Chapter 97: Want Her More
Getting into Alex's car, Jennifer thanked him again. Alex pushed up his glasses and said with a warm smile, "Jennifer, you're too polite. After all, you're Francis's girlfriend."
Jennifer felt a bit embarrassed and lowered her head to fiddle with her hair. Francis himself didn't take this relationship that seriously, yet Alex was so earnest about treating her as Francis's girlfriend—it just made her feel awkward. But Alex was Francis's friend, and she didn't want to go into details with him, so she just smiled politely.
Seeing her shyness, Alex didn't say more and asked where she lived. Jennifer gave him the address. As he started the car, he said, "I remember Francis has an apartment there too. Are you two living together?"
Jennifer nodded slightly. There was nothing to hide about that anyway.
Alex looked at her with some surprise. He remembered that Francis really disliked bringing women home, except for Aurora. After thinking for a moment, he asked tentatively, "Jennifer, do you know you might be the second woman who's been allowed to stay at his place? It seems Francis really does treat you differently."
Jennifer looked up at Alex in surprise. "How is that possible?" Francis had so many women—what could be special about her? Was she particularly satisfying in bed? Honestly, Jennifer didn't have that confidence.
Alex's lips curved up as he said with some nostalgia, "Back then, he was fiercely protective of Aurora. We were all young, and we used to joke about when they'd get married. Later Aurora left, and Francis got drunk and went street racing—nearly got himself killed. After that, he never seriously dated anyone again. That day when I came back to the country, and he introduced you as his girlfriend, I was genuinely surprised." Alex watched the road while occasionally glancing at Jennifer's expression out of the corner of his eye.
Jennifer wanted to laugh, but couldn't. She quickly turned to look out the window and replied in a soft voice, "It's just a joke. Aurora really is a very charming woman. No wonder Francis hasn't been able to forget her all these years."
There was a red light ahead, and Alex slowly stopped the car at the intersection. "Sorry, Jennifer. I shouldn't have brought up Aurora. I didn't mean anything by it—we just grew up together, so I have some feelings about it."
Jennifer nodded gently. "Actually today, Francis left me behind to take her to the hospital. I understand."
Alex's eye twitched, and he comforted her, "Francis probably thought her situation was urgent. After all, they've been friends who grew up together for so many years—he couldn't just ignore it. I think he definitely has feelings for you, so don't be too upset."
Jennifer's voice was low. "Thanks. Just pretend I never said any of this." She didn't know why she suddenly confided in Alex—maybe because she wasn't familiar with him, and his gentle manner gave her a sense of comfort.
For the rest of the drive, neither of them spoke, and the car was very quiet. When Jennifer got home, Alex asked, "Do you need me to walk you up?"
Jennifer smiled and bowed to him. "No need, the security here is good. Thank you so much for today."
Alex didn't insist and just waved before driving off.
Jennifer went upstairs alone and turned on the lights to see the empty house. After she moved in, she'd added some cozy little items, but the place still felt somewhat empty, especially on a rainy night when she was home alone. She showered and changed by herself, then sat quietly in the study thinking about design ideas for the second round. But her mind was a mess—she couldn't come up with any good inspiration and wasted a pile of draft paper.
At midnight, she finally put down her pen, twisted her sore neck, and walked to the window to look at the dark night sky outside. The rain had stopped, but the sky was still covered with clouds. It was so late—he probably wouldn't come back, right? Jennifer thought silently as she cleaned up the draft paper and lay down on one side of the big bed.
At that moment, Francis was taking Aurora back to her hotel. Aurora reached out her hand. "Francis, my leg is injured and it's not convenient for me. Help me upstairs."
Francis glanced at her calf wrapped in gauze, frowned, but still helped her up. Actually, the wound wasn't serious, but Aurora had been pampered since childhood. One moment she said it felt like there was glass still in her leg and it hurt terribly so she needed to get it checked, the next moment she worried about scarring—that's why it took so long. He knew she'd been afraid of pain since childhood, so he indulged her a bit.
Once in the room, Aurora said again, "Francis, I'm injured and so many things are inconvenient. Will you stay here tonight to take care of me?"
Francis's lips curved into a mocking smile. "Aurora, what's our relationship? Why would I stay here to take care of you? You're staying at a five-star hotel—if you need anything, you can call room service. They'll make you happy." With that, he stood up to leave.
But Aurora lunged forward and grabbed his hand, touching her wound and crying out in pain. "It hurts! Francis, just stay and keep me company. I want some juice."
Francis looked at her calf and frowned. "Alright, don't move around. I'll get it for you." There was fresh cherry juice in the fridge. He poured a glass and handed it to Aurora. She'd loved drinking this since childhood—surprisingly, it hadn't changed after all these years.
Aurora took a few sips, and the corners of her mouth were stained a light purple-red. She stuck out her tongue and licked it lightly, then laughed happily. "Francis, do you remember that time cherry juice spilled on my dress and you thought I was injured and bleeding?"
"Don't remember. Are you done drinking?" Francis's tone was somewhat cold, but actually he did remember—remembered the panic and anxiety he felt back then.
Aurora huffed and traced circles on the back of his hand with her finger. "Why are you treating me this way? Are those memories only mine to keep?"
Francis stood up and stepped back, saying seriously, "Aurora, I did love you very much once. I did hope you'd come back. But now it's too late. We can't go back." With that, he ignored Aurora's calls and turned to leave.
Just as Jennifer was drifting off to sleep, she seemed to hear some noise. Then the bedside lamp was turned on, and a damp body lay down beside her. Francis's voice was a bit hoarse. "Asleep?" He held her from behind, his cool lips brushing against the side of her face.
"What?" Jennifer's voice was unclear, responding drowsily. She thought she was dreaming.
Getting a response, Francis's movements became unrestrained. His large hands caressed and explored Jennifer's body, and the thin nightgown couldn't hide anything—it felt good. Having just showered, his body carried a moist coolness, but his palms were still very warm, quickly making Jennifer's skin tingle. Her eyes suddenly opened, and her mind cleared a bit. She grabbed Francis's wandering hand and said, "What are you doing?"
"Doing you." Francis's tone was matter-of-fact. He'd been teased by Aurora, openly and subtly, for half the night. If it were a few years ago, he definitely wouldn't have refused. But now, he was more concerned about Jennifer. Since she was still awake, he wasn't going to hold back.