I Hated Him, Now I Cherish Him

Chapter 4

"No, it's not what you think! You've got it all wrong!"

Delilah instantly yanked her hand free from Simon Scott's grasp and rushed to explain, "I accidentally twisted my ankle. Simon, a classmate, just happened to pass by and kindly helped me up."

Gavin's gaze dropped to her left foot, which she was clearly avoiding putting weight on.

Simon also chimed in right on cue to back her up. "I was only worried about Miss Dupont's injury and had to help her. Please don't read too much into it, Mr. Vance."

But the frost on Gavin's face didn't thaw one bit. A sharp pang of hurt surged inside Delilah.

She gritted her teeth against the pain and tried to take two steps toward him.

The next second, she was suddenly swept off her feet as Gavin bent down and scooped her up into his arms.

Delilah was caught completely off guard and let out a tiny gasp of surprise.

All eyes around them swiveled to lock onto the pair.

Mortified beyond belief, Delilah buried her face against his chest, too ashamed to lift her head.

Gavin turned his head to look at Simon, his tone cool and distant. "Thank you for your help. I'll take her back to the villa now. I'll stop by to thank you properly another day."

Back at the villa, the family doctor arrived to treat the injury.

He took out a topical anti-swelling ointment and handed it to the housemaid, instructing her, "You need to rub this ointment between your palms to warm it up first, then gently massage it into the sprained ankle."

"Okay." The housemaid reached out to take the ointment.

But Gavin beat her to it, snatching the ointment up. "I'll handle it."

The housemaid showed the doctor out, leaving just the two of them in the room.

Gavin knelt on one knee before Delilah, rubbed the ointment between his palms to warm it, and then gently cupped her swollen left foot.

His warm palms kneaded the injured ankle in slow, gentle circles. The heat seeped through her skin, spreading upward, and Delilah felt her heart flood with warmth.

"For the next few days, just rest at home and don't go out and about..." Gavin said in a low voice.

Catching the concern in his voice, Delilah looked up at him with sparkling eyes and softened her tone. "Then... can you come home early every day to keep me company?"

Gavin's hands stilled for a moment. He remained silent for a long moment.

The light in Delilah's eyes slowly faded.

Just when she thought he was about to refuse, Gavin murmured a low, "Okay."

Delilah couldn't help the smile that bloomed on her lips, pressing them together in a shy, happy line.

As Gavin gazed at her beaming smile, he noticed for the first time the faint dimples gracing her cheeks.

A strange, ticklish itch stirred in his chest, an overwhelming urge to reach out and touch them.

That same night...

As usual, Gavin pulled out the spare bedding and started making himself a bed on the floor beside the main bed.

Delilah called out, stopping him. "You don’t need to sleep on the floor."

Gavin’s hands froze mid-motion. He looked up at her, one eyebrow arched. "You're not very mobile right now. Better not risk it. I'd hate to accidentally roll over and bump your foot in my sleep."

Delilah understood the double meaning instantly, and her cheeks flared with heat.

"That's not what I meant! I'm saying you don't have to sleep on the floor anymore. Just come to bed. It doesn't mean we have to do... anything else just because we're sharing a bed!"

Gavin blinked, his expression freezing, but he didn't move.

"Aren't you worried I'll reek of sweat from the training ground, stain your fancy bed, and ruin your silk sheets?"

Those were the very words she'd once used to banish him to the floor, without a shred of guilt.

Delilah shook her head fervently. "Those were all things I said out of spite. Please, don't take them to heart. We're married. We should be sharing a bed."

Gavin stared at her, his gaze intense, as if trying to gauge her sincerity.

After a moment's hesitation, he set the blankets aside, climbed onto the bed, and lay down on the other side.

Even though he kept his back turned to her, Delilah felt a sweet warmth spreading through her chest.

In the days that followed, Gavin made a point of coming home early every evening to be with her. With her movement limited, she couldn't get around, so he simply scooped her up and carried her wherever she needed to go.

This gentle rhythm of days almost lulled Delilah into a dream, that they could live out their days in quiet, peaceful harmony.

The day her ankle finally healed happened to be Gavin’s birthday. In her past life, she'd never once celebrated his birthday. In fact, it wasn't until after he was gone, when she was sorting through his belongings to set up a memorial, that she even learned the exact date.

Now, given a second chance, she was determined to throw him a birthday surprise he'd never forget.

Delilah spent the entire day bustling around the villa, her heart brimming with anticipation as she waited for Gavin to come home.

But the man who usually came home right on time was nowhere to be found.

Before long, Gavin's assistant arrived with a message, "Mr. Vance says there's a last-minute social engagement tonight. He'll be back very late, so don't wait. Get some rest."

A hollow ache swallowed Delilah whole.

She hesitated for a long moment, but stubborn hope refused to die. She packed up several of Gavin's favorite dishes and, carrying the food container herself, went alone to the training grounds to find him.

From a distance, she spotted him standing beneath the shade of a tree by the riverbank.

"I can go by myself." Delilah took the food container from the housekeeper and quickened her steps, a smile blooming on her face.

But all that giddy joy, every last shred of it, evaporated the instant she clearly saw Sierra standing right beside him.

The two beneath the tree had their backs turned, completely oblivious to Delilah's arrival.

Sierra held out a small handcrafted fabric charm. "Gavin, happy birthday."

"After all these years, you're still the only one who remembers my birthday." Gavin's voice was soft and tender, a tenderness she had never seen in him before.

It felt like a sledgehammer slamming into Delilah's chest.

Then she heard Sierra let out a quiet sigh. "Gavin, if my father hadn't been censured by the board, if you hadn't been forced into that marriage alliance with the Dupont family, and if we had been able to fulfill our original engagement, we'd probably have several children by now."

Those words exploded inside Delilah's skull like a thunderclap.