"It's a minor issue. Some thugs targeted me," he explained softly, trying to comfort her. "Sorry for not getting back to your messages.

I didn't mean it."

His gentle way of consoling her, despite his own injuries, brought tears to Lilah's eyes. She remembered her earlier misunderstanding and felt even worse. "I'm sorry; I thought you were mad at me and ignoring me on purpose..."

"I know you're nothing like that, so there's no way I could be mad at you," Gerard assured her, his voice deep and steady.

Tears brimmed in Lilah's eyes. After cleansing Gerard's wounds, she fetched the household first aid kit to bandage them.

The cuts were deep but not wide. Gerard stayed silent throughout, though the veins in his arm stood out prominently.

“Does it hurt?" Lilah peered at him, and then gently blew on the wounds.

Gerard couldn't take his eyes off her soft, cherry lips. His breath grew heavier.

"Still in pain?" she inquired.

Right after she asked, Gerard lifted her chin and kissed her with a mix of roughness and tenderness.

Lilah gasped, caught off guard, and Gerard deepened the kiss.

The sound of their kiss echoed around them, their scents mingling.

Minutes later, they parted, a delicate silver strand connecting their lips. Lilah's cheeks flushed Like ripe peaches.

“There, no more pain," Gerard quipped, a playful smirk playing on his lips, adding an alluring charm to his expression.

Lilah, pretending to be angry, lightly tapped his chest.

Gerard then added, "But with my hand like this, cooking's out of the question."

"I'll cook," Lilah offered immediately.

"No need, I can order something. How about you stay in my room tonight, and I'll sleep on the sofa?" Gerard proposed, his deep eyes glowing with affection, holding back his deeper urges.

The more he gazed at her, the more he marveled at her beauty.

He longed for her every second, yet he feared causing her any harm.

Seeing her hesitating, Gerard gently suggested, “You could look after me if you stayed."

“Okay then."

It was Lilah's first night staying over at Gerard's bedroom.

The night passed uneventfully, and Gerard barely needed any looking after.