Jesse,Eric, and Mom had been amazing about the whole thing. Eric and Jesse even invited Liam and me to hang with them the following week. I could tell by the way Eric talked with Liam that he wasn’t just happy for me, but for his friend too.
That was how it was supposed to be.
When Liam and I made it back to my place, there was a sort of confidence to me. As soon as we entered my condo, I shoved him back against the kitchen island and stole a kiss.
And then another and another.
“You seem surprisingly giddy,” he said when I finally gave him a moment to get a word in, “considering how concerned you were before we talked to your family.”
“It was important. I don’t think I realized just how important until I got it off my chest. But then again, I felt the same way about coming out.”
“I understand that. And I agree. It’s nice now that we can just enjoy this…us…and not have to worry about any bullshit.”
“Yeah. Fuck bullshit. Come on. Let’s go take a celebratory shower.”
Liam laughed. “I told Eric I’d book those movie tickets for next week, so let me check the times and coordinate. You know, doing my boyfriendly responsibilities.”
“Boyfriendly…How are you enjoying that word so far?”
“Loving it,” he said, offering another kiss. His scruff caressed my flesh. His breath rushed over my face. His tongue swept across mine.
He growled before pulling away and saying, “Now, go get in that shower. I’ll see you there in a minute.”
“Just don’t fall asleep on me, okay? I want to get that cock all up in me tonight.”
“It’s a deal, Pretty Thing.”
I headed off and slipped into the shower, and as I scrubbed down, I felt as though I was rinsing off so much more than a night’s sweat. I was washing away all the nervousness I had before we talked to my family. I was also washing away that adventure we’d shared a few short weeks earlier, and that had held most of our attention captive.
We were finally free to just be with one another.
I grew increasingly annoyed as he didn’t join me, so I stepped out, haphazardly drying off before throwing the towel around my waist and heading into the bedroom.
My suspicions were confirmed when I saw him lounging facedown on the mattress.
“Oh, my Liam.” I snickered and crouched down beside him, draping a wet arm over him and dampening his shirt slightly as I enjoyed watching him breathe.
God, he must be really tired not to be waking up.
That thought only lasted a moment before another quickly followed—
Something’s wrong.
It was strange he hadn’t stirred, even as I had gotten quite a bit more water on him than I’d meant to, as indicated by the wet spot on the back of his shirt.
I pulled back and glanced him over, when I noticed something on the other side of his neck. I leaned over him, and that’s when I saw it.
A fucking dart.
It looked like the ones that had been shot at us that night—or the ones that shot from F5’s tranq guns.
The blood in my face drained, goose bumps rushing up and down my arms.
I searched around the room to find whatever intruder was responsible. It only took a moment for my gaze to settle on my closet. The nightstand lamp illuminated just enough for me to see what appeared to be a single eye on pale white flesh.
Not a second had passed, but it felt like it waited there in silence forever, watching. Not blinking.
I was paralyzed in place as it moved closer to me, revealing half of a man’s grin, white teeth flashing. It was a demented sort of grin, the kind that fit so perfectly with what he’d just done to Liam.
