The moment their eyes met, Liliette quickly averted her gaze, tilting her head to the side. She couldn’t bear to look at him directly. Her throat itched as if a feather had brushed against it, making it impossible to stay still. Her gaze fell to the rain-slicked stones, where water flowed over the pebbles in steady streams. The rhythm of the raindrops drumming against the ground seemed to mirror her own uneven, restless heartbeat.
“I-I don’t understand why you would go to such lengths for me,” she stammered.
She felt like a child in a game of hide-and-seek, stumbling into a chest only to be buried under an avalanche of flowers. The imagined petals overwhelmed her, their delicate fragrance filling her senses and leaving her breathless. A sweet warmth began at her collarbone and rose to the top of her head, making her feel light-headed.
“Anyone would be captivated by you, not just me,” Vlad murmured.
