Page 17 of Liam

It was kind of strange how much I knew about Liam, but Noah had a habit of talking about him to me. They were best friends. That's how I knew Liam was a decent guy.

I picked at my taco, deciding the ground beef would be better on its own. My family was going to love Liam. Meera had seen pictures of him, but I knew for a fact, she was going to swoon when she saw him in person. And he smelled so good. I'd been close enough to him to identify the scent of coconuts that clung to him like a fragrant piña colada.

He was so much more than his gorgeous looks, though. Judging by the language of his posts, he appeared oblivious to that. He was a man who didn't know his self-worth.

I'd told Noah as much several times.

Inviting Liam into my life, I potentially stood to gain a man who might look past my disability. From the start, he had treated me as if he didn't see the wheelchair. The laughs and teasing we had shared at the museum made me feel as though he only saw what lay beneath my skin.

I prayed that was the case.

David carried my wheelchair down the stairs after dinner as I rode the chair lift to the ground floor. When I got back to my room, I phoned my good friend Warren. He'd introduced me to a group for queer people with disabilities.Queerabilities. Warren had cerebral palsy and used crutches to get around. I'd spent many an hour at Warren's watching sports on television.

"Hey, buddy," he answered.

"How's your night treating you?"

"Been a painful day. How about you?"

"We had tacos."

"Unfortunate for you. I would love tacos right about now."

"I survived. The rest of the day was good. I went to the museum with a friend."

"Brave friend," he replied.

"He's as much a museum geek as I am." I put my phone on speaker and tossed it onto the bed. "Just a sec." I transferred onto my bed and got comfortable at the head with a pillow behind my back. "His name is Liam and I'm seriously crushing on him. Not sure what to do about it."

"Is he gay?"

"In the extreme. He's got a bit of a reputation in the community."

"Explain to me why you're attracted to him."

"Liam is a bit of an enigma. The way he acts in his everyday life … let's just say, he gets around. But spending time with him, I feel like he might be looking for a place to settle."

"And you think that might be with you."

"I wouldn't object. He's kind and loyal, intelligent … and beautiful in every way."

"But he likes to sleep around. Does he even do relationships?"

I sighed. According to Noah, the answer to that question wasno. Liam had only had one relationship and that had been in university. A lifetime ago.

"No, he doesn't." I sighed. "To be honest, I'm not seriously considering going after him."

"Might be better to keep it that way. I don't want to see you get hurt."

Warren was right. Liam was out of my reach. He had his pick of any man he wanted. I couldn't imagine anyone turning him down. That in mind, he wasn't what I was looking for. I needed a committed man who would accept my limitations and meet me where I was on an emotional level.

I wanted a dedicated monogamous life partner.

"I'm off to have a shower," I said.

"See you at the meeting?"

"Always."

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