He put down his beer and plugged in his phone on the counter before rushing to the sofa, grabbing Adathan’s laptop from the coffee table on the way.
His pulse quickened as he unlocked it. Could there truly be justice in this world? Would Richard and his family finally get what they had coming? It was hard to believe, but William’s nonsensical week was evidence that anything could happen.
He froze, taking in the last webpage Adathan had visited.
How to Stop Loving Someone Who Doesn’t Love You Back
His smile fell. His heart sank. His stomach knotted.
Against his better judgment, William moved the cursor to the three dots in the top right corner. He clicked. He selected History.
A massive list of articles appeared.
Six Signs You Might Be Smothering Your Partner
How to Respect Other People’s Boundaries
Four Ways to Give Someone Space Without Losing Them
The Ultimate Guide to Being a Good Friend
Are You Needy? – How to Overcome Emotional Dependency
It went on and on, stretching from ten o’clock the night before—right after William had gone to bed—through the smallhours of the morning and into the day that followed. Adathan had spent all night reading about relationships and boundaries.
William’s heart sank further when he reached Adathan’s history from two days ago. It only contained a handful of web searches: wildlife photography, easy five-ingredient recipes, and how to care for a zamioculcas zamiifolia plant.
What happened?
William winced. He knew exactly what had happened. Oliver must have talked to him about boundaries.
Shit.
And now Adathan was having dinner with the douchebag downstairs, just to give William space.
William set down the laptop on the coffee table and darted toward the door, not bothering to put on his shoes. He rushed down the stairs, hesitating for a split second before knocking.
He had just long enough to realize he didn’t know what he was going to say before the door opened.
A shirtless man with absurdly defined abs and spiky hair cracked the door open, his gray sweatpants hanging so low they left nothing to the imagination. He made a show of looking William up and down with pure disinterest before saying, “Yeah?”
“Is Adathan here?” William asked, doing his best to sound friendly. He didn’t want to cause trouble—he just wanted to make sure Adathan really wanted to be here. That was all.
“Why?”
William clenched his fists at his sides. Kyle smelled of alcohol, and judging by his dilated pupils and twitching jaw, it wasn’t the only substance in his bloodstream. An alarm went off in William’s chest. He tried to look into Kyle’s apartment, but the asshole straightened to hide the view, lifting his chin defiantly.
“I’m here to get him,” William said, struggling to keep his voice relaxed.
Kyle sneered. “Who are you—his dad?”
Hot anger erupted in William’s chest. He took a step forward and stared the man down, ignoring the fact that Kyle could knock him out with one punch. He gritted his teeth, his own jaw twitching with repressed fury. Adathan was too good for this world. Too good for these vultures who had no qualms exploiting others for their personal gain.
The words burst out of him before he registered them: “I’m his boyfriend.”
“Hey, relax, man,” Kyle said, lifting his hands in surrender. “We were just hanging out.” He took a step back and opened the door wide. “Adathan, yourboyfriendwants you home.”
William’s heart skipped a beat at his blunder.
