Chapter 19

Hailey kept her eyes shut. Perhaps it was because she had gotten used to listening to Yarrick’s gentle voice in silence.

She was still dealing with her emotions. To be honest, she was confused.

Selena had gone to such extremes to help her, even resorting to superstitious methods. Selena had married Hailey off to a complete stranger without her knowledge.

During her time together with Yarrick, she had gradually gotten used to his companionship.

Still, deep down, Hailey knew that Yarrick was too young for her, and that left her feeling conflicted. She had no idea how to face this young man, who was now her legal husband.

It wasn’t that she was deeply in love or anything, but she had grown so used to his gentle presence. Yarrick was kind-tempered and patient.

For someone like Hailey, who had never dated before, it was all a completely new experience. He wasn’t just gentle. He was charming, funny, and sometimes flirtatiously bold. He even joked about how young and energetic he was, promising he could take care of all her needs.

“Sweetheart, would you maybe kiss me back next time? This… this is my first kiss, you know,” Yarrick leaned over the bedside, his face inches away from Hailey’s.

That was a lie. He had once been hired to be someone’s fake boyfriend and gotten kissed during the service. Technically, this wasn’t his first, but he had been paid for it at the time, so he hadn’t minded it either.

“Sweetheart, if you don’t kiss me back, I might just start undressing you…”

Yarrick knew deep down that Hailey had already accepted him. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have reacted so sweetly to his kisses. If she really wanted him gone, she would have pushed him away.

He kissed her again, this time parting his lips ever so slightly. To his delight, Hailey responded obediently.

Yarrick was overjoyed. It seemed that Hailey had accepted him.

After a long, deep kiss, Hailey collapsed gently into his arms, completely breathless. Her cheeks were flushed red.

Yarrick had already kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the bed, wrapping her fully in his embrace.

“Damn, her body’s incredible,” he muttered to himself.

Even though she was a little thinner than he imagined, he still got a feel of her body. Her delicate curves were unmistakable.

She was thin, probably from being bedridden for so long. Once she fully recovered, she’d be absolutely stunning.

“Sweetheart, can you call me ‘darling’?”

Hailey stayed nestled against him, pretending to be asleep. Her eyes were tightly shut as she remained silent.

“Okay, honey. Then, what do you think about this? Since we’re already married, why don’t we try being together for real? Let’s just give it a shot. What do you say? If you agree, then don’t fight me the next time I kiss you, okay!”

Yarrick smiled as he spoke. He knew she wouldn’t fight him. With that, he leaned in and kissed her again.

He didn’t need to say anything. She opened her lips and pulled him closer. Her arms slowly wrapped around his waist.

Even though she had never seen Yarrick’s face, she had already fully accepted him. Besides, she was experiencing something entirely new with him. It was a feeling she couldn’t resist.

Thinking about what Selena had said, Yarrick decided to take things slow.

At the same time, the door opened slowly. A young, petite nurse tiptoed into the room.

Because of the dim lighting and the way Hailey was lying with her back to the door, the nurse didn’t recognize Yarrick since he wasn’t part of the ICU staff.

Hailey looked like she was asleep and hadn’t moved. The sheets were a mess, and Yarrick’s short hair wasn’t fully visible.

The nurse smiled knowingly. Hopefully, the nurse wouldn’t get the wrong idea.

Almost everyone in the hospital had heard about the sixty-year-old patient who, for superstitious reasons, had married a twenty-year-old gay man to help her recover. The patient was apparently very sweet-tempered and chatted with her every day. However, the pay was ridiculously good—including plenty of tips from the young man.

“Excuse me, are you perhaps Ms. Jardon’s family member?” the nurse asked politely.

Without waiting for Yarrick to completely pull up any coherent explanation, he reached into his pocket, pulled out their marriage certificate, and handed it over.

“Oh, okay, I’m her… husband,” Yarrick said, feeling a little awkward. “I’m just here to give her the best full-body massage.”

The nurse handed the certificate back to Yarrick with a smile. “Oh, you’re legally married, then. There’s nothing to worry about.”

The nurse walked over, politely adjusted the blanket, smiled reassuringly, and began to massage Hailey’s shoulders.

She knew Yarrick was sitting right there, and she just didn’t know how to react.

Yarrick was quietly watching the nurse’s technique when his phone suddenly buzzed.

Embarrassed, he glanced at the caller ID. It was Ethan.

“Yarrick, you’re nestled up with your sleeping beauty, huh?” Michael teased in a text.

“No, it’s not what you think,” Yarrick quickly replied to Hailey, whose cheeks were still slightly flushed.

“About those computers, they just arrived at the building. They’re a ton.”

“Yarrick, just come quickly, alright? We need to get them all set up and tested. It’ll take a while.”

Not wanting to complain about being his junior, nor did he refuse Ethan.

“Alright, I can help out,” Yarrick informed Ethan.