“Yeah right,” Olivia teased. “Enlighten us, Mr. Know-it-all.”
Samuel made a challenge-accepted face. “Number one, Ethan likes Liam. We knew it since Nathalie’s birthday party. Two, Ethan protected Liam even though he knew Liam was straight. Three, look how concerned Liam was when Ethan was hurt. I’m concerned but not like his concern. Fourth, when I kissed Liam that day, Liam didn’t fucking react to shit. A straight guy would at least complain to give some warnings. But Liam? He was acting all cool with it,” he said and shrugged.
“That’s because I know too well that you’re damn straight, Sam,” Liam argued. “I’m surprised Daisy even bought it.”
“Hold on,” I said. “How come I don’t know about this? When did this happen? When did you kiss him, babe?” I asked, feeling a little jealous. Because I was suddenly not the first guy Liam had kissed anymore.
“Are you jealous, babe?” Liam laughed. He sat closer and wrapped his arm around my waist. “It was last week. Sam used me to get rid of Daisy when she refused to give up on him.” He reached his mouth over to kiss me once. “No worries, babe. It was just a peck. If you want, we can kiss all day and all night long, wherever and whenever you want.”
What the heck? Was this the Liam I’d always known? How could he be so... sweet? I kissed him back.
Olivia squealed. “Stop it, you two!”
Someone shushed us.
“Let’s get back to our reports,” Samuel suggested softly.
“I’ll go grab some books,” Liam said.
“I’ll come with you,” I said.
“Before you two decide to disappear and smooch somewhere,” Olivia said before we moved, “don’t forget about my final match tomorrow.”
I pushed her head friendly once. Bet she was damn happy seeing us together.
“Yes, boss. That’s why we’re rushing our assignments now,” Liam assured her.
After we finished our assignments and made sure everything was proper—we proofread each other’s work—we carried on with our plan to hit the gym.
In the gym, it was no different than on campus. People were staring at us, especially the regulars. But they didn’t stare because we were a gay couple—there were other gay couples in the gym too. They stared because I suddenly replaced Joanna, doing couple exercises with Liam.
Liam really never intended to tone down on our public display of affection, even a bit. Because as we worked out together, he was touching me here and there, teasing me. He even carried me on his back for his squats. After the workout, when we removed our shirts and checked ourselves out at the mirror, seeing if our bodies had gone soft for skipping gym due to recent events, he suddenly hooked his arm around my neck. “My turn,” he said and took a wefie; him kissing me. He uploaded it to Instagram.
I actually began to worry. It wasn’t his personality that I was talking about—I was damn sure he was still himself. What I was worried about was the potential trouble he could get into. Trouble like getting disowned by his parents. Like me. At this rate, it would just be a matter of time before his parents would find out. I didn’t tell him yet. I didn’t want him to feel like I didn’t like it because, honestly, I did like it. All the surprises were too sweet, too dreamy. I didn’t want to wake up.
When I got my towel and was about to enter a shower stall, he was right behind me. “What are you doing?”
“You shy?” Liam grinned.
“No, but—” He pushed me in and locked the door behind him. He embraced me in his arms and kissed me again, even more hungrily than this morning.
My cock suddenly hardened. He felt it and reached his hand over to rub my dick.
It pained. It throbbed nonstop. “Bab—” He covered my mouth with his hand.
“They’ll hear us,” Liam whispered. With his other hand, from his pocket, he took out my bottle of lube.
My eyes widened. When did he get that? But that triggered the beast in me. Immediately, I snatched the lube from him and shoved him against the wall. I turned on the shower and let the water pour on us. I yanked my wet pants down and did the same to his. I squeezed a blob of lube into my fingers and began working on my food’s ass, fingering him. Liam wanted to moan. This time, it was my turn to cover his mouth. I bit his neck, my free hand helping itself with his huge cock. Liam shivered repeatedly at the pleasure I was giving him.
