Chapter 216 Heartache
"Alright, it's nothing serious anymore," Gabriel said.
He had scars from past stabbings that hadn't healed well, and he didn't want Jessica to see them. She'd definitely cry and worry if she did.
"I don't believe you. I need to check for myself," Jessica insisted, already grabbing his shirt to unbutton it.
Gabriel caught her hand and smiled. He teased, "Jessica, are you that eager to take off my clothes and check me out?"
Gabriel added, "Don't worry, once I'm out of the hospital, I'll give you all the time you need to look and touch wherever you want."
His words were easily misunderstood, leading to wild thoughts. Jessica's face turned red, like a sunset.
"Gabriel, shut up. Stop talking," Jessica said, covering his lips. "You know that's not what I meant."
"Yeah, it's my dirty mind. As soon as you mentioned undressing me, that's where my thoughts went," Gabriel said, his dark eyes twinkling.
Jessica felt even more embarrassed. She scolded him, "Stop talking nonsense. That's not what I meant."
Gabriel said playfully, "So, Ms. Morgan, do you still want to undress me?"
"No, I don't," Jessica said, but something felt off. If he was fine, why was he stopping her? He must still be injured.
This time, Jessica got smart. She didn't make a move again. She waited until Gabriel fell asleep. Then, with sweaty palms and trembling hands, she started unbuttoning his shirt.
She was worried about his injuries and his teasing words echoed in her mind. Even though she had no such intention, undressing a man could easily be misunderstood, especially since she had never done it before.
In their two years of marriage, they hadn't been intimate many times. When they were, he undressed himself. She was too shy to look at him, let alone unbutton his shirt.
Thinking of this, Jessica's heart beat faster, and her face turned even redder. She held her breath, afraid of waking Gabriel.
When she got to the last two buttons, Gabriel let out a soft hum. Jessica's heart skipped a beat, and her fingers froze on his skin. She held her breath, not daring to move.
After about ten seconds, confirming he was still asleep, Jessica continued. Looking down, she found her fingers resting on his sexy V-line. Her heart tightened immediately.
"Jessica, when did you become so shy? Focus on the main thing. You need to check if he's injured," she chided herself. Taking a deep breath, she continued unbuttoning Gabriel's shirt.
Once all the buttons were undone, she slowly opened his shirt. The room's light revealed his smooth chest, with no obvious signs of injury. Jessica sighed in relief. It seemed he had mostly recovered.
But just as she was about to button him back up, she noticed something on his side; a raised, winding mark. Her heart sank. She reached out and gently touched it.
Gabriel shifted, turning onto his side. This angle was perfect for Jessica. She moved his shirt aside, revealing the wounds on his back. Her eyes filled with tears.
The scars crisscrossed, almost covering his entire back. Two deep, long scars wound like centipedes on his skin. Jessica's heart broke. To avoid waking him, she covered her mouth and cried silently.
The scars showed how severe his injuries had been, how dangerous it had been. If she hadn't insisted today, would he have kept it from her?
The more she thought, the more heartbroken she felt. Unable to hold back, she gently touched the crisscrossed scars, lightly caressing them.
"I'm sorry, Gabriel. When you were in so much pain, so much danger, I wasn't there with you. It must have hurt a lot back then. Does it still hurt now?" Jessica apologized quietly. Her tears kept falling.
Accidentally, a tear dropped onto his scar. Jessica hurriedly wiped it away, afraid of waking him. But the more she wiped, the more tears fell. It seemed impossible to stop them.
She was heartbroken. Truly heartbroken and her tears flowed continuously onto his wounds. At that moment, Jessica made a decision. She leaned down, her lips gently kissing the scars on his back, as if to ease his pain.
Feeling the warmth, Gabriel's whole body trembled. He had woken up when her hand first touched his wound but pretended to be asleep, fearing her questions. If she asked, he couldn't lie and would have to tell her the whole truth, which would only break her heart even more.
But he never expected her to lean down and kiss his scars. He had seen those scars in the mirror; they were winding, deep, and some even ugly. But she didn't mind at all.
When her lips touched his scars, his heart felt like it was on fire, surrounded by a burning heat.
"Jessica," he called softly, unable to hold back.
Hearing his voice, Jessica's tears flowed even more. She chided, "You fool, why didn't you tell me about such serious injuries? Does it hurt now?"
