Chapter 370
"In front of my sweetheart, why would I need dignity?" Gabriel smirked again, "But whatever you say, I'll listen. If you tell me to go east, I would never go west."
"Then stop calling me sweetheart; it makes me uncomfortable." Teresa continued to stare him down, firmly stating her case.
"So, what should I call you? Honey or Sweetheart?"
"By my name," Teresa muttered.
"Okay, so is it Lauren or something else?"
"My name is Teresa." Teresa was truly annoyed as she warned, "If you keep being slick, I'm going to get angry for real."
"Alright, my mistake, Teresa." Gabriel quickly backpedaled.
"So tell me, what despicable trick did you use to snatch me away from Liam?" Teresa demanded seriously, staring at him.
"We were made for each other. It's fate that we're meant to be together for this life, the next, and eternity. There's no such thing as stealing – you were, are, and will always be mine," Gabriel replied smoothly, with rehearsed confidence.
"What a load of nonsense, Gabriel. Can't you be..." Serious. "Mmph!"
Before Teresa could utter the words "behave yourself," the sight of her lips parting was an irresistible invitation to Gabriel. Without hesitation, he reached out, gently grasped her chin, and, in a familiar motion, precisely captured her lips.
As Gabriel's handsome face loomed close, suddenly filling her vision, Teresa's mind detonated with a loud boom, leaving her dazed and overwhelmed.
"Gabriel, you jerk, you lowlife!"
"You jerk, bastard, touch me again, and I swear I'll bite you to death!"
Suddenly, a bizarre flashback flickered through Teresa's mind.
It must have been at the end of a club corridor, where Gabriel had her pinned against the wall, kissing her fiercely. She fought back with punches and kicks and even bit him fiercely, tasting the metal tinge of blood in her mouth.
Then, seething with anger, she called him a jerk and a scumbag, warning him that if he touched her again, she would bite him to death.
Snapping back to reality with furrowed brows, Teresa raised her hands and pressed them against Gabriel's chest, pushing him away with all her might...
"Ouch!"
She didn't manage to push him away, and the forceful attempt tugged at her wound, causing Teresa to wince in pain.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Gabriel's voice, full of concern, rang in her ear. He immediately let go of Teresa as panic set in.
"You asshole!" Despite the pain from her injuries, Teresa glared at Gabriel and, disregarding any caution, swung her fist at him. Tears sparkled in her eyes from the sense of injustice, "Why do you always have to bully me? Why?"
Although the sensation of Gabriel's kiss was oddly familiar and not at all displeasing to Teresa, her push was a reflex. In her mind, Gabriel was still a stranger, but her true feelings might not align with that.
Seeing Teresa's fist coming toward him and fearing she might hurt herself further, Gabriel quickly caught her hand, his heart aching with remorse and concern, "Sweetheart, did I hurt you? Tell me where it hurts."
"Gabriel, you jerk, stop it, don't touch me!" Teresa stared him down, her tears inexplicably beginning to fall as she struggled to pull her hand away from his grasp.
Really, it made no sense at all!
Immediately, she raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her face.
Gabriel was stunned to see her cry!
Teresa was crying, so hurt and miserable, and it was all because he had kissed her.
"Sweetheart, don't!"
Teresa flinched away, and Gabriel, fearing he might hurt her, immediately released her hands. However, as she moved to wipe away the tears on her face, he quickly stopped her, concerned she might accidentally touch her injuries.
"Don't touch me, okay?" Teresa glared at him, her tears flowing even more fiercely without reason.
"Alright, I won't touch," Gabriel responded quickly, letting go once again, his voice betraying his panic. "Honey, please don't cry. It's my fault, all my fault. Once you're better, you can hit me, yell at me, anything, but please stop crying now. Your face is hurt, and the tears will sting."
"Yeah, it really hurts. So why are you making me cry?" Teresa shot back, glaring at him with tears in her eyes.
To her, it felt like she was lashing out at Gabriel, completely unaware that her actions came across more like pouting than anger. Gabriel watched her, his heart swelling with joy and excitement.
"I'm sorry, Sweetheart. I won't upset you again, I promise. Please, don't cry, okay?" As Gabriel spoke, he gently dabbed her tears with his warm, dry fingers, softly wiping and blowing on her face while asking, "Does it hurt a lot? I'll get a warm towel. Just stay still."
With that, he stood up and hurried to the bathroom for a warm towel.
Teresa watched as this tall and striking man became flustered and panicked upon seeing her cry, like a child who had made a big mistake. In her heart, a complex and inexplicable emotion began to rise.
She had never been someone quick to anger, yet with Gabriel, it seemed so easy to lose her temper. Her tears felt unwarranted, almost self-pitying.
Could it be that she and Gabriel were truly in love?
Liam said their affection for each other was so well-known in River North that no one was unaware of it.
Everyone knew Gabriel doted on his wife without boundaries.
To others, the formidable Garcia heir was nothing short of a devoted lover in her presence. He always put her first and valued nothing above her.
Could it be true? Did Gabriel really love her that much? And why?
"Sweetheart, don't move." Lost in thought, Teresa hadn't noticed Gabriel return with the warm towel, naturally reaching out to cradle the back of her head. Gently and meticulously, he pressed the warm towel to her face, absorbing the trails of tears.
"Does it hurt?" he asked softly, his gaze locked on hers.
Wide-eyed, Teresa gazed back at him, speechless but no longer resisting or showing any sign of dislike. She let his large hand cradle her head as he carefully and tenderly wiped her tears away.
"Does it still hurt?" Gabriel asked, wiping away the tears on her face with extreme gentleness, his voice a cautious whisper as if a louder word might cause her pain.
"If you let go of me, it won't hurt anymore." Teresa looked at him, no longer resisting his touch, yet her words carried a different tone.