I was impatient. I had no better self-control than he had. Without waiting any longer, I shoved my cock into him, fucking him intensely in the gym shower. Nobody would suspect us. The water raining down on us served as the perfect disguise for the sounds we were making. I growled. Liam’s ass was fucking tight, but that was just how I liked it. He moaned sexily through my hand. The sound he made, made me fuck him even harder and quicker. As I did, I felt every angle of him; my front feeling his back muscles and my hands moving almost everywhere around his front. Like snakes. His muscles were contracted. They were solid and rock hard. Every lining on his body was clearly visible. He had never looked this tasty before. I continued to eat him. Like a beast. Like a werewolf. I was so hungry that I kept wanting more and more. Harder and harder. It was that moment, the thought crossed my mind. Liam was mine. And mine alone. He was no longer anyone else’s. He was mine.
Liam moaned even louder.
“Shut up, babe,” I said, moving down my hand from his abs to his cock again. “Or they’ll notice us.” I grabbed his cock and squeezed it once.
Liam moaned again but only softer while nodding. He continued to let me fuck. And I continued to wank him.
It didn’t take more than a few more thrusts. “Urgh!” I came, seeding him once again. Liam moaned too, loudly this time. His entire body quivered as I shoved his body upwards and filled the warmth inside him. He came next, erupting into the wall like a volcano.
When he was done, I hugged him from the back. “I love you, babe,” I said and kissed him.
He held my arms and kissed me back. “I love you too, babe.”
After a short rest, we finally showered. When we were done, we got out together with no shame. We went to our locker and started changing. I put on my work clothes, preparing for work.
“You really have to go to work after this?” he asked.
I was almost done. Just had to button my shirt. “Yeah. I got no more allowance, babe. I had to.”
Liam came closer. He helped me button the last two buttons at the top even though he knew I usually leave them open. He probably did that because he didn’t want anyone to check out my chest anymore. He also made sure the collar was neat, folding it properly. He sighed when he was done. “You can share my allowance, you know. I don’t want you to go there.”
I could guess why he said that. “Is this about Duncan?”
“No,” he said. “I trust you. But I’m serious. I don’t mind cutting down my own shopping budget. My allowance can be enough to feed both of us. We’re cooking all the time, so it’s not costly. I don’t want you to work every day. You’ll have so many things to do. You have grades to maintain.”
I smiled. Liam was so thoughtful. “It’s okay, babe. I don’t want to rely on you too much.”
“Hey,” Liam said and took my hand. “When I said I’m yours, I’m yours. Whatever mine is yours, okay? Get it?”
“That’s ridiculous, babe,” I said. “We’re just together for two days, you don’t have to—”
“We’ve wasted five years,” he suddenly said. It sounded like a reminder. “We see each other every day and—”
This time, I interrupted him, putting a finger to his lips. “It’s not a waste, babe. To me, you’re worth the wait.”
Liam took a deep breath. I understood what he was trying to say but I feared for him. What if his parents disown him like mine? I had to have at least a little money ready just in case. But I knew he was as stubborn as I was. He wouldn’t let me work full-time while I was still studying. And all he wanted was just to have more time to spend with me. “Okay, what about this, babe? At least let me fi
nish until the end of my first month, okay? Then, I’ll resign. I promise.” I pulled back the finger I had against him and reached out a pinkie finger.
Liam gave it a thought. He nodded. He hooked his pinkie finger around mine, agreeing to the promise.
I drove Liam home before I headed to Starbucks. I was a little late, probably because of the sudden sex I had with Liam in the gym that made me lose track of time. Duncan was already there, working on the coffee machine. I hurriedly got ready, putting on the cafe’s apron and starting to work behind the counter.
The cafe was busy the moment I started, so Duncan and I didn’t get the chance to talk at all. The only stuff we managed to talk about were the orders from the customers and the commands towards each other.
The moment things started to slow down, Duncan took a deep breath. “So, Eth. It’s you and Liam in the clip, right?” he asked while he was washing tableware at the sink.
I was wiping the counter. “Yeah,” I answered.
