Chapter 231: Not Suitable for Children

Joanna took a sip. It was sweet and creamy—delicious.

"Thank you, Mom."

She reached out her hand. "I can manage on my own."

Seeing Joanna insist, and not wanting her to feel uncomfortable, Karen handed her the bowl.

Joanna ate slowly, spoonful by spoonful, while Karen sat beside her, watching quietly.

Their eyes met from time to time, and Karen's gaze was filled with maternal warmth.

Nearby, Justin watched Joanna eating carefully, and his own appetite returned.

The dishes on the table had gone cold, but tonight was the most he'd eaten in weeks.

After Joanna finished, Karen collected the bowl. Turning, she noticed Justin had also eaten most of his meal. She sighed inwardly.

Joanna wasn't ready to eat too much at once, so Karen didn't offer her more.

The remaining porridge stayed in the thermos. Karen instructed Justin to give Joanna another bowl later if she got hungry.

Karen then pulled out several books and set them on Joanna's nightstand.

"Justin asked me to bring these—to keep you entertained. He said you liked them, so I had them brought over from Lakeside Gardens."

Joanna glanced at them.

On top was a finance-themed novel she'd been reading at home before, flipping through a few pages each day to pass the time.

But she'd only made it halfway through.

After she'd asked for the divorce and moved out, she never picked it up again.

Joanna had thought about buying another copy, but it was out of print and hard to find.

She didn't want to go back to Lakeside Gardens just for a book, so she'd let it go.

Eventually, she'd forgotten about it.

Now, as Joanna picked up the book again and flipped to a random page, the entire plot came flooding back.

Karen didn't stay long. Worried about Elizabeth, she left soon after.

The hospital room fell quiet.

Justin sat at the table, sipping tea in silence.

Joanna reclined against her pillows, slowly turning the pages of her book.

Neither of them spoke.

At some point, when Joanna felt a bit thirsty, a glass of water appeared on her bedside table.

Justin didn't say a word. He set it down and wheeled himself away.

Joanna didn't say anything either. She simply picked up the glass and took a sip.

She went back to reading.

Perhaps because it had been so long, Joanna became absorbed in the story. Only when her eyes began to feel dry did she snap out of it.

That's when she realized she was hungry again.

"Want some more porridge?" Justin asked.

Joanna looked over at him. She didn't agree, but she didn't refuse either.

Justin had already ladled out a small bowl for her.

This time, he didn't just set it down. He wheeled closer and held it out to her.

"Thank you."

Joanna pressed her lips together and reached out to take it.

Justin didn't move away.

Joanna ate slowly while Justin leaned back in his wheelchair, propping his chin on one hand, watching her with unhurried attention.

Only after she finished did Justin sit up straight, handing her a tissue while taking the empty bowl with his other hand.

Joanna raised an eyebrow and accepted the tissue.

Perhaps the silence felt too awkward, because Joanna felt she should say something.

So, without much thought, she remarked, "You've gotten pretty good at taking care of people."

Meeting Justin's surprised gaze, Joanna blinked, then added offhandedly, "Oh, right—you've been taking care of Lillian's mom a lot. You must be used to it by now."

The moment the words left her mouth, Joanna froze.

She glanced at Justin instinctively and saw his brow furrow, his jawline tightening.

Joanna knew she'd misspoken.

She'd only meant it as a casual quip.

But now it sounded like she'd deliberately brought up Lillian to pick a fight.

At times like this, over-explaining would only make things worse.

So Joanna gave up on clarifying.

Still, she felt deeply awkward. She grabbed her book and dropped her gaze, pretending nothing had happened.

"Joanna."

Justin leaned forward and called her name.

"Mm?"

Joanna looked up, forcing her gaze to settle on his face, trying not to let her embarrassment show.

She braced herself for a lecture.

But Justin said, "I did take care of you after we got married, didn't I?"

Of course he had.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have fallen in love with him.

Joanna waited for him to continue.

Justin spoke again. "When you were thirsty, I brought you water. When your back hurt, I helped you bathe. When you said you were tired, I promised we'd wait until next time..."

Joanna listened carefully, confused for a few seconds about what he was getting at. So she thought back.

Suddenly, a series of deeply intimate images flashed through her mind, and her cheeks burned instantly.

"Justin!"

She cut him off sharply, her beautiful eyes blazing with indignation, looking thoroughly startled.

Joanna couldn't understand why he was bringing this up out of nowhere.

But Justin didn't seem to think anything was wrong. He leaned forward, a hint of frustration in his deep eyes. "I'm just saying—doesn't that prove how much I love you?"

"Stop talking!"

Without thinking, Joanna slapped the book in her hand against his face.

Love?

She'd never heard Justin use that word before.

And now, suddenly, it rolled off his tongue as easily as breathing.

Justin pulled the book away from his face and saw Joanna tugging furiously at her blanket, trying to bury herself under it.

Unfortunately, with the head of the bed raised, she was still forced to face him even while lying down.

So Joanna turned onto her side, her back to Justin.

Noticing the faint blush creeping across her pale cheeks, Justin's lips curved into a smile, his gaze softening.

He'd always known—Joanna couldn't handle being teased.

He didn't push his luck or test her limits further, not wanting to truly upset her.

He closed the book and set it on the table within easy reach for her. Then he wheeled himself to the foot of the bed.

Silently, he lowered the head of her bed so she could lie more comfortably.

Afterward, he turned off the extra lights, leaving only the lamp by his own bed. He didn't say another word.

Lying on her side was uncomfortable.

Joanna shifted back to lying flat.

In the dim light, she could see Justin getting into bed.

His leg injury clearly hadn't healed yet. His movements were stiff, and it took some effort before he managed to settle in.

Then the last light went out.

In the darkness, Justin's gentle, clear voice drifted over. "Good night."

Good night.

Joanna repeated it silently in her mind, but she wasn't sleepy.

Maybe she'd slept too much during the day. Or maybe her emotions were too tangled.

That night, Joanna lay awake for a long time before finally drifting off.

And frustratingly, once she did fall asleep, she dreamed of something entirely inappropriate.

When she startled awake, she felt utterly ridiculous—Justin had actually gotten under her skin.

But even as she scolded herself, the images from her dream surfaced vividly in her mind once more.

Joanna cursed Justin inwardly.

This was all his fault for crossing the line and startling her like that.

Early the next morning, Justin had just woken up when he sneezed several times in a row, the force of it making his ribs ache.

Joanna was woken by the sound.

The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Justin sitting up in bed, one hand braced against the mattress, the other pressed to his chest. His brow was deeply furrowed, and his breathing was slightly labored.

"Are you okay?" Joanna asked instinctively.