STUNNED

Chapter TEN

Noah POV...

I found it fascinating to observe the terror radiate from someone's eyes for some reason. It's incredible to see what people will do to survive and put things right, and how their spirit triumphs over the ugly things in this world.

I've witnessed a wide range of terror in all the individuals around me in my twenty-three years of life. I observed them in fear, hoping to learn anything from them about how to conquer my own. As far as I can see, none of them have given me any encouragement. They do inspire me, but that doesn't change the reality that I'm still Noah-weak and afraid as ever. But now that Liv is here, everything is different. She reacted with a dread I had never seen. She appears composed, more than ready to bury her feelings deep within and hide behind her impersonal exterior. It was not like that... yet fascinating.

"Neither I nor it are attractive. So I have a question for you. Do you maybe...? Like me?" she said it calmly and plainly. So I remain standing in my position, looking at her almost naked body, where scars and cuts are very visible.

I mentally smiled in anticipation of telling her how much I adored her even more. This scar will never do anything to make my feelings change, not even a bit. The first time I laid my eyes on her, I had already accepted all her imperfections. I remember our first meeting. I almost laughed looking at her wounded forehead as my imagination played inside my head that she must be the type of girl that is clamsy, but when I look at her dark brown eyes, they're blank and empty. That moment, I knew she was different in the best way possible. It turns out I was right; she was very different from every girl in school, and no one can even compare to her. She was unique, smart, and beautiful in her own version of it.

Actually, my skill is reading people, aside from being extremely perceptive. I have the ability to read people's minds, behaviors, and reactions, but Liv's situation is unique, even if I felt like I handled it professionally. I was unable to read her, forecast her, or understand what was happening in that pretty little device between her dark brown eyes. I'm doing everything I can to prioritize her. After seeing and comprehending her feelings over the past few days, I've come to realize that this is more than simply curiosity. At first, I merely felt challenged and interested by her. I never would have imagined something deeper to emerge at this early stage. However, when I discovered it, it was simply too powerful to undo.

But, like I've said, I already knew her. Maybe I can't still read her mind, but I think I can now understand how she played with her emotions very well. And I feel so proud of myself that I can finally decipher her personalized code-her true emotion-just like now.

"I don't," I manage to say at least.

"That's all I wanted to hear, that's all. I'm grateful," she said, stepping back from me and then turning herself again in the closet. I stared at her, perplexed, as she was scanning my pile of clothes, then left her alone right after.

I have no idea how this woman keeps making me feel so crazy. It seemed as though her mere presence dispelled the typical gloomy aura that hovered over my condition. I had no control over it, and it was erratic. Despite these growing feelings, I will still choose her peace and have decided to keep it inside until destiny gives me the chance to tell her the truth, or maybe I can show her these feelings in another way. When the time comes, when she's been healed, free from the past that might uphold her today, when she's well, doing normal things and having less worry about everything, when she got everything she deserved, not for me... but for herself, because the thought that I might have something to do with her peace and freedom is more than I could ask for.

So maybe my lips said, "I don't," but I will show Liv how my actions will speak louder than my voice.

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