Chapter 128 Chapter 128
He finished wrapping her wounds and secured the end of the bandage so it wouldn’t open. While he packed away the leftover bandage and ointment, she slipped her pink sweater over her body and leaned her back against the sofa. Maxwell sat down next to her, returning his attention to the tv screen.
She, on the other hand, kept watching him. The living room was relatively dark, but his white and slightly messy hair stood out regardless, as did his glinting silver chain. He was mesmerizingly handsome, and since he didn’t age, that certainly wouldn’t change anytime soon. His ice-blue eyes caught the flickering light of the TV, glimmering softly.
Valerie sighed to herself, getting lost in her thoughts. Over the past days, she had continuously been thinking about something important that she had yet to do… She shouldn’t delay it any longer since she didn’t know what the future would bring. Only a few days ago, when he’d been so close to dying, she had regretted not going through with it earlier. She needed to act now, but the thought alone made her nervous.
How should she tell a demon that she was in love with him? Valerie felt helpless about this and wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to just blurt it out. Maxwell was rather bold when it came to certain things, but she, on the other hand, was more on the shy side. Her cheeks flushed as she imagined confessing to him. How would he react to that? Would he laugh it off? Tease her? Did he even… love her back? Maybe his heart was still caught up on Juliana... It was obvious that she meant a lot to him even after all these years. She must have been a gorgeous and kind woman, and Valerie wouldn’t be surprised if she was dull in comparison.
She frowned. The longer she thought about it, the more insecure she became. She hadn’t confessed to anyone in a long time, since she had avoided relationships after the disaster with Uriel. This wasn’t exactly something she had experience with. However, if she didn’t go through with it now, she would only regret it later. She had to make sure he knew how she felt… Taking a deep breath, she made up her mind and pushed her doubts far away.
Her hopeful brown eyes came to rest on Maxwell, and she reached out her hand to him, parting her lips to speak, but no words would come out of her mouth. What should she say? What should she do? Panicking, she retracted her hand and bit her lip.
“Is something wrong?” his velvety voice asked, making her flinch. He’d caught her unprepared, so she didn’t know what to say. Blue eyes looked her over suspiciously, moving from her folded hands to her face and taking in her flabbergasted expression.
“Valerie?” he asked, sounding a tad worried.
“Nothing is wrong,” she laughed awkwardly. “I… uh… just wanted to ask if you… Want something to drink? Because I was… about to head to the kitchen.” To prove her point, she got up. His eyes followed her every move, revealing his rising suspicion.
“I’m not thirsty,” he replied and stared after her as she walked to the kitchen. “Is that really what you wanted to tell me, though?”
She froze, and her shoulders tensed when she heard him get up from the sofa to follow her. Swallowing, she turned around to come face to face with him, raising her chin to meet his eyes. They narrowed as he gazed at her searchingly. It was as if he could see right through her, even though she hadn’t said anything yet. Her heart palpitated nervously in her chest, a red hue spreading over her cheeks.
“No, that’s not quite it,” she whispered, deciding to go through with it now while hoping that it wouldn’t make things awkward between them. If he didn’t return her feelings, that was bound to happen…
“Maxwell, I… I need to tell you something important,” she began and kept her gaze locked with his. Her fingers restlessly curled around the edges of her sleeves.
“I’m getting impatient, sugar,” he said huskily, leaning closer and flustering her more. She drew in a deep breath, his proximity making her head spin. Suddenly, it was much harder to concentrate.
Wetting her lips, she braced herself. “I’m sorry, it’s just that I don’t know how to say this,” she answered. “And I… I’m worried about what your answer will be…”
He sighed, twirling a lock of her long black hair around his finger. “You look nervous. Relax, there is nothing to be worried about.”
Maybe it was the softness of his voice or the warmth that sparked in his eyes. Maybe she had some sort of epiphany, but right at that moment, she found the words she needed to say.
“Maxwell, I’m in love with you,” she confessed without prior warning. Her hopeful eyes took in his reaction, widening a bit when his expression went from impatient to disbelieving. For a few long and tedious seconds, he didn’t say anything and just stared at her. He was frozen like an ice sculpture, making her fear of rejection grow. It had been so long since she’d been genuinely in love with someone. Perhaps she shouldn’t have said anything after all…?
“Even if you don’t return my feelings, I want you to know that you are very dear to me,” she added shyly.
She kept looking into his gorgeous eyes, and the moment he got over his surprise, something in them changed. They darkened a fraction, brimming with want and longing. Lust dyed his blue eyes ruby red within seconds. She had always been fascinated by the enthralling play of colors of his iris, its vibrancy taking her breath away.
Maxwell didn’t give her a verbal answer, but let his actions speak for themselves. He claimed her lips and kissed her roughly, cupping her cheeks with his hands. She gripped the front of his black hoodie for support when they stumbled backward without breaking their heated kiss.
Valerie almost lost her balance until he pressed her against the wall. She drew in a breath when he briefly stopped attacking her lips, moving a tad lower to the neckline of her sweater, where his hot breath ghosted over her skin. Quivering, her fingers clenched around the soft material of his hoodie.