Page 18 of Anteros' Return

When the door opened, I was taken aback to see Liam. The smile he wore was now replaced with a scowl.

“You again?” He groaned.

The more I observed, the more I noticed the striking similarities between us. His hair, tousled and wild just like mine used to be, framed his face perfectly. The shape of his nose mirrored my own. It was almost eerie how he looked like a carbon copy of me as a child. The only difference was his eyes. They were Emily’s through and through. How hadn’t I noticed before?

“Hello?” He waved his arm in front of my face, pulling me out of my thoughts. “What do you want?”

“I just want to chat, that’s all.” I smiled.

“About?” He asked, crossing his arms across his chest defensively.

“Did you know I went to school with your mum and uncle?”

“Am I supposed to care?” He scoffed.

“I just want to help you, that’s all.”

“Liam! What did I tell you about opening the door!” Emily suddenly appeared behind him, the panic vanishing when she saw it was me.

“Sorry, Mummy.” He turned to face her with an apologetic smile. “Beckett said he wants to help me.” There was a hint of attitude hidden in that sentence. Probably because his mother was present.

“Oh, he did, did he?” She glanced at me.

“Listen, I want you to play tomorrow. Your team needs you, and you’re one of the best players I’ve seen.”

“And for that I need to say sorry, right?” He rolled his eyes, directing his attitude at me. Apparently, it was back.

“Ideally, yes. Otherwise, Coach could bench you for a lot longer than one match, and I know nobody wants that.” I looked at him for a second longer than I should have, especially after seeing his information at the club. I couldn’t stop wondering if this little boy was truly mine.

He laughed, folding his arms across his chest. “No, thanks.”

“Look, mate?—”

“I’m not your mate,” he snapped, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“No, I know that but I just want to help.” I sighed, hoping to get through to him.

“I don’t need your help.”

“Liam,” Emily captured his attention, crouching on the balls of her feet to look him in the eye, “you love football more than anything else in the world.”

“I love you more than football, Mummy.” He smiled, his eyes glistening with love for her.

“Just as I love you, but I know for a fact this attitude isn’t you, so I am asking as your mummy for you to apologise to Mr. Ashmore so I can stand on the sidelines tomorrow and cheer on my boy.” She cupped his cheek as his face lit up like a Christmas tree. I couldn’t lie. Hearing her call me Mr. Ashmore struck a nerve. It was as if we were strangers.

He took a deep breath before turning to face me, his eyes softening with every passing second “I’m sorry for my attitude.”

“Okay, apology accepted.” I nodded. “I will speak to Coach and see you at ten thirty tomorrow for the warm up.”

He nodded his head once before turning away and running up the stairs that I could see from my stance at the door. When Emily started to close the door, my shoe darted out to stop it. She wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that she wanted me gone.

“Wait, Em, can we talk?”

“No, we can’t,” she breathed out, unable to look at me.

“Em—”

“Not now, Beckett. My son is here, and I don’t want him to witness whatever it is you have to say.”

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