Chapter 81 Confessed
Matilda spun around and immediately saw Wentworth.
The room's light was still on, and she could clearly see the concern in his eyes.
"What are you doing in here?" Matilda asked. She remembered he'd been keeping watch outside.
Wentworth said quietly, "I was worried about you, so I came in."
Matilda's face was still pale, the nightmare leaving her shaken. In this moment, she felt an overwhelming urge to throw herself into his arms.
But she fought to control herself.
Her restraint didn't work though—Wentworth reached out and pulled her against him in one smooth motion.
Pressed against his broad chest, Matilda felt her fear gradually melting away.
If she could, she'd want to lean on him like this forever.
After a while, she still pulled away from his embrace and sat on the edge of the bed in silence. Wentworth didn't pressure her, just quietly stayed by her side.
Her room was small, and with both of them sitting there, the space felt even more cramped.
After some time, she spoke. "You should go back. You're military—you can't just abandon your post like this."
Wentworth replied, "A soldier's duty is to protect civilian safety, and besides, you're my wife."
"We're divorced," Matilda reminded him.
"Military marriages require approval processes. My commanding officer blocked the divorce application—it never went through. Legally, we're still married."
Matilda was stunned. "Why wouldn't your CO approve it?"
"He said I finally got married and shouldn't give up so easily."
Matilda couldn't help but laugh. "Someone like you, afraid you can't find a wife? Your brother just needs to put out a personal ad in Phoenix City, and girls would be lining up around the block."
Wentworth's gaze burned into her. "But finding a woman who genuinely has feelings for me—that's hard."
Matilda immediately turned her head away. "Who said anyone has feelings for you?"
The moment she said it, she remembered that video she'd recorded.
Sure enough, Wentworth handed her phone back to her. "I saw everything. Don't bother denying it."
"You went through my phone?" Matilda's face instantly flushed red, mortified.
"I didn't mean to."
"Didn't mean to? What, did the phone just play it for you automatically?"
Seeing her getting flustered was adorable, so Wentworth decided to be completely honest. "Fine, I admit it—I did it on purpose."
"You're shameless!" Matilda laughed despite her anger.
Wentworth said seriously, "That's not the point. The point is you admitted you have feelings for me."
"I was just talking nonsense." Matilda immediately deleted the video. "See? Gone. Just pretend you never saw it."
"But I already backed it up," Wentworth said.
"You—"
She was so embarrassed she immediately lay down and pulled the blanket over her entire head.
Wentworth couldn't help but smile.
He'd always heard that women said one thing and meant another. Now he was seeing it firsthand.
He didn't pull away her blanket, just waited for her to come out on her own.
The electric blanket made her feel stuffy quickly, so she threw off the covers and met Wentworth's gaze directly. Her cheeks flushed pink again.
Snow was still falling outside, wind howling, but inside it was wonderfully warm. Sitting here with Wentworth—the atmosphere almost made her want to invite him into bed to hold her while she slept.
When she'd made that video, she thought she was going to die, so she'd spoken from her heart, promising to be brave in the next life. But now that the danger had passed, she was retreating again.
Wentworth spoke first. "Matty, you always thought I married you just to get a good night's sleep. I'll admit, that was part of it initially, but mostly it was because I like you."
Matilda's heart suddenly raced.
But she stayed rational. "Liking someone isn't enough. You also have to be compatible. We're from completely different worlds."
"I told you, just give me time and I'll convince my mother. Look—my grandfather and brother both accept you. It's just my mom being stubborn."
"I... need to think about it more," Matilda said.
To Wentworth, this was huge progress, and he immediately said, "Then please really consider it."
Matilda nodded.
Seeing him just sitting there, she worried he was cold. "You should go back."
"Will you be okay alone?"
"Yeah, the bad guys are caught. There's no danger now. I want to get some good sleep."
"Alright." Wentworth didn't push further. Her attitude was softer than before—he needed to be careful not to make her uncomfortable.
Just as he was about to leave, Matilda called out again. "Wentworth, how's your insomnia?"
"Same as always. Though my brother's company developed some sleep medication. As long as you don't take it long-term, there are no side effects."
"What about when you're with me?"
"Much better," Wentworth said.
"Really that miraculous?"
"Really."
Matilda threw back the covers and walked over to him, giving him a gentle hug. "Go get some good sleep. Thank you for saving me today."
She let go quickly, but Wentworth wasn't satisfied—this was her making the first move.
He pulled her back into his arms and leaned down to kiss her lips.
She cried out in pain.
It hurt! That slap hadn't just hit her face—it had affected her lips and jaw too.
Wentworth immediately released her. "Should I put more medicine on it?"
"I'll do it myself in a bit. You should go," Matilda urged him to leave.
Wentworth kept looking back as he left the clinic.
Back in bed, because of Wentworth, Matilda's fear had subsided.
His confession had set her heart racing again—that whole night, he was all she could think about.
Matilda didn't wake up until noon the next day.
Levi knew about yesterday's incident, so he hadn't disturbed her.
When she emerged, Levi asked with concern, "Does your face still hurt? If you're not feeling well, go back and rest."
Nurse Sarah also came over, full of concern.
Matilda said she was fine, and only then did they relax.
Levi added, "The County Health Department called today—they approved a new SUV for our clinic. Strange though, it's been held up forever, then suddenly today they approved it. They even said a driver will deliver it in a few days. Did higher-ups hear about your attack yesterday?"
"Really?" Matilda smiled. She was certain Wentworth had pulled strings somehow. She didn't know how he'd managed it, but it was pure intuition.
Levi reminded her, "From now on, you can't go on calls alone anymore. You have to contact the military or Sheriff's Office first—they'll send someone with you."
Matilda asked, "What about emergency cases?"
"No matter what the situation, you leave word where you're going. Safety first."
Speaking of emergencies, one came that very afternoon.
A woman only six months pregnant had been subjected to an illegal local abortion method by her family. Now she was hemorrhaging severely.