I Loved Him in Silence

"Let's get out if here."

Her voice trembled, barely holding itself together.

Max didn't say a word. He only grabbed her hand—tight, grounding—and led her out of the suffocating house filled with laughter and unfamiliar tension. The drive was silent, except for the hum of the engine and the weight of everything she hadn't said yet, clinging to the air like smoke.

When he finally parked on a quiet, dimly lit street outside the city, the silence inside the car was deafening.

Lydia stared straight ahead, then slowly turned toward him.

"I need to tell you something…"

Max looked at her, brows furrowed, his body still tense from the family gathering.

"What is it?"

She exhaled slowly. Her fingers trembled on her lap.

"Elior…Elior tried to kiss me"

His entire body froze.

"What?"

His voice was dangerously low. She felt it in her bones. His fingers gripped the steering wheel like he wanted to snap it in half.

"I—I pushed him away," she rushed out. "I slapped him, Max. I told him no. But he didn't care. He tried anyway. I—I should've told you earlier, I just didn't know how—"

"I am going to kill him"

His voice dropped lower, edged with rage, eyes narrowing like storm clouds. "I swear to God, I'll—"

"Max, no—"

But before he could speak again, she leaned forward and kissed him.

It wasn't planned.

It wasn't careful.

It was desperate.

A sudden, trembling kiss that stole their breath. Her hands reached for his jaw, lips brushing over his in a broken, aching confession.

But the second her lips met his—her mind screamed, What did you just do?

She panicked.

Pulled away instantly. "I'm sorry—I didn't mean—"

Max grabbed her wrist. His eyes were burning now. And in the very next breath, he leaned in—

And kissed her back.

Hard.

His mouth crashed into hers, hands tangled in her hair, and everything else vanished. There was no car. No street. No Elior. No pain. No silence.

Only them.

She gasped as his hand slid to her neck, angling her closer, deeper, hotter. His kiss wasn't careful. It was starved. Like he'd been waiting to taste her for years.

And now that he had—he wasn't letting go.

Her fingers clutched his shirt, anchoring herself to him as his tongue brushed against hers, slow at first… then rougher, demanding.

"You kissed me," he whispered against her lips, his voice ragged.

"I panicked."

"Do it again."

He didn't wait.

He kissed her like he owned every broken part of her.

And when they finally broke apart, gasping, her forehead pressed to his, Lydia whispered:

"I love you…Max"

He exhaled like that confession had shattered something inside him.

"I've loved you in silence every damn day, Lydia. Watching you fall asleep on the couch… listening to your laughter from another room. I wanted to hold you. Kiss you. Share a bed with you. Marry you. But I was too scared."

She touched his cheek, her eyes glistening.

"Don't be scared anymore."

He cupped her jaw again, brushing his lips along hers.

"I'm not. Not anymore."

And this time, when he kissed her…

It was slow. Deep. Endless.

Their silence had finally broken.

And in its place… was fire.