Molly stayed silent, her eyes darting away from Chad's intense gaze.
Chad, noticing her lack of resistance, even though he was a bit startled, shrank back slightly, his face turning a deep shade of red, almost as if he might start bleeding.
Swallowing hard, Chad moved closer to Molly's lips. This time, instead of his usual forceful and domineering kiss, he approached her like a slow-motion scene from a movie, inching closer and closer... ten centimeters, seven centimeters, five centimeters, three centimeters...
Molly had numerous chances to back away, but Chad cautiously watched her reactions, waiting for any sign of refusal.
In that moment, Molly's mind was racing. She remembered her sister Mia's blunt assessment, "Molly, you're just confused."
Indeed, she was confused.
Mia had given her an example, "Imagine there's a job that's perfect for you, one you might love in the future, but right now, because you're still a student and haven't entered the workforce, you're resistant to it. You're unsure about accepting the job, thinking you'll eventually get it anyway, but you can't quite get your head around this shift in mindset. Now, replace 'job' with 'Chad' and see."
Feeling the increasing pressure as Chad got closer, inching from centimeters to millimeters...
Molly's palms grew sweaty with nervousness, Mia's words echoing in her mind, "Molly, you can't think of Chad as your brother anymore; you need to see him as a mature man. I get your initial discomfort, like if Cooper and I suddenly had to share a bed, one of us wouldn't make it. But you and Chad are married now. Remember, you're his wife. There are certain duties in a marriage that you might try fulfilling, crushing any discomfort, and maybe take the initiative once in a while, just like when you flirted with Chad before. A little move on your part and Chad will be over the moon. I swear, you take the lead by just 0.1%, and you won't have to worry about the rest."
Finally, Chad's lips met Molly's, who remained passive, her body stiff, their eyes locked, Chad's intentions clear through his actions and unspoken words.
Yet he didn't want to force Molly into anything, wanting their first memory to be untainted and beautiful.
Molly's thoughts snapped back to the present, her breath warm and her throat dry. With a hesitant voice, she whispered, "Okay, Chad, I'll close my eyes." And thus, she embarked on this adventure with Chad.
Chad's grip tightened on Molly's nightgown, his palms sweaty against her dress. Seeing her close her eyes, he could hardly believe it.
He became increasingly puzzled about Molly's behavior.
Molly's heart raced, and after what felt like an eternity, Chad remained motionless. Confused, Molly wondered if Chad didn't understand her signal.
A girl closing her eyes is a sign of consent, right? Clearly, Chad's lack of romantic novel knowledge was showing!
So, Molly closed her eyes again, her cheeks flushed as if brushed with rouge, her hand reaching for the red satin ribbon at her waist. For the first time, she began to untie the bow herself...
Yet, the man on top remained unresponsive, infuriating Molly. Opening her eyes in annoyance, she was about to rebuke Chad when suddenly, his kiss enveloped her.
Her hand, attempting to untie her waistband, was covered by his rough, warm palm. Then, Chad firmly held her hand, guiding it to his shirt.
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