Chapter 58

Sherry laughed and said, “T-loss? Jonathan? I get it now.”

“Wow. Mike has such a handsome and capable dad, you should’ve told him,” Sherry added.

“We can’t tell Mike, and you can’t say a word, or I’ll be really mad,” Teresa warned.

Sherry agreed. “Okay, okay, I won’t say a word.”

“Right,” Teresa said, “I won’t be coming back tonight. I’ll be at the hospital.”

“Got it. I’ll take care of Mike,” Sherry assured her.

When Teresa returned to the room, she brought a bouquet of blue roses and placed them by the bedside.

“I bought your favorite blue roses. Oh, and I got you a tie for your birthday, but it’s at home. I’ll give it to you another day,” Teresa said.

Hearing this, Jonathan, who had his back to her, slowly turned around, his expression noticeably softening. “You went out of your way to buy these for me?”

“Of course,” Teresa replied.

Jonathan didn’t say anything.

Teresa played with the blue roses, planning to get him some gruel, but the doctor said he couldn’t eat anything tonight and could only have food tomorrow afternoon.

Soon, night fell in the city, and Teresa was stretched out on the bed next to Jonathan.

Noticing her hand rubbing her chest, Jonathan asked with concern, “What’s bugging you?”

Teresa snapped. “You tell me. You practically nibbled my nipple off.”

Eager to see the damage, Jonathan urged, “Let me check it out.” His memory from his drunken state was fuzzy, and he couldn’t fathom he’d bitten her so hard.

Teresa dismissed his concern by saying, “It’s fine.”

Jonathan tried to assure her. “The door’s bolted. Lift up your shirt a bit so I can check.”

“No way!” Teresa turned her back to him. “I already scored some ointment from the drugstore when I picked up those roses for you.”

She cringed, remembering the pharmacist’s sympathetic look, advising her to ease up on breastfeeding now that her child was older.

Too embarrassed to clarify that it was from his biting instead of breastfeeding, she just grabbed the ointment and dashed.

“Let me see,” Jonathan insisted, swinging his legs over the side of his bed and moving closer.

Despite Teresa’s weaker resistance, Jonathan managed to lift her shirt, revealing skin marked with pronounced teeth marks, red and inflamed, clearly inflicted with force. No wonder she was in pain.

“I’ll be more careful next time,” Jonathan promised, his expression guilty.

“Not gonna happen,” she retorted, landing a firm kick to his thigh.

Jonathan winced but took it, remaining by her side. “You didn’t have to fetch me from the bar,” he said, a hint of something more in his tone.

Teresa huffed. “If I hadn’t, I’d have missed my chance to poison you with those ravioli.”

“Can’t you sweet-talk me a bit? I am the patient here,” Jonathan complained.

“I’m the one who’s hurting, with wounds a bit more private!” Teresa grumbled, her voice heavy with annoyance.

Jonathan felt like he had the emotional scars, while she bore the physical ones, inflicted by him.

After Teresa nursed Jonathan for more than three days, he finally recovered. The doctor said he could recuperate at home, with a warning to avoid spicy foods and to stick to a light diet.

Once Jonathan was discharged, Teresa took care of the paperwork. In what seemed like a good mood, he accompanied her back to Rosary Estates.

When Teresa stepped out of the car, Jonathan followed. “I’m gonna grab my tie,” he said.

Teresa quickly interjected. “It’s not here. It’s still at my office. I’ll bring it to you later.”

Jonathan’s eyes narrowed. “You told me it was at home.”

“I messed up. I’ll take it to you next time. You don’t need to come in,” Teresa insisted, steering him away from the door.

Jonathan acquiesced and left in the car, leaving Teresa to go home alone.

“Mom, Mom!” Clutching a telescope, Michael rushed over, his excitement palpable. “I saw it all clearly this time. I swear it was Mr. Lime!”

Teresa froze for a moment before denying it. “No, it wasn’t!”

“It was! It was Mr. Lime!” Michael insisted, stomping his foot. “Mr. Lime is my hero, I’d know him anywhere!”