When She Walks Away (Teresa) novel Chapter 184

Chapter 184

10 vouchers

Teresa found herself completely speechless after hearing Troy say that she honestly didn’t know what to respond.

>

After hesitating for ages, she finally met his gaze and said softly, “Troy, is there really any point in all this?”

Troy could already guess what Teresa was about to say, and he had no desire to hear it. He quickly cut her off, “Alright, that’s enough talking for now. Just drink some water.”

Troy gently picked up the water cup again, placing the straw close to Teresa’s lips, his actions careful and attentive.

Teresa’s throat was parched, so she eagerly drank two big mouthfuls of water without protest.

Watching her drink, Troy smiled and coaxed softly, “That’s my Sweetheart.”

T

Teresa’s cheeks instantly burned red at his teasing, the way he spoke making her feel like a bashful kid.

She didn’t say anything back. Instead, she laid down flat, deliberately looking away from him, her heart still thumping madly in her chest.

Troy glanced up and saw that the bag was indeed empty. He needed to

He stood up and reached for the IV pole to change the bag.

Teresa noticed the IV bag was empty and turned to Troy. “Can you change the IV bag for me?”

replace

it

with a new one.

His physique was impressive, and those abs looked irresistibly touchable.

As he lifted his arm, his sweatshirt rode up a bit, and Teresa just happened

to

catch a glimpse of his honey–toned abs.

Her cheeks burned even hotter in that instant.

After swapping out the IV bag, Troy sat back down, only to notice Teresa’s cheeks were crimson, almost as if every bit of color had rushed to her face.

He immediately grew worried, reaching out to touch her cheek. “Do you have a fever again?”

Teresa turned away, even her ears turning red as she mumbled, “I… I’m not running a fever.”

Troy still wasn’t quite convinced. He leaned in, gently resting his forehead against hers, and only after making sure she wasn’t feverish did he finally relax.

As Troy leaned in, Teresa instinctively shrank back a little, her eyes squeezed shut.

Just as Troy was about to move away, his cheek accidentally brushed against Teresa’s lashes.

In that moment, every muscle in his body tensed up.

Troy lowered his head, staring at Teresa’s closed eyes and the way her thick, delicate lashes trembled. They were like feathery little brushes sweeping over his heart, leaving him tingling and covered in goosebumps.

Teresa’s body was still radiating warmth; Troy knew her fever hadn’t fully broken yet, but as he gazed at her face and those lips, he found himself irresistibly drawn in, unable to look away.

He was almost pressed against her, every muscle tense with longing, not wanting to let go.

Gazing at those mesmerizing lips, Troy couldn’t hold back anymore as he whispered, “Teresa, can I kiss you?”

For once, he didn’t call her “Sweetheart.” Instead, he chose to ask her seriously, his voice low and earnest.

Teresa could feel that Troy genuinely meant what he said–she could sense the raw sincerity in his voice.

At that moment, her heart thudded wildly, only to be flooded by a surge of panic. She snapped her eyes open, staring back at him, her whole gaze bristling with defensiveness. She said firmly, “Troy, you can’t.”

Hearing her answer, Troy forced himself to pull away, stiffly sitting up as if restraining every urge in his body.

1/3

12:13 AM P P

Chapter 184

10 vouchers

Teresa could feel the way he was struggling to keep himself under control, every movement laced with restraint and longing he tried so

hard to hide.

Troy closed his eyes, his lashes hiding the faint flush of red from raw emotion, and just sat there in silence for a moment before he slowly reopened them.

He locked eyes with Teresa, and she met his gaze. For a long, charged moment, they simply stared at each other, the silence thick between them as neither spoke.

After what felt like forever, Troy finally broke the silence. “Are you hungry?”

Teresa did feel a bit hungry, so she nodded. “Yeah, a little.”

“I’ll have someone bring some food up,” Troy said.

Knowing she was still cold, he pulled the blanket up and tucked it tightly around her to keep her even warmer.

He stayed there, holding her close, hardly daring to move at all.

2/3

12:13 AM P P

Chapter 184

Even when his arm grew numb with pins and needles, the thought of letting go never even crossed his mind.

After about half an hour, Teresa shifted in her sleep, unconsciously rolling away from his arms.

10 vouchers

Troy gazed down at her. Teresa looked so gentle and peaceful in her sleep, almost angelic–so perfectly sweet and obedient that it

tugged at his heart.

She was rarely ever this soft and sweet in front of him.

Seeing her like this, Troy just wanted to kiss her right then and there.

And in the end, he couldn’t resist–he leaned down and brushed a gentle kiss against her forehead.

Teresa didn’t wake, continuing to sleep obediently in his arms, sweet and unguarded.

Troy held her so gently, cradling her like she was his dearest Sweetheart–someone far too precious to ever let go.

This stolen moment of happiness made Troy’s heart ache with joy, but tangled up in that was a nervous, lingering fear.

What scared him most was the thought that when Teresa woke up, she might push him away without hesitation–or worse, look at him with with blame in her eyes.

This moment of closeness was always meant to be short–lived, a fragile warmth that had to stay hidden in the shadows.

Troy wished more than anything that time could just stand still–just Teresa curled up in his arms, sleeping peacefully, and this moment lasting forever.

Half an hour later, just as the quiet, fragile peace lingered, a nurse slipped in to swap out the empty IV bag.

Even though she moved as quietly as possible, the moment she finished, Teresa’s eyes suddenly flew open.

Her eyes were still clouded from sleep, and she gazed at Troy in a daze, his face so close that any little movement would have their faces practically touching.

When Troy saw she was awake, his eyes grew wistful and melancholy. He parted his lips to speak, hesitated, then couldn’t seem to find the words.

Teresa found herself wrapped up in Troy’s embrace, and strangely, there was no urge to shout or squirm–she just lay there quietly, feeling perfectly calm.

She was burning up, sure, but her head was clear enough to know this was what she’d asked for; it wasn’t fair to blame him now.

After a long stretch of silence, Teresa finally reached out and timidly tapped Troy’s chest. Avoiding his eyes, her voice barely above a whisper from embarrassment, she said, “Troy, I need to use the bathroom.”