Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 220

Chapter 220: Chapter 220: Real closure

[Celestial Tower]

After Roger was discharged from the hospital, Lily insisted on driving him back to his apartment. She helped him inside, guiding him gently to the couch before stepping back with a soft sigh.

“Don’t move, and ask me if you need anything,” she instructed, already turning to set her bag on the table.

Roger chuckled under his breath. “You’re worrying for nothing, Lily. Didn’t the doctor say I’m perfectly fine? I can move around like before.”

Lily shot him a sharp look over her shoulder. “So what if he did? You and I both know that doesn’t mean you’re fully healed.”

She returned to the couch, sitting beside him with a gentle exhale as if her presence could somehow keep him from straining himself.

Roger’s gaze softened. Everything felt lighter, warmer, when she was near. Ever since they’d finally confessed their lingering feelings, something between them had shifted. There was no longer distance or hesitation—only the quiet pull of something inevitable.

“You want anything?” Lily asked, breaking him out of his trance.

He opened his mouth to say no, but then paused, a flicker of mischief dancing in his eyes. He remembered her earlier words—ask me if you need anything.

He leaned in slightly, a slow, meaningful smile curling on his lips. “Will you give me anything I want?”

Lily blinked at him, caught off guard. There was a playful glint in his eyes, the kind that made her heartbeat hitch. But her expression remained stubbornly innocent. “Depends on what you ask.”

“Anything,” Roger echoed, voice low and teasing. “Even if it’s not on your usual to-do list?”

Lily narrowed her eyes, trying to appear unfazed—but her cheeks betrayed her with a soft flush. “You’re really pushing your luck for someone who was nearly declared out of commission last week.”

“And yet, I’m still here,” he murmured, eyes locked with hers. “And you’re here too.”

Lily’s breath hitched for just a second. The air between them felt heavier, charged.

Roger reached out slowly, brushing a strand of hair from her face, his fingers lingering just a second longer than necessary.

“If what I want,” he said softly, “is you—here, beside me, not just today but tomorrow and the day after that—would that be too much?”

Lily’s lips parted, her heart pounding in her chest. The mischief in his eyes had faded, replaced by something raw and honest.

She didn’t answer with words. Instead, she leaned in, resting her forehead against his, her hand finding his.

“No,” she whispered, “that’s not too much at all.”

Roger’s eyes dropped to her lips, his gaze intense, his mouth curling into a slow, smug smile.

“And what if I ask for a kiss?” he asked, his voice dripping with teasing playfulness.

Lily froze for a moment, her breath hitching ever so slightly as her mind raced with the implication of his words. She met his eyes, her own heart picking up the pace, but she refused to let him see how flustered she was.

“That’s nothing much,” she said with a shrug, her voice attempting to sound casual, though the flicker in her eyes betrayed her excitement.

She leaned in slowly, her lips brushing his in a soft, fleeting kiss. It was light, just enough to leave him wanting more, and as soon as her lips left his, she pulled back, her breath quickening slightly.

Roger’s gaze followed her every movement, the teasing smile still present, but now it was mixed with something deeper, something more sincere.

“You’re a tease,” he murmured, his voice low and steady.

Lily tried to play it cool, but the warmth spreading in her chest was hard to ignore. “You’ll survive,” she shot back with a playful grin, though the blush creeping up her neck gave her away.

Roger chuckled softly, his hands reaching for her, pulling her just a bit closer. “Maybe I want more than a tease.”

Lily tilted her head, meeting his gaze with a challenge in her eyes. “You’ll have to wait for it”

Roger was still grinning as the kiss broke, his eyes flicking between hers and her slightly flushed cheeks. “You know,” he said, brushing a strand of hair from her face, “you didn’t answer my question.”

Lily leaned back just enough to arch a brow. “Which one?”

“The one about whether you’ve always wanted to kiss me,” he teased, giving her a slow, cheeky smile that made her want to kiss him all over again.

She chuckled, biting her bottom lip. “Maybe…”

“Maybe?” he repeated, his hand lightly tracing circles on her back. “That sounds suspiciously like a yes.”

Lily playfully swatted his chest but stayed curled up against him. “Fine,” she confessed, eyes darting away as a sheepish smile touched her lips. “I might’ve… had a little crush on you back then.”

Roger’s brow lifted, and his grin widened like a kid on Christmas morning. “A crush?” he repeated, clearly relishing the word. “This is the best day of my life.”

