Chapter 108: I’m Jealous, Sylvia...

"I love you," Sylvia said softly.

A small smile appeared on her lips as she turned toward me and wrapped her arms around me.

I smiled and hugged her back, resting my arms around her waist.

For a few seconds, neither of us said anything.

I could feel the warmth of her body against mine, and the faint scent of soap still clung to her skin. Her damp hair brushed against my cheek whenever she moved.

"I love you too, my best woman," I whispered.

Sylvia let out a quiet laugh.

She pulled away just enough to look at me before leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss against my forehead.

Then she picked up a towel and wrapped it around me.

"Don’t catch a cold," she murmured.

I smiled.

She grabbed another towel for herself before picking up the smaller one and taking my wrist.

"Come on."

She led me out of the bathroom.

The moment I stepped into the room, the cool air touched my damp skin. I tightened the towel around myself and followed her toward the dressing table.

Sylvia pulled the chair out for me.

"Sit down."

I lowered myself into the chair and looked at her through the mirror.

She stood behind me, meeting my eyes through the reflection.

For a moment, we simply smiled at each other.

Then she picked up the small towel and began drying my hair.

She gently squeezed the wet strands between the towel, moving from one section to another. The fabric felt soft against my scalp, and I could feel the warmth of her fingers whenever they brushed through my hair.

She was careful with every movement.

When she noticed a particularly wet section, she stopped and dried it again.

"You don’t have to be so careful," I said, watching her through the mirror.

"I know," she replied.

"Then why are you?"

She smiled.

"Because I want to."

I couldn’t help smiling at that.

When my hair was no longer dripping, she placed the towel on the table and picked up the hair dryer.

She plugged it in.

The machine came to life with a steady hum.

Warm air washed over my hair and the back of my neck.

Sylvia moved the dryer slowly, never keeping it in one place for too long. Her other hand gently lifted my hair, separating the strands so the warm air could reach underneath.

I relaxed against the chair.

The steady sound of the dryer filled the room, making everything else feel distant.

After a while, Sylvia switched it off and picked up the brush.

She began brushing my hair slowly.

Whenever she reached a tangled section, she stopped and worked through it with her fingers instead of pulling.

I watched her reflection.

She looked completely focused on what she was doing.

A few strands of my hair fell across my face.

Sylvia noticed and gently moved them aside.

Her fingers briefly brushed my cheek before returning to my hair.

I smiled at her through the mirror.

She caught my smile.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing."

She narrowed her eyes playfully.

"You’re staring at me."

"I know."

"And you’re smiling."

"I know that too."

She shook her head with a small laugh and continued brushing my hair.

I turned my attention back to the mirror.

There was something strangely comforting about sitting there while she took care of me.

It wasn’t anything big.

She was only drying and brushing my hair.

But the quiet care in every little movement made my chest feel warm.

I didn’t feel the need to rush anywhere.

I just sat there and let her take care of me.

Just then—

Knock!

Knock!

Knock!

"Sylvia."

I froze.

I knew that voice.

Janina.

Again.

My fingers tightened against my thighs, curling into fists before I even realized it.

Why was she here?

Why did she keep coming to find Sylvia?

The irritation that had been sitting quietly inside me suddenly flared. I clenched my jaw and stared at myself in the mirror, trying not to let my expression give me away.

But Sylvia noticed anyway.

She always did.

She leaned down from behind me and pressed a soft kiss against my cheek.

"Be a good girl," she whispered.

The simple touch made some of the tension leave my body.

I turned my head and looked at her.

She was smiling.

Sylvia gently held my face between her hands, her palms warm against my cheeks.

"Don’t be jealous," she said softly. "I love you. Only you."

Her thumb moved slowly across my cheek.

My lips pushed into a small pout.

"I know."

I placed my hands over hers, holding them against my face.

Sylvia smiled at me as if my jealousy were nothing to be angry about.

Another knock came from the other side of the door.

