My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 121

Chapter 121: Unexpected tenderness

Dylan woke up and found the other side of the bed empty. His brows furrowed as he sat up, scanning the room for any sign of Ava. Nothing.

‘Maybe she has already left for work,’ he thought, sighing as he ruffled his hair. It didn’t surprise him. Nowadays, she didn’t wait for him to wake up like she used to, nor did she bother to serve breakfast to him. A pang of sadness flickered through him, but he pushed it aside.

Groaning, Dylan rubbed his temples as a dull ache pulsed through his head. “Why the hell did I drink so much?” he muttered, hauling himself out of bed. He trudged to the bathroom, his movements sluggish and uncoordinated.

Yawning widely, Dylan stumbled inside, his eyes barely open. Without thinking, he walked straight to the toilet, tugged down his trousers, and began relieving himself. He had no idea he wasn’t alone inside the bathroom.

When Ava heard that sound, she froze in the middle of wrapping the towel on her damp hair. She came out of the shower room and saw Dylan, her jaw falling apart.

Dylan suddenly became aware of a presence. Turning his head, his eyes met hers, and all remnants of sleep and grogginess evaporated.

“Oh… I—uh… I didn’t know you were in here.” He stumbled over his words, yanking his trousers back up as a flush of embarrassment crept over his face.

‘Why is she here?’ his mind screamed.

Ava shot him a glare, muttering something under her breath as she turned to leave in a huff. But before she could take a step, her foot slipped on the wet tile. “Ah!” she let out a startled yelp as she tumbled to the floor.

“Shit!” Dylan exclaimed, rushing toward her. He crouched beside her, with genuine concern etching on his face. “Are you okay?”

Ava winced, her hand instinctively going to her hip as she rubbed the sore spot. “Ouch! It hurts.”

“Where? Let me see.” Dylan leaned closer, his hand brushing against her waist as he tried to examine her injury.

“Stop it.” She slapped his hand, glaring at him. “Don’t even think about taking advantage of this situation.”

“Taking advantage? Seriously?” he shot back. “Do you think I’m that kind of guy? I was just trying to help you!”

“I don’t need your help,” Ava spat, pushing him aside as she struggled to get back on her feet. But her legs gave out again. This time, the towel around her slipped away from her body, exposing her naked form in front of him.

Ava’s breath hitched as she scrambled to grab the towel, pressing it to her chest in a desperate attempt to shield herself. Her face burned with embarrassment, crimson spreading across her cheeks.

Dylan blinked, his eyes flickering briefly over her exposed form. “So,” he drawled, a smirk tugging at his lips, “do you still not need my help?”

Ava’s glare intensified. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you? You’re just waiting for me to humiliate myself so you can gloat.”

“You’re the one who refused my help, remember?” he taunted. “This is entirely on you. But hey,” his eyes sparkled with amusement, “maybe this was your plan all along. What’s next? Are you going to admit you were trying to seduce me?”

Ava’s annoyance flared even more. “You arrogant—!” she sputtered, clutching the towel tighter. “You think way too highly of yourself! I wouldn’t seduce you even if you were the last man on earth!”

She tried to get up once again, but Dylan pulled her toward him.

Ava stumbled, her hands instinctively landing on his chest. Their eyes locked, the tension between them shifting in an instant. For a moment, she forgot her anger as she looked into his green eyes. They weren’t filled with mockery or smugness now but something softer, something gentler.

Her breath caught as the closeness between them wrapped around her like an invisible force.

“Don’t move,” he murmured hoarsely. “You will hurt yourself. Let me take you out.”

“I can walk out on my own.” She moved away, only to be pulled back into his arms. She gasped as her bosom pressed against the firm expanse of his chest.

“I said I would help you.” He bent down and swept her off her feet, cradling her effortlessly in his arms. Ava instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, her heart skipping a beat.

Dylan carried her out of the bathroom and gently lowered her onto the bed, his gaze never wavering from hers. He remained close, leaning over her, his fingers brushing her damp hair away from her face.

“Take a day off if you need to,” he said softly.

Ava blinked, startled by his suggestion. She remembered all too well how Dylan had insisted she attend his meetings just the day before. And now, he wanted her to take a leave.

‘Didn’t he say I can’t take leaves anymore?’ she wondered. ‘What changed?’

“Don’t worry about work,” he continued. “I’ll handle it.”

“No,” Ava replied sharply. “I’m fine. I can manage.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Alright,” he relented, though there was still a trace of doubt in his tone. “If you’re insisting… Rest for a while. We’ll leave together.”

He lowered his head further and pressed his lips gently on her forehead.

Ava’s heart leaped to her mouth. The unexpected intimacy of the gesture left her momentarily speechless.

Dylan lingered for a moment, his expression soft and almost wistful. “I’ll be back soon.” Then he straightened and headed back to the bathroom.

Ava put her hand on her forehead where his lips had touched. Her breathing was uneven, her chest rising and falling as if her heart had forgotten how to beat normally. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t calm the storm raging inside her.

‘What on earth is going on?’ she mumbled in a daze.

This was everything she had longed for once—his love, his care, his tenderness. Dylan was finally giving her the affection she had dreamed of, the attention she had craved since her past life. Yet instead of joy, a wave of shock coursed through her. She couldn’t understand why this sudden sweetness.

Doubts flickered in her heart. ‘Is he serious? Or is this just another act?’

Her heart warred with her head. She had spent years yearning for him, but the pain he had caused, the betrayal and heartache, had built walls she wasn’t sure she could tear down. Even if he was displaying his care, she couldn’t help but doubt his intention.

‘Ava, you can’t fall for him,’ she told herself firmly. ‘Not again. Not this time. I can’t let my guard down.’

Steeling herself, Ava slid off the bed and walked toward the wardrobe.

Dylan emerged from the bathroom, expecting to find Ava in the room, but the bed was empty. He checked the room, but she wasn’t there. Stepping out into the hallway, he searched the house to check if she was having breakfast, but there was no sign of Ava. He saw the Martha cleaning the house.

He called her and asked, “Where is Ava?”

“Madam has gone to work.”

“She left already,” he mumbled, frowning. “I told her to wait. Why is she always running away from me?”

He let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. Martha’s voice pulled him back to the present. “Shall I serve your breakfast, sir?”

Dylan nodded absently. “Yes, I’m coming in a while.” He turned back toward his room, his mind occupied with thoughts of Ava.

Once inside the room, he dialed Justin’s number. The line clicked, and Justin’s voice greeted him.

“Hey, help me with something,” Dylan said urgently.