Chapter 331
Liam hesitated for a second before slowly making his way around the coffee table toward her, a trace of confusion in his eyes. He stopped directly in front of her. "What is it?"
Suzy motioned for him to crouch down. Though puzzled by what she was up to, he obediently knelt before her.
Right after, Suzy reached out. Her fingertips lightly brushed past his cheek, catching the stray strands of hair framing his face and gently tucking them behind his ear.
"Your hair fell out of place," she murmured softly.
Liam froze visibly. A jolt of electric pleasure shot through him, nearly overwhelming his senses. The tip of his ear where her fingers had brushed turned a deep, blood-red crimson in an instant, and his breathing grew hurried.
"Th... Thank you."
Flustered, Liam shifted his head nervously, not daring to look her in the eye. The frantic movement caused the neatly tucked hair to slip loose and fall right back over his face.
This left Liam looking even more bewildered. He instinctively reached up to fix it himself but didn’t know where to start. Ultimately, he could only stare blankly at Suzy, completely at a loss.
His dazed expression was so endearing it made Suzy smile. She curled her finger at him again. Before she could even say a word, Liam proactively leaned in.
His gorgeous face drew close to hers, their breaths intertwining. With his cheeks still heavily flushed, he looked breathtakingly beautiful. Dazzled by his striking looks for a brief moment, Suzy finally raised her hands to smooth his hair back once more, her touch incredibly gentle.
"There you go."
"...Thank you," Liam replied, his voice a bit strained.
"If you really want to thank me, give me a kiss," Suzy teased playfully.
At her words, Liam’s eyes widened. Even though they had already acknowledged their feelings for each other, he still got flustered incredibly easily around her—especially right now.
Her teasing words made his face burn even hotter. Without offering a verbal reply, he leaned all the way in. His vivid red lips pressed lightly against her cheek, parting almost the exact instant they made contact.
"Done."
The movement was lightning-fast. Before Suzy could even register the sensation, Liam had already pulled back.
"I’ll get back to cleaning up then."
Without waiting for her reaction, Liam hurriedly began clearing the leftover mess from the table. His movements were noticeably faster now, driven by a flurry of nervous panic.
Suzy opened her mouth to offer a hand, but Liam had already cleared the entire spread.
"No need, I’ve got it," he insisted again.
Suzy hadn’t expected him to clean at such breakneck speed. In the blink of an eye, the tabletop had been wiped completely bare and spotless.
The words had barely left his mouth before Liam bolted into the kitchen, immediately set to work clearing out the trash and washing the used utensils.
Seeing this, Suzy quickly followed him in.
Liam was in the middle of scrubbing the pot, his movements practiced and swift. He hadn’t expected Suzy to trail after him at all, and when he turned around to find her leaning against the kitchen doorway, watching him, he jumped slightly in surprise.
Suzy looked at him with a half-smile, raising a brow playfully. "Am I really that terrifying?"
Embarrassed, Liam shook his head quickly to explain. "N-No, that’s not what I meant at all."
Her gaze was simply too intense. Caught in her stare, Liam felt a wave of self-consciousness wash over him and instinctively took a few steps back.
This time, Suzy didn’t press forward. She simply looked at him quietly, her voice dropping to a soft murmur. "Liam, tonight, stay with me..."
Before she could even finish her sentence, the previously flustered Liam blurted out, "Okay!"
Suzy blinked, caught off guard, before bursting into a soft laugh. "I haven’t even finished talking, yet you agreed so fast. If I asked you to go commit murder with me, would you come along too?"
Liam’s immediate answer caught her completely by surprise. Did this guy really trust her blindly? Then again, his affection meter for her was already completely maxed out.
As the realization crossed her mind, she heard Liam speak up again. "I would."
"Hmm?"
"I said, I would go. As long as it’s you asking, I’ll accompany you through anything."
Liam spoke with absolute gravity. The look in his eyes as he stared at her was more earnest than ever before, as if he had made a solemn, unshakeable vow.
Suzy smiled back. "Alright then."
That night, Suzy felt her core strength take another significant leap forward. Though she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what parameters had changed, she could distinctly feel that she had become... significantly stronger.
The next morning.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting sharp, bright streaks of light across Suzy’s face. She slowly blinked her eyes open.
The familiar ceiling filled her vision, accompanied by a faint, delicate scent in the air that felt both intimate and new. Turning her head, she found Liam sleeping soundly right beside her. His eyes were tightly shut, and his messy dark hair was scattered across the pristine white pillow.
He didn’t seem to be sleeping very peacefully; his brow was slightly furrowed, and his lips were pressed into a tight, thin line. Suzy couldn’t tell what he was dreaming about, but he looked deeply troubled.
Propping herself up, she leaned closer to him and reached out a hand, her fingers gently brushing against his cheek. She had assumed he would stay asleep, but to her surprise, his eyes snapped open.
Suzy froze, a sudden wave of self-consciousness hitting her, her hand hovering awkwardly in mid-air.
In the next second, Liam reached up and caught her hand in his.
"Morning."
His voice carried a rough, low rasp from sleep. The moment his eyes locked onto Suzy, a faint, involuntary flush bloomed across his fair cheeks. He pulled her hand toward him and pressed a gentle kiss against her knuckles.
A sharp, tingling sensation shot straight from Suzy’s fingertips all the way up her arm.
"Morning," she replied softly.
Liam rolled over onto his side to face her. As he moved, the blanket slipped down slightly, revealing the vivid, scattered marks painting his skin.
Catching an unexpected glimpse of her handiwork from the night before, Suzy felt a sudden surge of embarrassment. She really had gone a bit overboard last night... It was a good thing Liam had such a gentle, accommodating temperament; he hadn’t complained once. No matter how strange or demanding her requests had been, he had quietly accepted every single one without hesitation.
"How does your body feel?" she asked, genuine concern in her voice.
If she hadn’t brought it up, he might have been fine, but the moment the question left her lips, Liam’s face exploded into a violent crimson. He nodded vigorously, only to shake his head a second later.
"I’m... I’m doing okay."