"Sylvia?"

I glanced toward it, then back at her.

She understood immediately.

She didn’t need me to say that I didn’t want her to leave.

"Let me finish drying your hair first," she said. "Then you can put on your pajamas."

I gave a reluctant nod and turned back toward the mirror.

A moment later, the hair dryer started again.

Warm air passed through my damp hair while Sylvia continued working behind me. Her fingers moved gently through the strands, separating them as she dried them.

I watched her reflection.

She didn’t rush.

She didn’t even look toward the door.

She simply continued taking care of me.

And although Janina was still waiting outside, the tightness in my chest slowly loosened.

At least for now, Sylvia was right there with me.

She continued drying my hair, moving the dryer slowly through the damp strands.

The warm air brushed over my scalp and down the back of my neck. I watched her through the mirror as she worked, her eyes focused on what she was doing.

After a few more minutes, she finally switched the dryer off.

The sudden silence felt almost strange after the steady hum.

"Babe, will you use my face oil?" she asked, looking down at me.

I met her eyes in the mirror and nodded.

I reached for the small bottle sitting on her dressing table. A faint, clean scent rose from it as I opened it.

I poured a few drops into my palm, rubbed my hands together, and gently pressed the oil over my face. My skin felt soft beneath my fingertips.

Sylvia walked toward her wardrobe. She opened the wardrobe and looked through the clothes before pulling out two pairs of pajamas.

She carried them back to me and held them out.

"Time to get dressed."

I looked down at the pajamas and then slowly lifted my eyes to her.

I gave her a small pout.

Sylvia stared at me for a second before shaking her head with an amused smile.

"What now?"

I said nothing.

She stepped closer.

With a playful look in her eyes, she reached toward the towel wrapped around me and loosened it slightly.

She looked down at me for a moment, then slowly licked her lips.

"Minnie," she said, her voice dropping into a teasing tone. "Put your clothes on before I will start all over again to fuck you."

I immediately snatched the pajamas from her hand and held them against my chest.

"Crazy beast," I muttered.

Sylvia laughed under her breath.

I turned away from her and quickly slipped into my pajamas.

I knew her too well.

If I kept standing there and giving her that look, she would find another excuse to tease me, and I wasn’t ready to lose another hour to her playful mood.

Once I was dressed, I turned back toward her.

She was still standing there, watching me with that amused smile on her face.

I shook my head and stood up.

"Hey."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Come sit down and dry your hair before you catch a cold," I said, pointing to the chair.

She glanced at her wet hair and then back at me.

A small smile spread across her face. "Look at you, taking care of me now."

"Just come here."

She laughed, walked over, and sat down.

I reached for the towel and gently wrapped it around her damp hair.

As I began drying it, Sylvia closed her eyes and relaxed.

I put down the towel after some minutes and turned on the dryer and started drying her hair.

The warm air moved through her damp hair, lifting the strands around my fingers. I slowly moved the dryer from one side of her head to the other, making sure the heat didn’t stay in one place for too long.

I applied a hair oil to her hair and picked up another brush from the table and started brushing her hair down as I ran the dryer all over it.

The sweet scent of the oil filled the air as I gently worked it through her hair. The brush moved smoothly through the strands, and Sylvia remained still, letting me take care of her.

For a few moments, everything was quiet.

Then—

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

The sound made my hand slow.

"Sylvia, can I come in?"

I stared at the mirror.

Knock.

Knock.

The knocking didn’t stop.

I hate how someone else has the right to knock on her door, calling her name that deserves to be on my lips only.

A small ache settled in my chest.

My hand slowed while brushing her hair.

I didn’t even realize I had stopped moving until Sylvia looked up at me from the mirror.

Our eyes met through the reflection.

"Are you alright, babe?" she asked calmly.

Her voice was gentle, without a sign of irritation.

I shook my head and lifted it to look at her from the mirror.

There was no point pretending anymore.

"I’m jealous, Sylvia."