Lick Me Up If You Can Novel (Completed) - Chapter 111

After calming their minds to some extent, the two sat side by side on the sofa.

Ashley wrapped an arm around Koi’s waist, pulling him close, and held one of Koi’s hands, which was resting on his thigh, with his other hand, constantly caressing it.

Koi leaned completely against Ashley, simply looking down at Ashley’s hand.

Neither of them spoke. This silence was new. To feel so anxious and nervous during his time with Ashley. Koi tried to hide his tension, racking his brain. He finally thought of a neutral topic and opened his mouth.

“…What about school? You’ve missed too many classes.”

Ashley’s attendance last semester was barely one-third of the total. Did the principal know what had happened?

Though he had finally broken the silence, Koi felt a pang of sadness. He lowered his head, feeling gloomy, when Ashley, who had kissed the top of his head, replied.

“Alphas and Omegas are given a lot of leeway for a year or two after they present. Their pheromones are often unstable.”

“Ah…”

Only then did Koi understand. So, Ashley couldn’t return because of his pheromones?

“Was it very difficult?”

To Koi’s cautious question, Ashley didn’t answer this time. Instead, he gently gripped Koi’s hand, which he had been caressing, and squeezed it. Sensing the serious atmosphere, Koi fell silent again. Soon, Ashley released his grip and let out a long sigh.

“Pheromones are one reason.”

So there was something else.

Koi grew anxious again. Ashley had still clearly said he loved him. He had said he wouldn’t break up, and that if Koi left, he would die.

Why wouldn’t he tell him?

Koi’s heart felt empty once more.

He had said they should be honest in a relationship.

There was a way to press Ashley by mentioning his own words, but Koi didn’t do it. Everyone has secrets they don’t want to talk about. It’s different from deceiving someone. He, too, had never shown Ashley the house he lived in, simply out of embarrassment.

And that wasn’t all. Koi realized how much he had been hiding.

What if he confessed everything now?

He felt a strong urge but clenched his mouth, holding it back. He felt it would be cowardly to reveal his own secrets just to uncover Ashley’s, especially after having endured so long without saying anything.

Talking about himself should be done when he truly wanted to, when he was ready, regardless of Ashley. Now was not the time.

Koi inhaled a trembling breath and slowly exhaled. At least Ashley was with him now. How much he had thought about him when they couldn’t even contact each other. He had thought, “I don’t need anything else, I don’t wish for anything, just let him come back.”

That’s enough.

Koi squeezed his eyes shut and then slowly opened them. Ashley was still holding his hand. Koi gently brought the hand he was holding to his cheek. Intertwining his fingers with Ashley’s long fingers, Koi rested his cheek on the back of Ashley’s hand.

“…I missed you.”

His own voice clearly trembled in his ears. But Koi did his best, as much as he could. Until then, Ashley had touched and hugged Koi countless times, but he hadn’t tried to kiss him. Maybe he couldn’t find the right timing.

It was Koi who had always been self-conscious about when to kiss, not Ashley. Remembering him, who used to kiss all over Koi’s face and burst into laughter, made Koi feel like crying again.

“Ash.”

Koi’s voice was choked and hoarse as he spoke.

“Didn’t you miss me…?”

“Of course not.”

Ashley immediately denied it. Seeing Koi’s face, filled with tears, looking up at him, his heart felt like it was tearing apart. Ashley couldn’t hold back and tilted his head. Noticing that he was about to kiss him, Koi reached out his arms first and wrapped them around Ashley’s neck.

He felt like he was going crazy, wanting to touch Ashley so badly. It was the first time he had desired something so desperately.

Kiss me, Ash. Hurry.

Ashley pulled Koi close, who had closed his eyes and lifted his head, and brought his lips closer. Unlike him, his whole body was stiff with tension. When their trembling breaths were close enough to touch Koi’s lips.

<There’s nothing as foolish as believing teenage love will last forever.>

Suddenly, his secretary’s voice echoed in his ears. At that moment, Ashley froze. Her mocking, cold voice continued.

<Do you think a Beta can handle an Alpha or an Omega? Wouldn’t it be better to give up for their sake too?>

Koi, who had been trembling slightly, waiting for the kiss, felt something strange and slowly opened his eyes. Seeing Ashley’s expression in his sight, he blinked in confusion.

“Ash… what’s wrong?”

Koi asked cautiously, but Ashley didn’t answer. He just stared blankly down at Koi.

<With that level of pheromones, they would have presented or mutated by now, but that child shows no change at all?>

Moreover, Ashley’s surroundings were still filled with the scent of pheromones he had emitted.

Despite the scent being strong enough to disorient himself, Koi showed no particular reaction.

<Perhaps they are strongly rejecting it themselves.>

No way, Koi.

He immediately shook off the doubt that had briefly entered his mind. However, Ashley’s actions of urgently shaking his head and pushing Koi away by the shoulders shocked Koi.

Ashley stretched out his long arms, pushing Koi as far away as possible, and lowered his head, breathing heavily. His ragged breaths echoed eerily in the quiet room. After watching him like that for a while, Koi finally spoke.

“What’s wrong, Ash?”

Koi’s voice was finally filled with tears.

“I’m scared, what are you doing… What on earth happened there?”

Koi began to sob, sniffling. Ashley continued to listen to his muffled cries for a while, trying to compose himself.

“…I’m sorry.”

After a long time, Ashley finally spoke. Koi desperately held back the tears that kept coming and waited for his words. Ashley continued in a choked voice.

“If I tell you the truth, you might despise me.”

“That would never happen.”

Koi immediately denied it. But all he got in return was Ashley’s cynical laugh. Seeing that face, which seemed somewhat empty, Koi grew anxious again.

He was secretly watching him, when Ashley tilted his head back, looked at the ceiling, and let out a short sigh, “Ha.”

“You asked what I did in the East, didn’t you?”

Koi unconsciously tensed and hunched his shoulders. Even Ashley, who was holding Koi’s shoulders, noticed it. Ashley, who had been looking up at the ceiling for a moment, lowered his gaze again.

“I was dragged to a party.”

“Huh?”

At the unexpected words, Koi looked at him, bewildered.

Ashley gave a bitter smile. It was the first time he had seen such a desolate smile on his face. Moreover, for Ashley to smile with such a face. Ashley asked Koi, who was shocked once again.

“You don’t know what a party is, do you?”

Koi immediately retorted. Even if he thought of himself as a loser and a loner, it was too much to say he wouldn’t know what a party was.

“I know.”

Despite Koi’s answer, Ashley’s expression didn’t change much. Still pale, he smiled weakly and said.

“You don’t know.”

Haha, Ashley laughed softly. Koi was speechless at the sound of his laughter, which seemed to boil with anguish. He had never imagined such a reaction. This wasn’t the Ashley Miller he knew. His image, laughing cheerfully under the sun, was still vivid in his mind, so what on earth had happened?

“Koi.”

He just stared, unable to say anything, when Ashley finally stopped laughing and called his name.

“Ah, yes.”

Ashley spoke to Koi, who hastily nodded.

“What if I…”

What was he going to say? To Koi, who couldn’t even guess, he finally asked, his voice trembling.

“What would you do if I told you I had sex with someone else besides you?”