He couldn’t blame Oliver for being worried; it wouldn’t be the first time William disappeared on him after falling head over heels for someone. He had a history of neglecting everything that wasn’t the person who had his heart in a chokehold until the relationship inevitably fell apart, then reaching out to Oliver with a broken heart.
But that was before the accident.
“Dude,” William said hoarsely. “You’re the most important person in my life. You’re delusional if you think you’re getting rid of me so easily.”
Oliver let out a weak chuckle.
“Seriously, though,” William said. “Thanks for telling me. I appreciate it. But I promise it’s not gonna happen.”
“It’s just my insecurities messing with my head. I know you won’t. And I’m truly happy for you. He’s a great guy; you deserve to have someone like him in your life. I’m really glad you found him.”
“Thanks,” William said, his heart fluttering. He ran his fingers over one of the notebooks he’d bought earlier—a plain black cover for him and an elegant floral one for Adathan. The first step in their instruction manual project. “It’s, uh, a little hard to believe.”
Oliver made a huff of agreement. “The circumstances are unconventional. But I think it’s just proof that you were meant to meet. If the universe goes to such convoluted lengths to bring two people together, it’s because it would be a tragedy if they were apart for a minute longer. You’re two kind souls with great chemistry. You deserve this. And so does he.”
William smiled. Oliver had always had a gift for motivational speeches, but he’d outdone himself this time. It was probably fueled by his guilt, but William was grateful all the same... because he truly needed it. “Thanks, man. We’re lucky to have you.”
He leaned back in his seat. “And you were right this morning. I have to tell him how I feel.”
“You don’t have to tell him tonight. What I said earlier—don’t listen to me. You should go at your own pace.”
“Nah.” William’s heart squeezed with embarrassment as he glanced at the stupidly large bouquet he’d bought on a whim. “I have to. Otherwise, I’ll just keep making excuses.” And he’d empty his bank account showering Adathan with gifts because he was too much of a coward to use his words. “You know me—I suck at this stuff.”
“You’re way better than you think.”
William disagreed, but he kept his opinion to himself. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m good.” Oliver sighed. “Thanks for listening. And for everything. I owe you so much, I—”
“Not as much as I owe you.”
Oliver chuckled. “See? Better than you think. Anyway, you should go now. Adathan should be there any minute.”
“All right. But we’ll continue this conversation later.”
“Good luck.”
William let out a long breath as he hung up, but immediately sprang to his feet when he saw the call duration.
He stirred the soup heating up on the stove, ran to the bathroom to inspect his appearance, moved the bouquet by a quarter of an inch on the kitchen counter, then paced the room as he waited for Adathan’s arrival.
Ten minutes passed, then fifteen. William kept looking at the clock on his phone, his throat tightening with worry. It wasn’t supposed to take so long—why was it taking so long?
He snatched his keys, turned off the stove, put on his shoes, and rushed downstairs. Maybe the doorbell had malfunctioned, and Adathan was waiting at the front door.
He wasn’t.
William stepped out of the building and frantically looked left and right, craning his neck and trying to silence the alarm in his chest. There was no sign of Adathan.
He headed down the street, toward Oliver’s place, his thoughts scrambling. He had to stay calm—Adathan had probably gotten lost, but he couldn’t be very far. First, William would follow the same itinerary they had this morning, then he’d go a different route, then he’d go back home in case Adathan was waiting at the door.
And then he’d go to the police.
Images of a hospital room flashed in his head. Beeping machines, tubes, wires, bandages—so many bandages. At the center of it all, Adathan’s broken body, his life hanging by a thread.
William began to run. He almost crashed into someone as he turned the corner, then stopped dead in his tracks, a whimpernearly leaving his lips as he saw him. Adathan was there—safe, unharmed.
William leaned against a utility pole, blinking away the blurry edges as his anxiety left his body all at once. He looked at Adathan again, making sure it truly was him.
