Stuart's Adam's apple bobbed nervously. He was so scared his intense stare would give him away that he couldn't bring himself to look directly at Josephine.
He crossed his hands, rubbed his thumbs together, and stared at the ground, letting out a soft "hmm."
With Josephine by his side, Stuart caught a hint of her subtle fragrance, a scent unmatched by any perfume. In the years of her absence, he had longed for that scent.
He realized Josephine was irreplaceable, a unique presence in his world, and he had no desire to seek anything to substitute her scent.
But during those years, his insomnia was so bad that he could only sleep a few hours every four or five days. Even sleeping pills didn't work.
In the end, he had to inject sedatives just to get a few hours of sleep.
Jair had said back then that if Stuart didn't have Andrew to worry about, he might not have wanted to live. And Josephine knew none of this.
All she knew was that when she came back, she saw a thin and haggard Stuart, a stark contrast to the once vibrant and lively man she remembered.
Josephine sighed softly. She reached out and cupped Stuart's face, making him look at her.
Stuart blinked, his eyelashes fluttering.
Josephine gazed at Stuart, "Stuart, as my boyfriend now, do you understand the role?"
Stuart shook his head, looking puzzled.
"A boyfriend can express concerns, set boundaries, and communicate expectations," Josephine explained. "If something bothers you, feel free to discuss it."
"Re-really?"
Josephine nodded. "Yes. As long as it's fair and reasonable, we can find a middle ground through discussion."
Stuart let out an "oh."
Josephine asked, "Do you have any demands now?"
She thought Stuart would bring up Roy. Instead, he said, "Can I kiss you?"
Josephine looked at him, "Have you ever seen a couple ask for permission before kissing?"
With that, she took the initiative to kiss Stuart on the lips.
Stuart was stunned for only a second before he leaned into her, pressing her onto the sofa and kissing her. The room's atmosphere heated up instantly as the sounds of their intertwined lips and tongues filled the otherwise quiet space. Eventually, it was Stuart who broke the kiss, resting his head on Josephine's neck, his breaths coming in heavy and ragged.
Josephine instinctively moved a bit.
Stuart let out a muffled groan. "Josephine, don't move." His voice was filled with restraint.
Josephine, pressed tightly against him, naturally noticed the change in his body.
She asked, "Is it very uncomfortable for you?"
Stuart let out a "hmm."
Josephine didn't dare say anything more.
To be honest, she wasn't ready for further intimacy with Stuart. Maybe that day would come eventually. But for now, she felt some resistance in her heart.
After all, their previous married life had brought her not only joy and pleasure. There were also some bad memories, which made her not look forward to sex.
"I'm going back." Stuart murmured, his face nuzzled into her neck.
Josephine responded with a soft hum.
Stuart said he was leaving, but his body didn't move. His hands were also very proper, one supporting Josephine's head, the other gently touching her cheek, over and over, like petting a cat.
Josephine closed her eyes, feeling a bit of peace in her heart.
After a few minutes, Stuart remained motionless, but Josephine sensed his lingering tension. Despite the passage of time, he had yet to relax. Josephine had to remind him, "You should go back."
Stuart let out another "hmm."
"Then move," Josephine had to push him, "Aren't you uncomfortable like this?"
"Yes," Stuart said honestly, "But I don't want to leave."
"Then sleep here."
Stuart suddenly lifted his head to look at her, his eyes sparkling.
"On the sofa," Josephine added.
Stuart laughed, "The sofa is fine too."
Josephine was just joking with him. She pushed Stuart away and sat up. "Alright, go back. I have to be busy tomorrow."
Hearing this, Stuart immediately felt sorry for her. "Okay, I'll go. You get some sleep." He got up, and Josephine glanced at him, then quickly looked away.
Stuart draped his coat over his arm, walked to the entrance with Josephine following, and then embraced her with one arm. "Get a good rest tonight. I'll buy breakfast tomorrow."
Josephine said, "Okay."
After Stuart left, Josephine tidied up and went to bed.
Stuart, however, tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
He could actually sense Josephine's resistance to their intimate contact.
Even if Josephine didn't resist, Stuart wouldn't do anything. He now knew that sex required Josephine's consent and respect.
But thinking back to before, he had mostly only cared about his own feelings, especially during the time he had imprisoned Josephine.
Stuart didn't know how grateful he was that Josephine could forgive him. After all, when he thought about those things, he wanted to slap himself.
He comforted himself that things were good now, and he shouldn't ask for more. Even if Josephine never wanted to have sex with him again, so what? He could endure it.
In the future, he would give Josephine enough security. In every aspect, he wouldn't let her feel uneasy or scared again.
In the middle of the night, Stuart finally fell asleep. But his biological clock woke him up on time.
Seeing that he still had time, he went for a morning workout and then bought breakfast.
When he came back, as soon as he got out of the elevator, he saw Roy, who was carrying bags and knocking on the door.
Stuart happened to see Josephine open the door.
Josephine was obviously just up, wearing loungewear and yawning. She said, "You're up so early... Roy?"
Mistaking him for Stuart, she instinctively checked her attire, relieved to find everything in order.
Then she saw Stuart behind Roy.
"I brought you some delicious food!" Roy showed her what he was carrying. "Good morning!"
Josephine smiled, "Good morning."
She looked Stuart. "Good morning."
Roy, noticing Stuart behind him with a bag in hand, asked, "What are you doing here?"
Stuart looked at him, "Shouldn't I be asking you that? What are you doing at my girlfriend's house so early?"
After last night, hearing Josephine's words, Stuart finally had some confidence.
Seeing the tension between the two, Josephine sighed helplessly and said, "Both of you, come in."