Please, say something… please, Olivia prayed silently, her heart pounding as she watched Lucian just sitting there, staring at her in silence. His eyes were on her, but his lips remained sealed, and it was tearing her apart.
She forced herself to smile light, soft, and gentle. It was fragile, like glass that could shatter at any moment. Tears threatened to break free, but she held them back, refusing to let her emotions take control now. This was her moment, and she wouldn’t let herself ruin it.
“A-ah, this one,” she began, her voice trembling slightly as she reached out to pat the gift she had placed on his lap. “This one’s for your thirteenth birthday,” she said, her tone strained with an attempt at cheerfulness.
She looked at him, desperate for any reaction, but his face remained unreadable. Trying to fill the silence, Olivia reached for another box, her hands trembling as she picked it up. “And this one,” she said, placing it gently next to the first, “this one is for your fourteenth birthday.”
Her hands moved faster now, the anxiety bubbling inside her spilling into her actions. She continued picking up boxes, her voice growing shakier with every word. “This one’s for your fifteenth birthday… and this one’s for your sixteenth.” Her hands faltered slightly as she reached for another, her movements unsteady but determined. “Seventeenth… and here, for your eighteenth,” she added, placing the final box beside him.
Some boxes were too big to fit on his lap, so she carefully stacked them on the couch next to him. Her hands were trembling more visibly now, her voice barely steady. “Here… here,” she murmured, her breath hitching as she worked.
Please don’t just sit there like that… please say something, Olivia pleaded silently, glancing at his face again. Lucian remained still, his expression blank, and it was unbearable. Her heart clenched as she saw him sitting there, unmoving, unresponsive.
She swallowed hard, trying to push down the growing panic in her chest. Her thoughts raced wildly. He has to say something. He has to react. I can’t take this. Please, Lucian…
Unable to bear the silence any longer, Olivia’s composure finally cracked. Her movements became more frantic, her desperation slipping through. “No… no, wait. How about this?” she said, her voice hitching as she grabbed one of the gifts she had just placed on his lap.
Her hands shook as she began tearing away the wrapping paper, tossing it aside carelessly. “Here, look at this!” she exclaimed, her voice trembling with a mix of desperation and forced enthusiasm. She opened the box and pulled out a black beanie, holding it up with both hands.
“Look!” she said, her eyes darting between Lucian’s face and the beanie. “I know you love black… and hats. How is it? Do you like it?” She held it out toward him, her hands trembling slightly. She tried to smile, her lips quivering under the weight of her emotions.
Lucian’s gaze shifted briefly to the hat, then back to her. He still said nothing, his expression unreadable. He just watched her silently, his eyes following her movements but offering no reaction.
Olivia’s breath hitched again, the sadness flickering in her eyes for a brief moment before she quickly hid it. “No?” she asked, her voice faltering. “Oh… okay. How about this?” She forced herself to keep going, fighting the overwhelming lump in her throat.
Taking a shaky step forward, she leaned down slightly and gently placed the beanie on Lucian’s head. Her hands lingered for a moment, adjusting it carefully as though it were a crown. Her fingers brushed against his hair, trembling as she pulled back.
“There,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. She turned to Rose with a faint smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Rose, look. Doesn’t it look good on him? My Lucy… he looks so handsome in this cap.”
Lucian didn’t move. He didn’t speak. He just sat there, staring at Olivia, his expression just silent.
Olivia’s smile wavered as she bit her lower lip, trying to suppress the wave of sadness that threatened to overwhelm her. Her hands clenched slightly, and her gaze dropped to the floor for a brief second.
Why won’t he say anything? Why won’t he even move? Olivia’s heart ached as she stared at Lucian, his silence cutting deeper with every passing second. Her smile, already fragile, faltered further, threatening to crumble completely. For a moment, she feared she might break right in front of him.
But she didn’t.
No, she couldn’t break. Not now. Not when this was her chance to reach him, to show him how much he mattered. She clenched her trembling hands into fists for a brief moment, steadying herself. I have to stay strong. It’s the only way I’ll ever get him back.
Without pausing, Olivia grabbed another box, her movements more hurried now. She tore off the wrapping paper and opened it, revealing a sleek white Bluetooth headset inside.
“Here,” she said, holding it up for him to see. Her voice was strained but soft, her smile faint as she tried to mask the growing desperation beneath it. “A headset. It’s white this time. Me and Rose… well, we first thought of getting black, but I thought white would suit you better. What do you think? Do you like it?”
Lucian’s lips trembled, as if he wanted to speak, but no sound came out. His eyes stayed locked on her, silently watching.
“No? I see, I see,” Olivia murmured quickly, her voice hitching slightly as she fought to keep up her facade. She stepped forward, gently placing the headset on top of the beanie already on his head. He didn’t flinch or move, just sat there as still as a statue.
Swallowing hard, Olivia grabbed another box. Her hands were shaking now, the paper tearing unevenly as she opened it. “Here… a scarf,” she said, holding up a soft, gray scarf. She draped it carefully around his neck, her fingers brushing against his skin for just a moment. “Not this one? I see, I see…”
Her movements were growing more frantic as she grabbed another box. “This one is for your sixteenth birthday. A guitar.” She lifted the instrument from its box, her hands trembling as she held it out to him. “I remember how much you loved music then… how you loved singing. I thought”
Her voice broke, just slightly, as she placed the guitar aside when he still didn’t respond.
Another box. This time, white shoes. “These are for your seventeenth birthday. White… I thought they’d look good on you,” she said, placing them gently beside him on the couch.
Her breaths were uneven now, her mask of composure slipping with every second. Desperation was written all over her face, her usually sharp features softening into something almost vulnerable. Tears glistened in her eyes, though she refused to let them fall.
“Here,” she whispered, opening the final box. Her voice was barely audible now, her movements almost robotic. “A shirt… for your eighteenth birthday.” She placed the neatly folded fabric on top of the shoes resting in his lap.
Lucian remained still, his silence deafening. He now sat with a beanie on his head, the headset resting atop it, a scarf wrapped around his neck, and shoes and a shirt on his lap. He hadn’t moved once, his eyes fixed on Olivia’s face, watching her every move without a word.
Olivia stood in front of him, her breathing uneven, her hands trembling at her sides. She tried to look into his eyes, tried to hold his gaze, but the weight of his silence was unbearable.
“How is it?” she finally asked, her voice a whisper now. She took a hesitant step forward, searching his face with wide, pleading eyes. “Did you like it?”
Her voice cracked on the last words, the raw emotion in her tone impossible to hide anymore. She had tried so hard to stay strong, but now, she couldn’t. Her shoulders sagged slightly as she stood there, waiting for a response, her heart pounding painfully in her chest.
Lucian’s eyes hadn’t left her face the entire time. He watched her, his gaze steady but intense, as if trying to read every flicker of emotion in her expression. The trembling in her hands, the cracks in her voice, the desperation she was trying so hard to mask it was all laid bare before him.
Rose, sitting off to the side, felt her own heart ache as she watched the scene unfold. She had always prided herself on her composure, on her ability to remain cold and detached. But now, even she couldn’t hide the sadness in her eyes. It was faint, subtle, but it was there, reflecting the weight of Olivia’s desperation.
Olivia bit her lip, her hands clenching and unclenching nervously as she waited for any sign, any reaction from him. “Lucy,” she whispered again, her voice trembling.
The room was silent except for the sound of her shaky breaths. Lucian’s lips parted slightly, as if he was about to speak, but no words came.