“Oh, shut up,” Lily muttered, though her laugh betrayed how unbothered she really was. “It wasn’t like I was writing your name in hearts on my notebook or anything.”

“Really?” he teased. “Because I distinctly remember catching you staring at me in the training hall—”

“I was not staring!”

“You were absolutely staring. I had witnesses.”

She groaned and buried her face in his chest, muffling her embarrassment. “You’re the worst.”

Roger laughed, wrapping his arms tighter around her. “Nope. I’m the guy you secretly adored and finally kissed years later on a couch. Plot twist: I had a thing for you too.”

Lily lifted her head, eyes narrowing. “You did?”

He nodded. “Why do you think I kept annoying you? I couldn’t get you out of my head. You were focused, fierce, and so maddeningly hard to talk to without sounding like a complete idiot.”

Lily gave him a look. “You still sound like an idiot.”

Roger shrugged, smiling. “Yeah, but now I get to be your idiot.”

She laughed and shook her head. “I used to imagine what it would be like… just sitting like this. Talking to you like we didn’t need excuses.”

Roger cupped her face gently, his thumbs stroking her cheeks. “Then let’s stop pretending we need them.”

He leaned in again, this time kissing her slow and deep. It wasn’t rushed or teasing—it was warm, intimate, and full of years’ worth of what-ifs finally answered.

Lily smiled against his lips and whispered, “I could get used to this.”

Roger pulled back just enough to murmur, “You better. I’m not going anywhere.”

And just when their noses brushed again, the phone on the table began to buzz insistently.

Lily groaned and looked toward it. “Really?”

Roger sighed. “I swear this phone has it out for me.”

She leaned forward to check the screen, and just like that, the mood shifted.

“I think it’s for you,” Lily said, casting Roger a meaningful glance before rising from the couch.

Roger’s brows drew together as he watched her walk off toward the kitchen, giving him space—but not without letting him know that this was his moment to handle.

He stared at the buzzing phone for a second longer, torn between answering and ignoring it like he had before. But when the screen lit up for the third time with the same number, he let out a weary sigh and stood, grabbing the device and heading toward the balcony.

Cool air brushed against his face as he stepped outside, shutting the glass door behind him before finally accepting the call.

“Yes, Officer,” Roger said, voice level but unenthusiastic.

“I’m sorry for the disturbance, Mr. Roger,” the officer replied politely. “But I was hoping for your response regarding Rita’s request.”

Roger closed his eyes briefly, leaning against the railing. He had been told a few days ago that Rita—now behind bars—had asked to see him. Once. Just once. He hadn’t responded. Hadn’t wanted to. Too many unresolved emotions, too much anger, too little reason.

But now, with the officer’s persistence and Rita’s refusal to give up, avoiding it was becoming more difficult.

“She’s been asking to speak to you again,” the officer added gently. “Says it’s important.”

Roger exhaled slowly, glancing toward the kitchen where Lily was pretending not to listen but was clearly waiting.

He didn’t want to see Rita. Didn’t want to open that door again. But something about the timing… the way things had been unfolding lately… made it feel like there might be more at stake.

“I’ll think about it,” he finally said. “I’ll call back once I decide.”

“Understood. Thank you, Mr. Roger.”

The line disconnected.

Roger stood still for a moment longer, the silence on the balcony wrapping around him like a blanket of unanswered questions. Then he turned to go back inside—where something real, and something worth holding onto, was waiting.

Back in the living room, Lily returned with two steaming mugs of coffee in hand. She placed them gently on the table and took her seat beside Roger on the couch.

Roger tossed his phone aside with a quiet sigh before settling next to her.

“Here,” Lily said softly, handing him his cup before picking up her own.

“Thanks,” he murmured, taking it from her with a small nod.

For a moment, they sipped in silence, the warmth of the coffee grounding them in an otherwise uncertain conversation.

“Did she ask to see you again?” Lily asked eventually, her voice neutral but her eyes flicking toward him, watching his expression carefully.

Roger gave a slow nod, eyes fixed on the ripples in his cup. “Yeah. I told the officer I needed time to think.”

Lily nodded as well, but the quiet understanding on her face gave way to something firmer. She leaned forward, setting her cup back down on the table.

“And how long will it take for you to think?” she asked gently, but with a note of insistence. “It’s been a few days now. She’s been trying to reach you repeatedly. Don’t you think… maybe you need closure? Real closure.”