Chapter 49: Conned
Lyra was strolling with Bella near the stream when she heard a loud flapping sound of wings. As they looked up, they caught the glimpse of a giant grey-colored vulture approaching them. Bella held Lyra's hand and moved back on impulse.
Victor's eyes were filled with life as he found Lyra. He landed on the ground turning into his human form and approached her, he smiled and hugged her "I missed you, love, I think I can't live without you anymore"
Lyra was rooted to her spot still trying to process the situation. She didn't know whether to cry or laugh, they only met once and he declared that he can't live without her, she pushed him slightly to put some distance between them "What do you want from me?" this question was bugging her ever since he reacted weirdly in the cave.
Victor blinked at her blunt question and answered like it was the most normal thing ever "I want you to stay with me"
"Why?"
He furrowed his brows "I don't know the reason but I want to keep you near me, it almost suffocates me to think of a future without you"
Lyra raised her brows "You came to that conclusion by just staying with me for one day?"
Victor closed the distance between them and looked at her blue eyes "This may be nothing to you love, but the one day that I spent with you is the most precious one for me, Your genuine concern towards me filled my heart, I want to feel it more, that moment, I want more"
Lyra studied his gestures and noticed that he restrained himself from touching her after she pushed him, and his words were filled with despair and helplessness. She was not a psychology student but was quite good at reading people, and she understood that the man in front of her was someone who never experienced warmth and care, she was the first one to show some concern and he was scared of losing the only person to ever do that to him.
Seeing her not speak he frowned "Do you still not understand love? I like you"
'No you don't ' she thought inwardly but didn't say it loudly, he just liked her presence, he wanted someone to talk to and mistook it for liking her, Lyra didn't know how to make him realize the difference, and opened her mouth "How about this? Try to spend some more time with me, I'm not sure about your feelings of just one day"