Chapter 20 - Treasured
Treasured
? Oliver: He just left. Can I call you?
William sat down at the table, bracing himself as he tapped the call button.
Oliver answered immediately. “Hey. I wanted to apologize for earlier.”
A weight lifted from William’s chest. He almost waved off the apology out of habit, but he kept quiet. Judging from the vulnerability in Oliver’s voice, he needed this.
“I had no reason to be so harsh with you,” Oliver said. “I’m sorry. I’ll understand if you’d rather not speak to me for a while.”
“Huh?” The thought was so ridiculous, William almost snorted in disbelief. Even when he’d been pissed earlier, not once had it crossed his mind that he might want a break from Oliver. “Okay. Tell me exactly what’s going on.”
“I, uh—it’s nothing.”
“Like hell,” William said with no bite in his voice. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“I’m sorry. I realize I’ve been . . . more insecure than usual, lately.”
“Insecure?” William had no idea where this was headed, but it was clear now it wasn’t just about Adathan.
Oliver let out a sigh. “You don’t have time for this; Adathan will soon—”
“Doesn’t matter. Tell me what’s wrong.”
Oliver stayed quiet for a moment, and it took all of William’s willpower not to urge him on. Pushing would only make Oliver think he didn’t have time to listen, when in truth William would drop everything in a heartbeat for him.
“Earlier, my reaction . . .” Oliver murmured.
“Yeah?”
“I know it’s unfair, and it took me all afternoon to realize what had prompted it, but I think the reason I reacted that way is . . . that I’m scared. Of losing you.”
“Huh? Losing me? Why would you lose me?”
“Well. You know. Now that you and Adathan—”
“Oh.” William slumped over the table.
He couldn’t blame Oliver for being worried; it wouldn’t be the first time William disappeared on him after falling head over heels for someone.
He had a history of neglecting everything that wasn’t the person who had his heart in a chokehold until the relationship inevitably fell apart, then reaching out to Oliver with a broken heart.
But that was before the accident.
“Dude,” William said hoarsely. “You’re the most important person in my life. You’re delusional if you think you’re getting rid of me so easily.”
Oliver let out a weak chuckle.
“Seriously, though,” William said. “Thanks for telling me. I appreciate it. But I promise it’s not gonna happen.”
“It’s just my insecurities messing with my head. I know you won’t. And I’m truly happy for you. He’s a great guy; you deserve to have someone like him in your life. I’m really glad you found him.”
“Thanks,” William said, his heart fluttering. He ran his fingers over one of the notebooks he’d bought earlier—a plain black cover for him and an elegant floral one for Adathan. The first step in their instruction manual project. “It’s, uh, a little hard to believe.”
Oliver made a huff of agreement. “The circumstances are unconventional. But I think it’s just proof that you were meant to meet.
If the universe goes to such convoluted lengths to bring two people together, it’s because it would be a tragedy if they were apart for a minute longer.
You’re two kind souls with great chemistry. You deserve this. And so does he.”
William smiled. Oliver had always had a gift for motivational speeches, but he’d outdone himself this time. It was probably fueled by his guilt, but William was grateful all the same . . . because he truly needed it. “Thanks, man. We’re lucky to have you.”
He leaned back in his seat. “And you were right this morning. I have to tell him how I feel.”
“You don’t have to tell him tonight. What I said earlier—don’t listen to me. You should go at your own pace.”
“Nah.” William’s heart squeezed with embarrassment as he glanced at the stupidly large bouquet he’d bought on a whim.
“I have to. Otherwise, I’ll just keep making excuses.
” And he’d empty his bank account showering Adathan with gifts because he was too much of a coward to use his words. “You know me—I suck at this stuff.”
“You’re way better than you think.”
William disagreed, but he kept his opinion to himself. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m good.” Oliver sighed. “Thanks for listening. And for everything. I owe you so much, I—”
“Not as much as I owe you.”
Oliver chuckled. “See? Better than you think. Anyway, you should go now. Adathan should be there any minute.”
“All right. But we’ll continue this conversation later.”
“Good luck.”
William let out a long breath as he hung up, but immediately sprang to his feet when he saw the call duration.
He stirred the soup heating up on the stove, ran to the bathroom to inspect his appearance, moved the bouquet by a quarter of an inch on the kitchen counter, then paced the room as he waited for Adathan’s arrival.