We were quiet for a while. He minded his own business while I minded mine. After serving a few customers, when we were free again, he took another deep breath and said something.
“He’s not a good guy, you know,” Duncan said without looking at me. He pretended to focus on whatever he was doing. “Look at how much he hurt you and he suddenly turns gay?” He shook his head. “I don’t believe him, Eth.”
I smiled. “He’s imperfect. But he can make me happy.”
“Make you happy,” Duncan snorted.
“I believe in him,” I said. “I don’t care how much he hurt me in the past but... if he loves me the same, then I will cherish the love he gives me.” I didn’t even know if what I’d just said made sense. Because when I thought back, it didn’t. But I was sure Duncan would get the idea.
“I still don’t think he’s worth it,” Duncan commented and continued to make drinks.
I helped him, making other, simpler drinks. “Are you mad, Dun?”
“No,” Duncan said. “I just don’t want you to get hurt even more.”
I looked at him for a while. I wasn’t stupid. I knew all along he still wanted to have the chance to be with me. And by becoming friends with him, I knew I was giving him a little false ray of hope. I’d actually used him to move on from Liam, so it was my fault. I’d never expected things to turn out this way. I felt bad for him. He was a good friend. “Thanks, Dun.” I went over and tapped him on the shoulder. “You care a lot about me, but…”
“I know,” Duncan said. He too, wasn’t stupid. We clearly knew what each other was thinking despite the fact that we were just friends for a few weeks. “It will still be Liam, isn’t it?” Weird. I thought of how Duncan had matured. Knowing him from back then—my first impression of him—he probably would have snapped by now.
I nodded.
Duncan turned to face me. “Then I wish you all the best,” he said and held his hand out for a handshake.
I held his hand and shook it. “Why do you make it sound like this is a goodbye? I’m still working here.”
Duncan snorted again. “Trust me, you’ll want these time to date your boy. I mean, I would have quit if I had a boy myself.”
I smiled and nodded. This meant that it would be easier to say goodbye when I am quitting later then. “I hope you and Liam can be friends too,” I said. “We can hang out together sometimes.”
Duncan raised an eyebrow. “I’ll try,” he said. “So, you and Liam. Who’s the zero and who’s the one?”
I sniggered. “That’s between us. None of your business.”
“You’re definitely zero.” Duncan laughed.
I just laughed back. Not planning to answer him or let him know. He asked me what exactly happened last night when I suddenly disappeared on them. This, I answered, filling him in on the details, including how I ended up dancing with Liam on stage. That was the least I could do for ditching them last minute.
When Duncan was filling me in on what happened on their side, Joanna suddenly pushed the front door open. She entered the cafe alone. Her eyes caught mine directly, as though she’d come here just to prey on me.
Actually, she did. “Ethan Whitefeather!” Her shout silenced the entire cafe instantly. She stormed towards me.
Duncan stepped forward to the cashier’s counter. “Hi, welcome to Starbucks. How may I help you?”
“Get lost, dog,” Joanna said and immediately I could see people taking out their phones to record. She acted like she wasn't aware of them. “Ethan Whitefeather!” she shouted again when I was right behind Duncan. She pointed her finger at me.
I stepped forward, unafraid of her. “What do you want?”
“Never your intent?” She snorted. “Look what you did!” She was talking about Liam.
I didn’t feel like dealing with her right now, especially at my workplace. “Can we talk after I finish my work? Somewhere else later?”
“Ha! Are you afraid that everybody here will know what you did?!”
Duncan left. I heard him telling one of our workmates, “Call the police. I’ll call the manager.”
I didn’t answer her.
Joanna took a few steps backward. “Listen up, everyone!” she shouted. “This person over here,” she pointed at me again, “fucking stole my boyfriend! When we were still in a good and healthy relationship!”
If she was planning to humiliate or embarrass me in public, it didn’t work. Because I didn’t fucking care. I ignored her and got back to work, making drinks.
