I don't see any sign of them; where could they be?
Bethel is still engrossed in her device, seemingly oblivious to my presence. She's laughing away, completely absorbed, and I'm getting a bit bored.
I'll just go look for Liam.
I stood up gently, keeping an eye on Bethel for any sign of notice, but there was none.
Without hesitation, I turned around and made my way into the crowd, searching for familiar faces, especially Liam's.
"Happy birthday to you, Layla!" two ladies chimed as I passed.
I nodded in response, returning their smiles.
They looked stunning, both wearing identical red, sleeveless, short, and tight dresses, and holding glasses of white liquid.
Enough of the distraction! Where could Liam be?"
"Happy birthday to you, Layla!" another person exclaimed, a male this time.
I nodded again with a big smile as I passed him.
He appeared to be in his early twenties, probably the same age as me, and was holding a glass filled with black liquid, dancing as well.
I wondered how all these people knew me.
Well it's my birthday, so...
I continued walking through the crowd of dancing people, receiving birthday wishes as I passed by.
Yet, I still hadn't seen anyone familiar. I was starting to miss Liam; where was he?
I paused, scanning the area for any sign of him, and suddenly, a loud clinking sound of a glass cup diverted my attention to its source.
Although people were surrounding the area, making it difficult to trace the sound, everyone's head was turned in a particular direction, staring at something.
Unable to control my curiosity, I followed the sound, which led me straight to the center of the living room.
My heart leaped with joy as I saw Liam standing there, holding an empty glass cup and hitting it with a spoon.
What was he doing?
As I was about to step forward, I noticed there was a rope, flanked by guards that cordoned off the area, preventing the crowd from making physical contact with Liam, who stood alone in the large circular enclosure.
I stood and watched with a smile instead, my eyes fixed on him.
His gaze was staring at no one in particular as he spun around, but then our eyes met, sending my heart racing with wide-open eyes.
A smile instantly graced his lips, and he stopped hitting the glass cup.
A guard instantly rushed to collect the glass cup and spoon and retreated back into the crowd that surrounded him with admiring and loving eyes.
My gaze shifted to a guard removing the cordon right in front of me.
"Come in," he said with a smile.
I nodded and took slow, cautious steps forward.
"Liam!!" Someone suddenly shrieked from behind me, their piercing scream almost deafening, prompting a scowl to furrow my brow.
"Stay back!"
"Don't come any closer!" The guards barked at the crowd.
My scowl transformed into a look of surprise, as my eyes widened to their fullest extent, when Liam began to step closer to me, his left arm positioned behind his back.
The murmurs from the crowd didn't bother me, as my eyes remained glued to his.
"Uhm...uhm..."
My fingers suddenly began fidgeting with each other as he drew even nearer.
Oh mercies!
The murmurs somehow turned to screams, mostly screams from girls.
My gaze shifted to a lady being held by guards as she screamed,
"Your Highness!"
"I love you!"
What?
How can she love him?
My brows furrowed into a frown, but suddenly, I felt Liam's presence right in front of me.
He's just so, so magnificent, I can't!
Just like before, It feels like we're meeting each other for the first time, and he just keeps getting more beautiful by the second.
I quickly shifted my gaze downward, my eyes darting nervously across the floor.
"Layla," I heard him call, his voice as gentle as a summer breeze.
I couldn't bring myself to look up and meet his intense gaze, my eyes remaining fixed on the floor.
Why is he so incredibly good-looking?!
Ahhh!!!
My chest began heaving as I suddenly felt his warm, gentle hands on my chin, lifting my head slowly to meet his gaze.
The instant our eyes met, the room erupted with screams of girls pleading for Liam's attention, accompanied by the yells of the guards instructing them to stay back.
"Liam!!!"
"Your Highness!!!"
"I love you, Your Highness!!!"
"Just a look from you, Your Highness!!"
"Your attention!!"
"Stay back!"
"Your Highness!!!"
"Liam!"
"Stay back, move away!"
