Chapter 202: For Him

Hannah pursed her lips, struggling to control her emotions. Was her affection for him so evident? She'd believed she could maintain her resolve, that she wouldn't develop feelings for Oscar. But she'd been deceiving herself; she hadn't realized he saw through her.

"Hannah, I love you," Oscar confessed. He'd said something similar before, that night he'd been injured, whispering, "Hannah, I like you," in the darkness, after saving her life. That wasn't a fabrication, and Hannah knew it; she'd simply chosen to ignore it.

"Is there anything else you'd like to say?" Oscar asked.

She remained silent, and he didn't press her. His confidence in her feelings eliminated the need for a verbal response.

Hannah gradually calmed down. "Are you angry tonight?" she asked.

Oscar frowned slightly.

"The thing Janet said," Hannah said, staring at him, "that I'd give up my virginity to stay alive..."

"I wasn't angry," Oscar said, his voice firm but tinged with melancholy. "Your life was paramount. All that mattered was that you survived."

The thought of finding her lifeless body had haunted him. On the way, he'd considered countless outcomes, but her death was unacceptable.

"Life is more important," Hannah said. "I don't know why I believed you'd appear, even if you weren't in the city, even with Janet saying you couldn't return. But I believed you would come. I believed you were the only one who would save me." She spoke as if explaining herself, defending against Janet's accusations.

Oscar squeezed her hand, the fear of arriving too late still gripping him.

"So I used that extreme measure to buy time," Hannah sighed. "But I regretted it the moment they moved."

Oscar's expression shifted subtly. He wasn't concerned about her virginity; he couldn't bear the thought of her suffering.

"I regretted rejecting you. Why didn't I just… sleep with you? I was willing," Hannah said, watching his reaction. Sometimes he seemed cold and impenetrable, other times, just a man with emotions.

"It doesn't matter," he said, his gentle eyes capable of captivating anyone. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, cupping her cheek. "I never cared if you saved yourself for me."

"Do you want to know if those men… defiled me?" Hannah asked.

"I'll know eventually," Oscar replied bluntly.

Hannah's eyes twinkled. He didn't want to know now, but she wanted to reassure him.

"I'll know when you're ready to give yourself to me," Oscar said seriously.

He was an enigma, and she gave up trying to decipher him. Janet's words echoed in her mind—that Oscar would only be desperate for a special someone. Not her, not Janet Burke.

Who then? The question had plagued her, but it mattered as little to her as her virginity did to him. When she loved someone, such things didn't matter. They didn't need to burden each other with past relationships. She'd loved Charles Sawyer; he'd had someone special. They were even.

Hannah suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck, the gesture both ambiguous and provocative.

"Now, I do."

This time, Oscar was shocked. She felt his body stiffen as he stared at her, surprised by her sudden surrender, a stark contrast to her earlier rejection. His eyes widened as her lips met his, her tongue exploring his mouth. He couldn't resist her allure. He kissed her back, his hands cupping the back of her head, pulling her closer.

"Hey!" Hannah cried, her eyes filling with tears.

Oscar pulled back, trying to control himself. "I haven't even touched you. Where's the pain?"

"You touched my wounds," she whispered, gazing at him through her tears.

"Are you playing with me?" he asked, dry resentment hardening his features, his handsome face darkening like a thunderstorm.

"I forgot I'm still a patient," she murmured.

He stared at her, his emotions turbulent. "You don't want to see yourself covered in blood."

"I might be tortured to death by you one day!" he said, releasing her.

He stormed into the bathroom, the shower soon starting. Hannah felt a pang of guilt, realizing she'd been swept away by affection.

Oscar took a cold shower and lay on the bed, his mind clear. Hannah slept soundly. He deliberately kept his distance. Unlike their usual closeness.

Men, it seemed, always thought with their penises.

Hannah finally confessed, "Oscar, I wasn't violated. I saved myself for you."

Her words soothed him.

Oscar smiled. Those were perhaps the most beautiful words he’d ever heard, the emphasis on "for you" resonating far more deeply than the virginity itself.