Chapter 166 Jessica, Snap Out of It
Putting away his phone, Gabriel glanced out the window and remarked, "The rain seems to have eased up a bit. I'll just run fast. I shouldn't get too wet."
Jessica suddenly remembered the time when she braved the heavy rain to find Grace. She was soaked to the skin and shivering from the cold.
That feeling was truly unbearable.
Especially when the strong wind hit her, it felt like knives cutting into her skin.
Seeing Jessica remain silent, Gabriel's heart finally sank.
He spoke, "You should rest early. I'm leaving."
With that, he turned and left.
Just then, a cough clearly reached Jessica's ears.
"Are you catching a cold?" she couldn't help but ask.
"A little," Gabriel nodded, then explained, "It's mild, not too bad."
Jessica recalled a time when he had a cold. It started with a slight runny nose and a couple of coughs, but it quickly escalated and he ended up coughing intermittently for a long time before recovering.
He was generally healthy and rarely got sick. However, when he did, it was usually quite severe.
Thinking of this, Jessica became even more worried.
Just as he was about to leave, Jessica finally spoke up, "Gabriel, um..."
"What is it?" Gabriel looked at her.
Jessica softened her voice and said gently, "The rain outside is too heavy, and it's hard to see the road. Driving could be dangerous. If you don't mind, you can stay here for a while and leave when the rain stops."
"What if it keeps raining?" Gabriel asked.
Jessica was momentarily stunned; she hadn't considered that.
She thought for a moment and then said, "There's a sofa in the living room. It's a bit small, but if you don't mind the tight space, you can make do for the night. It's better than catching a cold and getting sick."
"Okay." He nodded.
The rain continued until after eleven at night, showing no signs of stopping and only getting heavier.
Since she had work the next day, Jessica went to take a shower.
Before she went, Gabriel reminded her, "Don't get your wound wet."
"Okay."
After her shower, she changed into a set of cotton pajamas, long-sleeved and long-pants, modest and appropriate.
Then she went to the bedroom, took out a set of clothes, and handed them to Gabriel. "You can take a shower now. The red towel in the bathroom is new; you can use it."
Gabriel looked at the blue pajamas in Jessica's hand and was momentarily stunned. "These pajamas seem to be mine?"
At his words, Jessica's face instantly turned red, as if her little secret had been exposed.
She bit her lip and said softly, "Yes, they're yours. I accidentally packed them when I was gathering my things."
"Why didn't you return them?"
"You have plenty of pajamas at home; you wouldn't miss a set or two, so I decided to just keep them," Jessica said.
"Okay," Gabriel seemed to accept the explanation.
It wasn't until Gabriel went into the bathroom that Jessica sighed of relief and leaned back on the sofa.
In fact, she hadn't packed the pajamas by mistake.
She had taken them on purpose.
At the time, she was packing pajamas in the closet and saw their matching pajamas placed together. They were a couple's set she had bought for them.
Although he rarely wore them, she wore hers often.
The reason was simple—it was the only matching set of clothes they had.
When she left, she took that set of pajamas with her.
She never expected that the pajamas would come in handy today.
About ten minutes later, Gabriel came out of the bathroom, his hair still wet and dripping.
Tiny droplets of water trickled down his face, past his sexy Adam's apple.
The top two buttons of his shirt were undone, casually loose, revealing the lines and strength of his neck.
He walked over, his handsome face gazing at Jessica. "Where's the hairdryer? I couldn't find it in the bathroom."
"It's in the bedroom. I'll get it for you." Jessica said, getting up to fetch it.
In her haste, she tripped and almost fell to the ground.
Gabriel moved quickly, immediately reaching out to catch her slender waist.
However, the space between the sofa and the coffee table was narrow, and Gabriel, being tall, couldn't fully extend his leg, causing him to lean forward as well.
In the end, they both fell onto the sofa.
Unexpectedly, their lips met.
At that moment, it felt as if time had stopped.
Their breaths mingled, hot and rapid.
The moment their lips touched, it felt as if their hearts were connected, burning with heat.
Jessica's mind went blank. She blinked, her heart pounding wildly.
As they were so close, she could clearly see his face, his thick eyebrows, and even his eyelashes.
It was at this moment that Jessica realized a crucial fact.
She hadn't forgotten Gabriel.
She still missed him deeply.
Someone once said that love, even if hidden in the heart, would still pour out through the eyes.
Now, Jessica felt that longing was like a poison, seeping into every part of her being.
All this time, she thought she was forgetting Gabriel, telling herself to move on.
But now she realized it was all self-deception.
Her heart ached, sour and bitter.
Jessica moved her lips slightly, and just as she was about to pull away, a strong force gripped the back of her head. The next moment, Gabriel's kiss, intense and domineering, swept over her.
His hand held her waist, and they were both sunk into the sofa, leaving Jessica no chance to escape.
The kiss was too passionate, almost unbearable for her.
Because he had just showered, Gabriel's body carried a fresh scent of body wash, which Jessica found particularly pleasant.
She didn't know what was wrong with her.
She should be angry when he kissed her without her consent.
But at this moment, she felt like a parched fish, desperately craving his touch.
"Jessica," he called her name over and over, so gently, so patiently, as if she were a treasure in his embrace.
She couldn't refuse, nor could she escape.
She was utterly lost in his tenderness and skill.
Until the last moment, she desperately reminded herself, 'Jessica, stay clear-headed, you must be rational.'
She reached out and pushed him away.
Ignoring the pain in her foot, she pulled up her clothes and almost fled in panic.
She ran back to her room and shut the door.
Just then, her phone dinged with a message from Gabriel on Facebook.
Gabriel: [Jessica, I don't want to say sorry or apologize because I really wanted to kiss you. It wasn't impulsive; I truly wanted to.]