Joanna walked back towards the counter to get close to me. “I’d warned you, Ethan. I’d warned you before in the hospital. I won’t just stand by. Nobody will just let go and see the person they love taken away.”
That boiled my blood right away. She had no right to say that, especially after what she had fucking done to Liam. If I wasn't there on time, and if the clown had been real, Liam was gone. The love of my life would be fucking gone! I turned around and glowered at her. “No one will ever leave their loved ones behind to be killed either.”
It stung her of course. So hard that she had to stagger backward once. “That was between us. You have… You have no right to steal from a girl in the first place!”
Duncan came back to my side. “Can you get any more childish? Don’t you have any shame? You fucking left your boyfriend there to die, bitch! Eth saved him and you didn’t even thank him! When your boy decides to leave you because of your selfishness, here you come accusing Eth?” Duncan snorted. “How low can you be?”
I stared at Duncan. At first, I thought it was mean. But nope. Joanna was no longer the Joanna I knew. Duncan was right this time, and Joanna definitely needed that slap.
Joanna nodded a few times at me. “You wait and see!” She stormed out of the cafe.
Some people in the cafe clapped when they saw her go away. It was only now that I felt a little embarrassed when I realized everyone was staring at me.
“Thanks, Dun,” I said to him.
Duncan tapped my shoulder twice. “Don’t mention it. That’s what friends are for.”
A few seconds later, Liam suddenly walked in. He was carrying a bag on his back. My eyes widened in surprise. The moment his eyes found mine, he jogged towards me.
“What are you doing here, babe?” I asked him when he reached me.
“Hey, babe,” he greeted. “I saw Joanna leaving.” He glanced towards the entrance, like to check if Joanna was coming back. “Did she do anything to you? Did she cause any trouble?”
“Almost,” Duncan answered for me. “I think you can see it on Facebook. Lots of people here have live streamed it already. Your ex is scary, you know?”
Liam blinked twice at the trying-hard-to-be-friendly Duncan, didn’t know how to respond.
“He’s the boyfriend?” I heard one of my workmates say to another workmate. “Awww, no wonder she’s so mad! He’s so handsome.”
I laughed. Liam scratched the back of his head, suddenly shy.
“I’m okay now, babe,”
I assured him. “Want some coffee?”
Liam reached his hand across the counter to caress my face. “Make me something less dirty, please. If I get fat, my babe might not want to fuck me anymore.”
My jaw dropped. I think my workmates’ too. When did he learn how to talk like that? I’d never see him talk like that with Joanna.
“Oh, god. Please unhear that for me,” Duncan said and went away.
Liam laughed. “I’ll be waiting upstairs, babe. I brought my assignment with me.” He paid the cashier girl before he went up to the mezzanine. I bet he went up because he wanted to have a bird’s-eye view of me.
Duncan walked backward to talk to me. “What the fuck did you feed Liam? How did he become like that?”
“I… I don’t know.” I shook my head and began working on Liam’s coffee.
When I was done, just when I was about to send the drink up to Liam, Duncan stopped me. He took Liam’s drink. “I’ll bring it to him.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t worry,” Duncan said. “I won’t do anything to your boy,” he said and went up with Liam’s drink then, just like that.
I watched Duncan as he calmly walked up the mezzanine. He served Liam his drink like he should. Duncan talked to Liam first and then Liam said something back. I prayed silently that they wouldn’t start a fight again like they’d done in the hospital and outside the cafe. After a while, suddenly, they shook hands. Duncan came back down. Nothing else happened.
“What did you say to him?” I asked Duncan.
“Nothing much,” Duncan said. “You want us to be friends, right? We became friends. Except, I warned him to make sure he takes good care of you.”
“Warn?” I didn’t miss the word.
Before I could ask any further, the police and our manager came inside. We updated them on what had happened. A few nice people in the cafe decided to be witnesses. When the police said the evidence was enough to press charges, I actually tried to convince them not to do that. After all, Joanna was once Liam’s girlfriend. After a short chat, the policemen and my manager agreed to it.
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