Page 100 of A Forgotten Mistake

“I pulled it when I was older. It’s a copy of the print I’d found on the glass I’d handed to the police. But most of the rest.”

“You know something like this would destroy you,” I say, feeling anxious about it. Just because I’ve accepted him doesn’t mean I have to accept the way he does things when it could lead to him getting hurt or arrested. I’m afraid to lose him. I’m afraid of how hard it would be to move forward without him, so I must protect him at all costs.

“Of course I do.”

“If someone found this… it’d be the end. There’s nothing you or I could do to save you,” I say, the idea making my stomach tighten.

“I know.”

“Would you get rid of it if I asked you to?”

Liam freezes, and it’s the first hint of concern he’s shown. “If that’s what you want,” he says. “Do you want me to get rid of it?”

“No. Go get a shower.”

He hesitates, like he’s thinking about saying something more, but he can’t seem to think of what to say. Then he pulls back and heads into the bathroom. I really should make him destroy it. His… trophies could ruin his life. If he ever got caught, his trophies could tie him to multiple murders instead of just one. But I can’t seem to bring myself to make him get rid of something he so adamantly wants.

His shower is quick before he returns to the bed and gets in it. He’s a bit stiff, uncertain… he doesn’t immediately roll into me, and I realize he’s waiting for me. I roll onto my side and slide a hand up his bare chest before grabbing his waist and drawing him against me.

Liam quickly reaches over and grabs me, hand wrapping tightly around me as he buries his face against my neck. “I love you. I love you so much.”

“You better,” I say. “My last boyfriend’s dirty secret I was required to keep was that he hated his mom’s spaghetti that she thought he loved.”

“He sounds despicable.”

I grin at him. “Right?”

I close my eyes as I squeeze him against me. “You tell me all the time that you’d burn the world down for me… but I guess this means I’d help you burn it.”

“You’d be a sexy firefighter.”

“I think firefighters do the opposite,” I say with a chuckle.

He draws me down into a kiss as I roll closer to him, my leg sliding between his while I hold him tight.

TWENTY-THREE

Liam

I feel like I’m on cloud nine. Even Michaels’ face can’t knock me down. Matthew’s pestering bounces right off me. There is literally nothing that can get me down. I survive an entire day with these lesser humans without a single thing annoying me.

Even going down to Jesse’s office doesn’t make me hesitate.

“Jesse, I have arrived,” I announce. “And today, I will not allow your irritating face to dampen my mood.”

“You act like I give a shit,” he says.

The lady who works with him scowls at his colorful language. Sadly, I came down alone since Gabriel is upstairs dealing with Michaels who wanted something that I didn’t care about at all.

“How’s it going down here surrounded by the dead?” I ask, especially eyeing the woman who’s glowering at me.

“Weirdly better company than you.”

“Did you forget that you’re the one who called me down here? On no day would I willingly choose to come down here to be with you.”

“I meant that message for Gabriel. Didn’t you see how I put: ‘Gabriel and Liam but hopefully just Gabriel. Please, I’m begging you, only send Gabriel’?”

“I read that as you being shy and secretly wanting me.”

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