Page 93 of Just a Footnote

Aiden looks up at the starry sky above to avoid looking at Liam. “Go back inside, Liam.”

“Fuck you.” Liam sounds pissed, rightfully pissed. The unusual tone from Liam sends a shiver right down Aiden’s spine.

Aiden sighs loudly. “It’s cold. You’re going to freeze out here.”

“And what about you?”

“Whataboutme?” Aiden snaps.

“Get inside, Aiden.”

“No.”

“Aiden,” Liam warns, his voice molten steel. “Get in thefuckingcabin. Right now.”

The righteous anger in Liam’s voice forces him to his feet. He slowly turns back into the warmth of the cabin. He doesn’t want to hurt Liam. He just wants this to be over. Needs it to be. Liam turns the soft lighting on in the kitchen, then comes back into the living room to start the fire. Mood lighting, nice. Aiden sits on the sofa, cuddling himself into the softness. He lifts Liam’s hoodie up to cover his chin. The familiar scent of oranges is a comforting balm to the nasty swell of nerves inside him.

Liam gets the fire going before joining Aiden on the couch. Close enough to touch but not. The distance between them already enough to make his heart ache.

“Why were you running away in the middle of the night?” Liam asks. There’s a hard edge to his voice, his jaw is clenchedtight, is he mad at Aiden? He should be. To get through this he needs Liam to hate him.

“You said something in your sleep.” Aiden looks despondently into the fire. Maybe if he stares hard enough the flames will jump out and consume him.

“What did I say?”

Aiden furiously shakes his head. “It’s not important.”

“Aiden.” Liam frequently says his name like a curse word. It’s a little exhausting. “Tell me what I said.”

“You said you love me.”

“And?”

Aiden’s head snaps towards Liam. Liam looks fine. He looks, not resigned, more like he’s surprised Aiden wasn’t already aware of this information.

“I think you thought I was someone else? Right?”

Liam moves quickly. One minute he’s on the couch, then the next he’s kneeling between Aiden’s legs. His face is sad, even maybe miserable. Aiden feels how he always does when he makes Liam sad, like he’s punched a fucking puppy.

“I need you to listen to me. Can you listen to me?” Liam asks softly.

Aiden nods mutely. This is it. This is when Liam says he’s with someone else. Maybe he’s engaged already. He loves her. Aiden bets they’re on the waitlist for a dog. Some kind of perfect golden doodle that they’ll name Gretzky. He can’t even be mad at that because it’s kind of cute.

Liam’s fingers gently grip his chin, tilting his head up from where he was looking at the floor. “Listen to me.”

Aiden nods again even though he’d rather gauge his own eyes out.

“I have been wildly in love with you since before we even kissed in college,” Liam says slowly, like he’s explaining gravity. “You are the love of my life. Let me love you.”

The words go off like a bomb in his chest.

Aiden painfully grits his teeth. “Be serious.”

Liam smiles a little sadly. “I’m very serious when it comes to you.”

“You don’t love me! You can’t! I’m broken into a million pieces.” Aiden balls his hands into fists, looks up at Liam with all the fury he can muster. “I won’t let you love me.”

Liam’s jaw clenches. The corner of one eye ticks. “You won’tletme love you?”

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