Ten minutes passed, then fifteen. William kept looking at the clock on his phone, his throat tightening with worry. It wasn’t supposed to take so long—why was it taking so long?
He snatched his keys, turned off the stove, put on his shoes, and rushed downstairs. Maybe the doorbell had malfunctioned, and Adathan was waiting at the front door.
He wasn’t.
William stepped out of the building and frantically looked left and right, craning his neck and trying to silence the alarm in his chest. There was no sign of Adathan.
He headed down the street, toward Oliver’s place, his thoughts scrambling.
He had to stay calm—Adathan had probably gotten lost, but he couldn’t be very far.
First, William would follow the same itinerary they had this morning, then he’d go a different route, then he’d go back home in case Adathan was waiting at the door.
And then he’d go to the police.
Images of a hospital room flashed in his head. Beeping machines, tubes, wires, bandages—so many bandages. At the center of it all, Adathan’s broken body, his life hanging by a thread.
William began to run. He almost crashed into someone as he turned the corner, then stopped dead in his tracks, a whimper nearly leaving his lips as he saw him. Adathan was there—safe, unharmed.
William leaned against a utility pole, blinking away the blurry edges as his anxiety left his body all at once. He looked at Adathan again, making sure it truly was him.
Adathan was standing in front of the florist shop, admiring the display. He reached for a rose and gently ran his thumb across the petals, leaning in to inhale its scent. He closed his eyes and smiled.
William let out a painful chuckle of relief. Adathan had just stopped to smell the roses. He should have known.
He took a few deep breaths, resisting the urge to run to Adathan and pull him close—to escort him the rest of the way. Instead, he turned around and headed back home, letting Adathan enjoy the moment.
He returned to his apartment and collapsed onto his sofa, his heart still pounding. His mind kept conjuring alarming images, but he chased them away, focusing instead on the serene look on Adathan’s face as he’d admired the flowers. William’s gaze found the bouquet on the counter, and he smiled.
It didn’t take long for the doorbell to ring. William took one last calming breath and jogged down the stairs to greet him directly at the front door.
“Hey,” he said, his heart warming at the bright smile on Adathan’s face. He made sure to sound relaxed as he said, “Had a good time?”
Adathan nodded and gave him a hug. “I did. Oliver is a wonderful friend. I’m glad I met him.”
“He is.” William smiled, stroking Adathan’s back tenderly. There was no better feeling in the world than seeing his two favorite people getting along. And knowing they were both safe. “Did you beat him at Scrabble again?”
Adathan chuckled as he pulled away. “No, we didn’t play this time. We watched a documentary about the beach, and Biscuit slept on my lap the entire time.”
“Biscuit knows all the best spots,” William said as they climbed the stairs. “Learn anything new about the beach?”
“Mm-hmm. They said that it can take centuries for a beach to form. And that sand feels like a hundred tiny caresses between your toes, but on a very hot day, it can burn your feet.”
“Accurate. I take it you’ve never been to the beach before?”
Adathan shook his head. “I haven’t.”
“We’ll have to remedy that.” William wasn’t a fan of exposing his half-naked body in crowded places, but he suspected people would be too busy ogling Adathan to even notice him. And William would be too happy seeing Adathan happy to care.
Adathan gasped as they walked in, heading straight to the bouquet. “For me?” He brought his hand to his heart. “It is sublime, thank you, William.”
“Not as sublime as you,” William said, cringing at how corny he’d sounded.
If Adathan found the compliment ridiculous, nothing in his body language showed it. His fingers curled over his chest, his smile softening sheepishly as he stepped up to William. He rose onto his toes and met William’s eyes, inching his face forward slowly as if giving him time to say no.
As if.
William rested his palm on the small of Adathan’s back and closed the distance between their lips. God, he’d missed those lips.
God, he’d missed this man.
He hoped his new job would hold his attention better than his old one. William felt a brain meltdown coming just thinking about doing a full day of data entry while Adathan awaited his return at home.
Adathan pulled away, the affection in his eyes threatening to make William’s heart explode. “May I arrange them?”
“Of course,” William said, even though he had no idea what that meant.
Adathan gave him a soft kiss, and William couldn’t keep the big dumb smile off his face as he watched him head back to the bouquet.
Adathan took a beer mug from the cabinet and filled it halfway with water—right, William had forgotten to buy a vase. He stirred some sugar and a few drops of bleach into it, which seemed odd, but William assumed he knew what he was doing.