two empty wine bottles.
Hearing the door open, Johnny looked up and saw Lola.
His eyes were bloodshot. He stared at her for a moment, then sneered, "Why are you here? What... come to save the world again?"
He finished speaking and patted the empty spot on the bed beside him, taking a drag from his cigarette.
Then he opened the nightstand drawer, pulled out a small box, and tossed it on the bed.
He looked at her provocatively.
Lola spoke calmly, "After you left last time, Stella was very upset. You haven't come to see her since."
Johnny continued smoking, his cheeks hollowed.
After a while, he suddenly chuckled softly, "What, now you're using the child as an excuse? Ms. Hawkins, do you think I should wait for you, so you can come back whenever you want? Did you ever ask if I was waiting for you? Do you think I've been celibate for you? Look at this... I have needs too. I'm a normal man. Over the past two years, there have been plenty of women like Tracy coming and going!"
As he spoke, he didn't mind exposing his left leg.
Gray smoke rose, and Johnny laughed softly, "We can never go back to the way things were! Lola, love isn't a fairy tale, and marriage isn't either!"
He paused, his voice even more hoarse, "The Johnny you think you know is long dead!"
Lola stood there calmly. After a while, she began to tidy up the room.
She collected the wine bottles and took them outside.
As she did this, Johnny watched her intently. When she came to the bed to take the two empty bottles, his large hand grabbed them before she could. Then, a shattering sound filled the air.
The wine bottle smashed against the wall.
Shards of glass flew through the air, cutting Lola's arm, and blood oozed out.
Johnny's eyes were redder than the blood.
He sneered softly, "I told you to stop clinging to me. Don't you understand? Lola, why degrade yourself? Can't you live a good life? Why force me to be the man you want? Men get tired too."
Lola blinked lightly.
She watched the blood drip from her arm, the only sound in the air was their breathing... each breath felt suffocating.
She looked at him for a long time before giving a bitter smile, "Johnny, you get tired, but so do I! Maybe my idea of reconciliation was just wishful thinking."
"And now, as you wish."
"I won't bother you anymore!"
"I won't care for you in the name of love, making you annoyed and exhausted... Oh, I almost forgot, we're divorced! I'm sorry, I overstepped."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
