Page 53 of Just a Footnote

Liam rears back, uses one hand to press Aiden’s face into the mattress, and the other to keep the tight grip on his hip.Overcome with pleasure, he sneaks a hand to his cock and jerks himself off to Liam’s deep thrusts inside him. Lightning zips down his spine, making his toes curl. That’s how he comes, with a shout of pleasure. Distantly, he realizes he’s saying something, but he doesn’t know what and then he feels Liam’s pace slow as he comes a few thrusts later. They cling to one another desperately. Fingers tangle with his because Liam always needs the safety of touch after a fuck. Something that took Aiden time to learn because he’s not that way himself. Only with Liam.

“Shhhhhh,” Aiden shushes him when Liam tries to speak. He doesn’t want to hear anything. Not now. Liam rolls off, ties the condom, then tosses it in the bin by the nightstand. Aiden stupidly allows himself to take his fill. Memorizing the way Liam looks in the soft glow of moonlight peeking through the gauzy hotel curtains.

While Liam is in the bathroom showering, Aiden gathers his clothing that’s scattered haphazardly around the bedroom like breadcrumbs as evidence of the act they just performed. He dresses quickly, if not efficiently, and is just about to make a run for it when Liam appears out of the bathroom with a towel slung low around his waist. The way Aiden’s heart races like Liam wasn’t just inside him is one of the top ten anime betrayals of his life,

Liam’s eyes narrow in angry suspicion.

“Where are you going?” Liam asks incredulously.

Aiden’s eyes quickly dart around the room. “Back to my hotel room?”

“And why are you doing that?” Rare anger is evident in Liam’s voice. “I have an entire penthouse suite here. I want you to stay.”

The idea of sleeping in the bed with Liam makes him sick because it’s too close together when they’re about to be apart.

“I told Miles I’d go running with him before the sun is up.”Aiden shrugs as if it’s not a total lie. Liam’s eyes narrow further in disbelief because somehow, he learned Aiden’s tells. “Don’t want them getting suspicious.”

“Aiden.”

“Liam,” Aiden smirks wickedly, knowing it riles Liam up. “It was nice. Thank you so much. See you later?”

Aiden’s hand is on the door, it’s cracked slightly open, when Liam slams his hand on it to force it back closed with a sickening click. There are a lot of things Aiden hates but feeling trapped is at the top of the list.

“Let me out,” Aiden demands from between his teeth.

“No,” Liam says, breath hot against Aiden’s cheek. “Not until we talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Aiden snaps. He’s torn between lashing out, saying something to push Liam even further away, or crawling into Liam’s arms. Just holding on to Liam until he realizes Aiden’s not worth it.

“I know you,” Liam says softly. “You’re running. Why?”

“Liam. Just let me leave,” Aiden begs in a way he hopes Liam can’t fight, dropping his voice just a little, letting it wobble.

Liam’s face crumples, the fight bleeds out of him, and he instantly removes his hand from the door as if he’s been struck. It feels like goodbye and that’s fine because it has to be goodbye. This was always going to be goodbye. Liam the hockey star can’t be in a relationship with a man, let alone with Aiden Clark, former foster kid and a nothing. Some people are destined for greatness and that’s Liam Walsh. He’s worth the sacrifice of Aiden’s heart.

Aiden opens the door, casts a look back at Liam, and his face says more than it should. Aiden refuses to memorize it. He leans back, once more to kiss Liam soft and sweet before turning back to bound down the stairs of the hotel because he’s too eager to be gone to wait for the elevator. His heart hurts, like it mightexplode out of his chest, the entire four floors it takes to reach his level.

He angrily barges into the hotel suite that he shares with Archer and Miles. The room is dark, so he flicks the lights on, ignoring the sickening feeling deep in his gut. Thankfully the minibar in his room is stocked. He downs three small bottles of different liquors in quick succession. Hot tears threaten to fall from his eyes, but he pulls them back. He won’t cry about Liam Walsh. He won’t cry because this is his fault. He never should’ve fallen in love. He told himself not to fall in love.

But Aiden has always been bad at listening to himself.

He is in love. Love hurts, like thousands of shards of glass scraping his heart, and it’s going to kill him to watch Liam get the life Aiden so stupidly wants for him. A house with a white picket fence, a wife, and two and half kids. Liam Walsh is going to have that even if it means Aiden dies a little bit inside every day for the rest of his life.

In the middle of a heart wrenching sob, the door clicks open to reveal his brother and Miles. Somehow the sight of them makes him sob even harder. Footsteps echo around him as they barge into the room. Miles stands unsure a few feet away as Archer kneels in front of Aiden.

“Aiden? What the hell.” The familiar sound of Archer’s voice soothes some of the ache in Aiden’s chest.

“I’m fine,” he promises through a hiccup.

“You’re not fine.” Archer’s eyebrows knit together. Twenty something years later and it’s still like looking in a mirror. Slowly, as if afraid to spook Aiden, Archer reaches out to gently squeeze his shoulders. “Did something happen? I haven’t seen you cry…it’s been a while.”

Aiden swallows roughly. “I’m fine. Scared about moving to New York.”

The lie is bitter on his tongue, and Archer clearly doesn’tbelieve it as they stare at one another. Archer looks back over his shoulder at Miles. Aiden follows his gaze, meeting Miles’ too knowing gaze. If Miles knows what's good for him, he’ll keep quiet, no matter his suspicions.

In the end Miles just shrugs.

Archer swings his gaze back at Aiden, blues eyes attempting to look into the pit of Aiden’s soul.

---