Chapter 204: Passionate Kiss
Harriet suddenly understood."You still remember."
Back when Tristan first kept her by his side, he had said he wanted her to teach him how to love.
"Of course I remember." Tristan held her shoulders, gazing at her earnestly. "I'm grateful for that car accident years ago. If I hadn't become a vegetable from the crash, you never would have married me."
"Marrying you is the luckiest thing that's ever happened to me."
Harriet's heart stirred with emotion.
Actually, she had never expected Tristan to love her back the same way.
She had quietly loved him for over ten years, thinking that any response would be enough.
If the distance between them was 100 steps, she only needed him to take that one step.
She would walk the remaining 99 steps.
No matter how hard it was, she was willing.
She had long finished those 99 steps, always waiting for Tristan to take that final step.
She thought, she had finally waited for it.
All her love was answered in this moment.
Though her journey had been difficult and painful, she could finally give closure to the girl who had loved so recklessly.
Tristan raised his hand, his calloused fingertips caressing her beautiful face."Harriet, I love you."
Those simple words landed firmly in her ears and in her heart.
Harriet's eyes filled with tears, too choked up to speak.
Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Mrs. Lancaster, shouldn't you be standing on your tiptoes right now, kissing me passionately?"
Harriet laughed through her tears. "Mr. Lancaster, you sound like a seasoned player in love."
"Thanks to Mrs. Lancaster's good teaching." Tristan obligingly lowered his head a bit. "Kiss me."
"Who said I was going to kiss you?" Harriet pouted. "Stop teasing me. I need to cook. Niamh is coming over for dinner."
The moment she finished speaking, her lips were sealed.
Tristan kissed her deeply.
Finding the position uncomfortable, he simply lifted her up and placed her on the counter.
This height made it easier for him to kiss her.
Unable to break free, Harriet simply stopped resisting, wrapping her arms around his neck and returning his kiss.
The evening sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing their entwined figures in an orange glow.
After a long while, Tristan reluctantly left her lips.
His eyes were deep as he stared at her flushed face."Mrs. Lancaster, if you won't kiss me, I can kiss you."
Harriet pushed him. "I really need to cook now."
"Okay."
Dinner was just ready when Niamh arrived.
This was her first time eating at the same table as Tristan, and she was inexplicably nervous.
Tristan's presence was too strong, so strong she could barely breathe.
"Niamh, why are you so quiet today?" Harriet used the serving utensils to add food to her plate. "I specially made your favorite dishes. Eat more."
Niamh picked at her rice. "I'm probably just tired from moving."
Harriet laughed. "You live more simply than a man and never wear makeup. How much stuff could you possibly have?"
"You two just chat. I want to eat quietly."
Harriet could guess the reason but was helpless about it.Tristan's natural presence was extremely intimidating. Not just Niamh—most people would feel scared.
After dinner, Niamh helped Harriet clean up.
"I'll take care of this. You go next door and organize your things so you can sleep tonight."
"Okay, I'm leaving then."
"Alright, let me know if you need anything."
Just as Niamh reached the door, a low, cool voice came from behind. "Wait."
Niamh turned around to see Tristan walking toward her. She immediately straightened nervously. "Mr. Lancaster... did you need something?"
Tristan held out a blank check. "Thank you for taking care of Harriet these past two years."
Niamh was shocked but sensibly refused. "I'm Harriet's good friend. Being there for her during her hardest time was the right thing to do. Besides, we've been taking care of each other these two years. She's never treated me badly. I can't take your money."
"Take it. Have Griffin name a price and buy the place next door."
Niamh: "What?"
"Don't you want to be neighbors with Harriet?" Tristan asked.
"I do."
"Then take it."
Unable to refuse, Niamh accepted it. "Thank you, Mr. Lancaster."
After Niamh left, Tristan closed the door and returned to the kitchen.
"Leave it. I've called someone to clean up."
"This little bit doesn't need anyone else."
Tristan took her hand. "My wife's hands are for healing and saving lives, not for doing these things."
Harriet had no choice but to follow him to the living room.
The two of them nestled on the comfortable sofa, playing a movie, but neither had their mind on it.
"What about that diary?"Harriet was the first to ask.
"When you were critically injured in the ICU, I took the diary to ask Griffin about it, and he took it."
"Good that he took it." Harriet said lightly. "It belonged to him anyway. It should be returned to its rightful owner."
"Harriet, there's something I want to ask you."
"Go ahead."
"If the diary's contents were fake, then what about your body being affected by the cold?"
Harriet was silent for a moment before speaking. "The part in the diary about the kids falling through the ice while skating was true. I jumped in to save them, so I was affected by the cold."
Back then, when she rescued Tristan to shore, he had already passed out. Right after, she also lost consciousness from exhaustion. When she woke up, Griffin had already taken her away.
It seemed Tristan didn't know she was the one who saved him.
If she told him that she couldn't have children because she saved him, he would definitely blame himself, wouldn't he?
She would rather bury this secret in her heart forever than let him carry that guilt.
Tristan lowered his head and kissed her forehead. "From now on, I'll protect you and never let you go through something like that again."
Harriet's nose tingled. "Okay."
"There's one more thing," Tristan asked. "The owner of the noodle shop in Dewdrop town said Griffin was your boyfriend. What was that about?"
Harriet was slightly surprised. "You heard that?"
"The first time I went back with you, I overheard it."
"Why didn't you ask me then?"
"...I didn't ask you at the time, and later when I saw the diary, I thought it was true."
Harriet raised her hand to touch his face and explained, "Griffin's mother, Ms. Wallace, had AIDS. She was accidentally infected through a blood transfusion, but when people in Dewdrop town heard about the disease, they panicked. They also thought she got it from being promiscuous."
"Ms. Wallace was already seriously ill at the time. If she was driven out of Dewdrop town, she might have died on the roadside, so Grandma decided to protect them."
"Grandpa and Grandma were kind their whole lives and highly respected. Grandma publicly announced that when Griffin grew up, he would be my boyfriend, to let them stay in Dewdrop town."
"So later, people in Dewdrop town kept spreading the word and treated him as my future boyfriend."
Tristan felt extremely uncomfortable.
But at that time, he hadn't met Harriet yet, so he didn't even have the right to be jealous.
Tristan's expression darkened. He suddenly lowered his head and kissed Harriet's lips fiercely.