My pulse raced and I was shivering anxiously. Embarrassed, I suddenly noticed the palms of my hands turning clammy against Victor’s skin, but I didn’t want to draw any more attention to myself by removing them.
“Nobody knows how I feel,” Victor muttered.
“We would if you just told us,” Nick said, his eyes sympathetic but still blazing.
I watched Victor’s lip twitch as if to snarl, but he forced a neutral expression. “It’s not that simple.”
“It is.”
Victor’s muscles tightened under my grip and fear coursed through me. I knew he was furious at Nick. I let go and put myself between them. “Please don’t fight,” I begged. Victor’s eyes snapped to mine and a chill went down my spine. He looked bigger, somehow. Fiercer. More primal.
Like an animal.
I gasped.
Was Victor –
My thoughts were interrupted as Victor launched himself at Nick with a snarl. Both men fell to the pier with a loud thud and scrabbled across the surface. Victor had Nick pinned and was fisting his shirt collar, pulling him up to repay him for the punch earlier. He pulled back his arm.
“Please stop!” I cried. “Victor!”
Victor’s hand trembled but did not move. His breathing was thick and hoarse, like it was erupting from deep inside his chest. Nick was still bracing himself for the impact, but it didn’t come. Victor exhaled and snorted, then got up. He extended his hand to Nick, and he warily accepted.
“Victor, Nick, please don’t fight,” I said, putting myself in between them again as if it had accomplished anything last time. But I was stubborn and I didn’t want to see two best friends fight each other.
Sighing, Victor put a hand to his forehead. “I’m sorry,” he grunted. “I went over the line.”
Nick was rolling his shoulders. “Sorry for punching you. Even though you kind of deserved it.”
I stiffened at his words, afraid they would start fighting again. But this time Victor looked down at me. The hardness in his expression that was there a moment ago was gone. They were dark and gentle now.
“Liam,” he said quietly. He glanced back and forth between Nick and I. “Was what he said true?”
Nick interrupted before I could even formulate the right words. “Obviously! Even you can’t be this dense, Vic. Look at him. Look at the way helooksat you!”
I blushed. Victor gazed down at me questioningly, almost like he was too afraid to ask the question himself. I knew I had to speak this time.
“It’s true,” I murmured, then paused. How was I supposed to say the next words? “I do like – I like you a lot.”
Nick chuckled. “That’s not exactly what I said, is it?”
“Can it,” Victor barked. Nick shrugged but he was grinning now. Victor looked back to me. “Go on.”
I couldn’t meet his gaze – it was too strong. “I care about you, I mean – I care about both of you, but the way I feel about you is something different.” My voice died off into a mumble.
“Different?” Victor asked. His brows were furrowed. “In a bad way?”
He’s making this so difficult!The worst part was I knew he genuinely wouldn’t understand unless I spelled it out.
So I did.
“I love you, Victor.”
12
Victor
It feltlike I’d been struck again, except this time there was no stinging pain in my face. Instead a spark ignited in my chest and spread like fire, swallowing up my heart with heat. I couldn’t stop my face from turning red.
