Chapter 154: Want!
Leonard.
The sight of Theresa looking so troubled twisted something deep inside me.
I hated it.
More than anything, I hated seeing that sadness lingering in her eyes, watching her struggle beneath a burden she refused to let anyone carry. Every second she remained silent chipped away at me, leaving me restless and frustrated.
It annoyed me.
It hurt me.
And the worst part was knowing there wasn’t a single thing I could do to ease her pain.
I swallowed hard, my gaze never leaving her face.
All I wanted was for her to look at me and to trust me enough to tell me what was weighing so heavily on her heart.
I wanted her to lean on me the way she used to. Instead...she kept everything locked inside.
My chest tightened painfully.
She doesn’t trust me anymore.
The realization settled heavily over me, squeezing my heart until breathing became difficult.
It’s my fault.
Every bit of it.
Somewhere along the way, I had broken the trust she once had in me.
Now she was suffering alone because she no longer believed I was someone she could rely on.
The thought was unbearable.
I lowered my gaze briefly before looking back at her.
What do I do?
How do I make her trust me again?
How do I undo everything I’ve already ruined?
I had no answers.
Lawrence’s words echoed repeatedly inside my head and I knew from it that she had already confided in him. She had trusted him enough to tell him what was bothering her.
That single fact hurt more than I wanted to admit.
The silence between us became too heavy for me to endure. Every passing second felt like another knife sinking deeper into my chest.
Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore.
"Theresa, I can tell you don’t trust me anymore," I said quietly, my voice rough with emotions I was desperately trying to keep under control.
The words felt painfully heavy leaving my lips.
I searched her face, hoping—praying—for some kind of reaction.
"But I am ready to prove myself worthy of your trust," I continued, locking my eyes with hers as though I could somehow convince her without another word.
For a long moment, she simply stared at mevand then, without saying anything, she slowly slipped her hands out of mine.
The warmth of her touch disappeared little by little until her fingers were completely gone.
She shifted slightly away from me. It was such a small movement, yet it felt like the world had collapsed around me.
My heart sank.
The distance she created between us hurt far more than I had expected.
"Theresa... please," I whispered, my voice trembling despite my efforts to steady it.
I blinked repeatedly, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes.
"Don’t treat me this way." I added.
Desperation consumed me.
Instinctively, I reached out, hoping to stop her before she moved any farther away.
Before I could touch her... Lurgard stepped forward.
Without hesitation, he gently lifted Theresa into his arms. His hand settled firmly around her waist as he pulled her flush against him with effortless ease.
Then, with surprising tenderness, he reached up and carefully brushed a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.
The simple gesture stole the air from my lungs. A sharp gasp escaped me before I could stop it.
My entire body stiffened.
My hands curled into tight fists until my nails dug painfully into my palms.
The sight before me burned itself into my mind, as every instinct inside me screamed in protest.
’He shouldn’t touch her that way in our presence!’
Le’s furious growl exploded inside my head, vibrating through every corner of my mind with barely restrained rage.
It took every ounce of self-control I had not to get to my feet and drive my fist straight into Lurgard’s face.
Every muscle in my body tensed.
My jaw locked so tightly that it began to ache.
I could practically feel my blood boiling beneath my skin as I watched him hold Theresa so naturally, so comfortably, as though he had every right to.
The urge to separate them was overwhelming—I want o rip his hands off her and to remind him that she wasn’t his to hold.
But I stayed where I was.
My hands remained clenched into fists, my nails digging painfully into my palms as I fought against the violent impulse clawing its way to the surface.
I couldn’t lose control.
Taking a slow breath that did absolutely nothing to calm me, my eyes drifted toward Lawrence.
The moment our gazes met, I immediately understood—he wasn’t happy either, as his expression remained composed, but there was a stiffness in his posture that hadn’t been there moments ago.
His eyes lingered on Lurgard’s arm around Theresa’s waist for just a fraction too long.
He hated this just as much as I did.
One thing became painfully obvious—neither of us wanted to share Theresa, as neither of us wanted to stand back while another man held her so intimately.
The realization settled heavily in my chest.
How do I make her mine?
Mine alone.
How do I make her choose only me?
Her attention, her smile, her laughter, her trust, her body and soul—they should belong to only one person...Me!
After all...I was the original owner.
No matter what had happened between us, no matter how badly things had fallen apart, I had been there first.
That had to mean something.
Didn’t it?
Before I could sink any deeper into my thoughts, Lurgard’s voice interrupted the silence.
"Look here, Theresa," he said softly. "It’s okay if you don’t want to share it." He paused briefly before continuing. "But just know that we are here for you at any time and any day."
Theresa didn’t respond immediately.
She simply gave a small nod and then without warning, she rested her head against his chest.
The movement was natural, effortless and comfortable.
"Arrrghhhhh!"
The scream echoed only inside my head.
I felt as though I was losing my mind.
Watching the two of them together...watching her seek comfort in another man’s embrace...watching them look so...close...It was killing me from the inside.
Every passing second felt like torture, and I couldn’t bear another moment of it.
Theresa’s soft voice broke the silence once more.
"Lawrence, can you take me away from here?"
The words had barely left her lips before Lurgard’s body stiffened, as his arms froze around her.
For the briefest second, I almost laughed, because It served him right.
She hadn’t chosen him.
But my amusement disappeared almost instantly, because that wasn’t the important part—She had chosen Lawrence.
She had asked Lawrence to comfort her.
A bitter lump formed in my throat.
I could do that too.
In fact...I was certain I could do it even better. I was more than qualified, much more than Lawrence.
Lawrence had always been the quiet one, and the plain one. The brother who rarely attracted attention unless the three of us were standing together.
Compared to me...he never had girls looking his way.
I could comfort Theresa better than he ever could.
"Theresa, let me take you—"
The words had barely left my mouth before she pulled herself completely out of Lurgard’s embrace.
For one hopeful second, my heart leaped, and then she turned toward me as her eyes met mine, cold and sharp as they were filled with unmistakable hatred.
"No!" Her voice rang through the room, loud and firm. "I want Lawrence."
Everything inside me came to an abrupt halt.
I froze where I stood, as he words echoed relentlessly inside my head.
Want?
T-that was a very strong word.