Before I could even think of pulling him away so I could look him straight in the eye, I felt his arms relax around me, and before I knew it, they dropped to his sides, hanging limp. But his head remained on my shoulder.
I raised my hands and grasped both his shoulders, then pulled him away from me.
His eyes had a haunted look, like he was emotionally exhausted, and I couldn't bear to see him like this.
"Liam, you don't have to do this. Don't punish yourself this way. It's all in the past now."
But he didn't respond; his eyes remained fixed on mine, and I felt like my words couldn't penetrate his resolve.
My hands left his shoulders and cradled his face in my palms.
I pulled his head lower and pressed my lips to his. They felt incredibly soft.
I deepened the kiss, but Liam didn't respond, his lips remained still, allowing me to take the lead.
It felt strange and one-sided, so I pulled away with a faint click, gazing at Liam with a surprised expression.
His eyes were slightly open, cast downward.
"Liam, please don't do this, look at me." But his gaze remained fixed on the floor, refusing to meet mine.
I pressed my lips to his once more, kissing him passionately, but Liam remained unresponsive.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him in so close that our chests touched, and continued the kiss. I refused to give up until he reciprocated.
But Liam remained resolute, his lips unmoving, unyielding.
I paused, my lips still pressed against his, and then pulled away with a loud, distinct click.
His lips were red, wet, and swollen, but his eyes remained fixed on the ground, refusing to meet mine.
I frowned at the sight and was about to press my lips to his again, but Liam held me back, his hand on my chest.
My eyes widened in both fear and surprise at his unexpected action. Never had Liam shown reluctance to kiss me before, but now he was stopping me.
Did he truly mean what he said?
He removed my arms from his neck, and I watched in silence as he returned to his seat.
He sat down and resumed eating, ignoring me completely. He didn't even spare me a glance.
I slowly returned to my seat, frowning, and watched as he munched quietly on his juicy chicken, his cheek slightly puffed out.
I grabbed the savory sauce from the table and poured it over my tender chicken, then watched as it spread all over.
I raised my gaze to Liam, noticing that he had his eye on my chicken. Wasn't he going to react?
He didn't react, but instead shifted his gaze to his own food and continued eating.
My eyes narrowed at the sight, and I grabbed a fork, stabbing a piece of my flavorful chicken.
I brought it to my mouth, took a bite, and began chewing, but winced at the intense spiciness and started fanning my mouth with my hand.
"Water!" I exclaimed, my tongue burning.
I kept my gaze fixed on Liam as I continued fanning my mouth, watching as he poured me a glass of cool, clear water.
He handed it to me, and I took it, drinking the entire contents in one refreshing gulp.
I slammed the cup down on a vacant spot on the table, grunting in relief as the water soothed my burning tongue.
"Thanks," I panted, still trying to catch my breath.
"How do you manage to keep a straight face while eating such spicy food, Liam?" I asked, my eyes wide with genuine curiosity.
He crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze locked on mine, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. Was he finally starting to feel better? I wondered.
I watched with great interest as his lips moved, remembering how soft they were when I kissed them. I'm pretty sure he didn't mean what he said about not wanting to be intimate with me anymore.
He mentioned something about mating some time before, so how could he want to distance himself from me? I knew he didn't mean it.
A smile spread across my lips, and I nodded, watching his lips movements, but then they stopped, and his eyes locked on mine, sending my heart racing.
My lips parted to speak, but the words wouldn't come.
I tucked my hair behind my ear, shifting my gaze nervously to my lap.
"Let's eat," he said suddenly, making me raise my head with a start, a frown on my face.
I thought he was going to say something else.
My lips began trembling with words, but before I could erupt in anger, he continued eating, his attention now focused on his food again.
"It's my birthday, isn't it?!" I yelled, and he glanced at me, still chewing.
I folded my arms, relaxing a bit. "Why don't you want to talk to me anymore?" I asked, a slight frown on my face.
"I did talk to you a few seconds ago, didn't I, my love?"
I unfolded my arms, feeling the heat in my cheeks. "But you didn't mean what you said earlier, right?"
He suddenly paused chewing, then continued slowly, shifting his gaze from the candle flame to me.
"I did," he said.
My frown deepened at his words. "Really?" I asked, my voice tinged with disbelief.
He nodded, his expression unyielding.
I relaxed my facial features, my mind racing with thoughts to make him change his mind.
"It's no use thinking of how you could change my mind, Layla. I've made up my mind."
"But—"
"I still love you, and I always will. And I'm doing this because I love you."
"Well, let's see how long you can stay without longing for me." I said with a smirk.
"You know deep down that you can't leave without touching me. And I told you before, I don't mind anymore. It's all in the past."
My smirk turned into a grin, and I shifted my plate to the side, resting my elbows on the hard surface.
I intertwined my fingers and placed my chin on them, locking intense stares with Liam.
His eyes had an otherworldly glint that held dominance over my gaze.
I almost felt like I couldn't look away, but I had to stay strong.
My heart began beating faster as he mirrored my expression, smiling calmly like a lion eyeing its prey.
I gulped hard, feeling frozen at the intensity of the situation.
And then, he took hold of my wrist, his warm grasp sending vibrations throughout my entire body.
He pulled my wrists closer to him and then placed a soft, ticklish kiss on my palm, his eyes still locked on mine.
I felt the warmth of his cheek against my cold palm as he placed my hand on his cheek. Then took my thumb into his mouth, an action that made my eyes fly open.
I simply stared at him, feeling a surge in my hormones. Whatever he was doing felt incredibly pleasant - the way his tongue slowly licked my thumb in a ticklish way, and his intense gaze on me made my throat feel wet.
Who knew I could get so turned on?
But suddenly, a sharp sting pierced my skin, shattering the emotions within me and replacing them with a frown.
What was Liam doing?
I tried to pull my hand away from him, but he held me fast, and the pain in my thumb intensified.
He still had a smile on his face, which made me feel confused.
What was he doing?
"Uhm Liam, you're hurting me."