Claim Me Captain! I'm Addicted to You!-Chapter 399: Let’s Talk (1)

Ella’s POV

I noticed the way Liam’s Adam’s apple bobbed the moment his father said his name. A quick gulp, a sharp inhale, then he reached for his orange juice like it was a shield.

Before he could speak, I squeezed his hand and answered for us, maybe too quickly.

"Liam and I are taking things slow," I said with a light laugh that didn’t feel natural. "We don’t want to rush anything when our relationship is still... new. And with both of us busy with the expansions of our businesses, we barely even see each other lately."

The words came out smooth, practiced. But they tasted wrong the second they left my mouth.

I turned to him with a smile, hoping for reassurance.

Instead, I caught the flicker.

A flash of something across his face, annoyance, disappointment, or... guilt?

I couldn’t tell.

Whatever it was, he masked it fast, forcing a smile so neat it made my stomach twist.

He slipped his arm around my back and leaned forward. "Dad, why do you have to bring this up in front of my girlfriend?" he joked. "If I had a surprise planned, you just ruined it."

Benjamin chuckled warmly, oblivious. "Ohh! Right, right. Forgive this old man. I’m just excited that all my children are settling down before I leave this world."

*WHACK*

Prudence’s ladle landed hard on Benjamin’s head.

He winced, grabbing his scalp as everyone burst into laughter.

"Stop joking about dying," she scolded. "You’re irritating me. Maybe I’ll divorce you, even before all your children get married. What can you say about that now, huh? You’re getting annoying!"

Laughter rippled around the table. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

I laughed too. So did Liam.

But my smile didn’t reach my eyes.

Because beneath the noise, beneath the joking and the teasing and the comfort of family, there was a tight, uncomfortable knot in my chest.

Something in Liam’s laugh sounded... strained. Like we were both playing along with a scene neither of us remembered auditioning for.

I could feel the distance between us, thin but sharp, like a paper cut.

Small enough to ignore. Painful enough to warn me that something wasn’t right.

And when I looked at him again, his expression said it all:

He felt it too.

The awkwardness. The weight. The shift we weren’t talking about.

And for the first time since the day we started seeing each other...

I wondered if there was a part of him, some part I didn’t know, he was keeping carefully hidden from me.

Right there, in the middle of laughter and clinking plates...

A tiny crack formed inside my chest.

The kind that comes from doubt.

The kind that comes from trust... slowly breaking.

After lunch, the whole house slipped back into its busy rhythm, boxes being opened, decor moved, voices echoing from every direction.

I offered to put Katie down for her nap since everyone else was helping Nick and Georgia settle in.

It took a while. Katie was too excited about her new room, too talkative, too giggly... but eventually, she drifted off.

When her breaths evened out, I carefully slid my arm from under her and quietly tiptoed toward the door—

Only to crash straight into a solid wall of boxes and muscle.

Except it wasn’t a wall. It was Liam.

The boxes in his arms flew to the floor, and so did I.

"Oh, shit!" Liam dropped instantly beside me. "Ella, hey, are you okay?" His voice was frantic as he helped me sit up. "I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you. I didn’t even hear you walking."

I winced and rubbed my lower back where it hit the floor hard. "I was trying not to wake Katie. She fought hard before falling asleep."

I looked down at the mess: books scattered everywhere, some even landed open from the impact.

I bent forward to grab one, but Liam’s hand wrapped gently around my wrist.

"Don’t." His tone was firm, but his touch was careful. "I’ll handle this. Go to the kitchen and put a cold compress on your back. It might bruise."

I shook my head. "I’m fine. Really. But for your peace of mind, I’ll do that after I help you pick these up." I gave him a tiny smile as I reached for the fallen books again. "Where are these going?"

He hesitated, just for a blink, before nodding. "Attic," he said, kneeling beside me to gather the books. "Let’s do it quickly. After that, I’ll help you with the cold compress. No arguing."

His voice softened, warm enough to melt me from the inside out.

"I don’t want you waking up tomorrow with an aching back."

That sweetness...

That familiar tenderness...

It made me smile, yes. But it also pinched something in my chest.

Because how could someone so gentle, so attentive, still feel like he was hiding a piece of himself from me?

And why did that worry feel sharper than the pain in my back?

When we reached the attic, the air felt warmer, still, quiet, almost too enclosed. I crouched down and began placing the books onto the shelves one by one, trying to act normal, trying not to overthink the strange tension that had settled between us these past days.

But before I could reach for another book, Liam’s hand wrapped gently around my waist and pulled me upright.

"Cold compress," he murmured, tilting his head like a scolding parent, then softening it with a ridiculous pout. "Remember?"

I couldn’t help but huff a small laugh. "You worry too much, I told you I’m fi—"

I didn’t even finish. He pressed his palm lightly against the spot where I hit the floor.

"Ow—Liam! What the heck—"

His eyes narrowed in that irritated, concerned way he does when he’s trying not to lecture me. "See? It does hurt." He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "Come on, let’s go downstairs. I’ll get ice—"

"Liam," I said, my voice firmer than I expected. "Let’s talk."

He froze mid-movement.

Slowly, almost unwillingly, he turned to face me.

His brows drew together, not quite anger, not quite fear... but something in between.

Something tight. Something guarded.

And suddenly, the attic felt even smaller.

I wasn’t sure if he was bracing for a fight or if he was terrified I’d finally ask the question he’s been avoiding.

Either way... For the first time, I saw it clearly.

He wasn’t just surprised.

He was afraid of what I might say.

Or what I might already know.

******

Thank you for the Golden Ticket and Gift!

Seana4