"Just a kiss from you, Your Highness!!"
It sounded so intense, like the guards were struggling to hold the crowd back from getting too close to us.
I could barely look away as Liam's hand on my chin and his intense gaze held me captive.
"I want to have a dance with you."
His sudden words were like balm to my heart.
He wants to dance with me?
I...I'd love to, but... My smile faded away. I can't dance.
"Uhm, Liam, I...I"
"Shhh," he silenced me with his index finger on my lips.
"I don't care."
With that, he pulled me by my waist and into the center of the circle.
His actions were both surprising and heart-stopping, and the screams grew even louder, so loud that my eardrums could burst.
But that didn't matter now; what mattered was that Liam had an arm wrapped around my waist.
A nervous smile instantly lit up my face as I glanced at his intense gaze, which made me feel queasy.
Suddenly, the light changed from orange to blue, causing me to look around in confusion at the sudden change.
Abruptly, music from nowhere started playing - a soft, melodic tune.
My gaze shifted back to Liam's, whose eyes had never left my face.
"Let's dance," he said, his voice the only thing I could hear despite the screams.
He held out his hand, and I stared at it in confusion, unsure how to respond.
He didn't even wait for me to react but simply took my hand in his warm, soft one and placed my right hand on his shoulder.
His smile grew wide as he held my waist once more, his touch sending shivers down my spine.
I hoped I wouldn't mess things up.
With that, we began moving in rhythm to the music.
I felt like I was floating on air, and I couldn't help but stare into his eyes, which sparkled like diamonds in the light.
I forgot about my inability to dance, and my feet seemed to move on their own, following Liam's lead.
The crowd around us faded into the background, and all that mattered was the two of us, lost in this magical moment.
His eyes bore into me, making me feel captured in his gaze, but then my knees weakened.
Oh no!
I lost my balance and almost fell to the ground with wide open eyes and a racing heart.
But then, Liam's hand left mine and went straight to holding my waist, pulling me up to stand properly.
The accident seemed to have pulled us out of our magical world, as the screams filled my ears excessively.
I ignored them, my gaze still fixed on Liam's, and we both stared deeply into each other's eyes.
A warmth spread through me as his arms encircled my waist, holding me close. My hands rested on his shoulders, and my heart raced faster as his hands slid from my waist to behind my back, enveloping me in a warm, tender embrace.
Our faces were mere inches apart, and my hands had no choice but to leave his shoulders.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, my eyes burning from the intense gaze, like embers from a fiery passion.
Liam didn't seem to mind, his eyes glued to mine with a longing glint, his pupils dilated with desire, making me fear a little what he might do next in front of everyone.
I'm shy!
Before I could think further, he began moving to the music, and I followed along, my feet feeling like lead.
Though I felt extremely nervous, I still felt proud - proud that I got to have him in my life.
He's an angel, sent to steal my heart and return with it to paradise, which he succeeded in doing.
He released my waist, took my hand, and spun me around.
I was lost in the moment, obeying his every move as he twirled me and then took me in his arms once more.
My hands were flat against his chest as he held me close, his gaze unwavering.
I still couldn't believe he was mine, and mine alone.
My hands left his chest and wrapped around his neck, pulling him into a tight, longing embrace.
I rested my head on his shoulder, my chest pressed against his, and I felt his hands slipping up my back, pulling me even closer - like I could melt into him, which I didn't mind at all.
Lost in our embrace, the light suddenly flickered orange again, and then the music turned off.
The sound of cheering, clapping, and whistling was the only thing I could hear.
Is that it for the dance? Ugh!
I guess I have no choice but to pull away.
I released my grip on his neck, and his arms also freed my waist.
Our gazes met, mine filled with happiness, longing, and disappointment, while his shone with excitement and strong desire.
But the screams filled my ears once more, erupting a scowl on my face.
My gaze drifted to the crowd, shouting and jumping, trying to escape the boundary that held them back, but the guards didn't allow it.
Then suddenly, I felt Liam's warm grasp on my wrist.