The Sway and Slide of Love

Noelle quickly wrapped her arms around Hendrix's neck. She had done this countless times before. But perhaps it had been too long since she had done this because the moment itself, along with what was about to happen, suddenly made her a little nervous. Her fingers instinctively tightened.

Hendrix laid her down on the bed. Noelle's eyes were already closed, but after a long while, what she had anticipated still hadn't happened. Confused, she opened

her eyes.

Hendrix was pulling the blanket over her. This action stunned her. She looked at him with eyes filled with confusion.

He smiled faintly before kissing her lightly on the forehead.

"Go to sleep," he said. "I'll stay here with you."

Noelle pressed her lips together. This wasn't what she meant. She could tell he wanted to do it, too—that much was obvious. Even the way he looked at her made that clear.

And yet, he did nothing. He simply gazed at her in silence.

She couldn't help but ask, "Don't you want to do it?"

Hendrix paused, then gave her hand a small squeeze. "You just recovered and still need more rest. We can do it once you're all better. There's no rush. We have plenty of time ahead of us."

It sounded like he was explaining things to her, but it felt more like he was trying to convince himself.

Noelle felt his fingers tighten around hers. Then, as if afraid of hurting her, he quickly loosened his grip. Then, he looked at her with a trace of awkwardness in

his eyes.

Noelle had been about to say something, but at this point, she no longer felt like it. After all, this was his choice. She had already done her part. If he didn't want it, then so be it. So, she didn't insist. Instead, she slowly closed her eyes.

Hendrix, however, was caught in his own internal conflict. He had even secretly decided that if she asked one more time, he would no longer hold himself back.

But the next moment, she simply closed her eyes and went to sleep.

Hendrix looked at her peaceful sleeping face and couldn't help but chuckle. He had planned to take care of things himself once she fell asleep, but after watching her for a while, the restlessness inside him slowly faded away.

She had lost weight ever since she fell ill. Under the warm, golden glow of the lamp, she still looked a little pale. She was frowning slightly, and her body was curled up, as if she were searching for a sense of security.

Hendrix reached out and gently

patted her on the back. He had seen her soothe Rosie to sleep like this before. If it worked for a child, then maybe it would for her, too. He hadn't expected it to actually help, but Noelle's brows gradually relaxed, and her breathing evened out.

Hendrix watched her, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. In this moment, he felt like there was nothing else he needed to think about. Everything outside this room seemed to fade away, as if there were only two of them in this entire world.

He slowly leaned down and carefully pressed her palm against his cheek. Carefulnoveldrama

not to wake her, his movements were painstakingly gentle. After a moment, he

bent forward once more and placed a soft kiss on her lips.