Mag-log inShe now looks genuinely surprised and just says: “Oh.” Then she stammers: “You… him… you two…” I say, feeling awkward talking about this with her — it’s all new to me too: “We haven’t exactly decided this. It’s something new for me.” She stands up slowly, looks around a bit disoriented, then takes another deep breath, runs her hand through her hair, and says: “Are you really sure about this?” I nod: “Yes, I am.” She sighs and then says: “Okay.” She doesn’t look well, but there’s not much I can do right now. She thinks for a moment, puts her hands on her waist (she always does that when she’s defensive), but then says: “Look, this doesn’t change anything between us. I’ll always be here and you can count on me, especially regarding your mom.” “I appreciate that.” She then says: “Just give me some time to process this.” I reply: “Of course.” She tries to smile without much success. I see her eyes watering. She wipes her face before the tear falls and
I’m back from the mission and, before even going home, I head to my mom’s town. It’s been days since I’ve had much news about her and her health, and right now that’s one of the things I most want to know. Besides, I don’t want to go home and find everything there as empty as it has been since Liak left. I find her in the backyard working in the garden, and I like seeing that proof that she’s feeling well. “Hi, Mom.” She turns around and her happy smile when she sees me standing there instantly makes my day a hundred percent better. She stands up, comes over, and gives me a tight hug, saying: “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming today?” I hug her back and reply: “I wanted to surprise you.” ... I was so tired that my body insisted I sleep for a while before doing anything else. So that’s what I did. I wake up and realize I slept for several hours straight. It’s already around four in the afternoon. I take a shower and smell cake and cappuccino throughout the house.
He then walks toward us, still holding eye contact with me. I look away and go back to talking with Angeline. However, he sits on one of the stools right behind her and orders a drink from the bartender. I must have imagined things he probably just needed a refill. I feel somewhat relieved and continue paying attention to what Angeline is excitedly telling me, but my eyes betray me every now and then, watching him bring the glass to his mouth and take a sip. He turns around, looks at me, and holds the gaze for a few seconds. His eyes are an intense dark green, and I can’t look away. He stands up, approaches us, and says: “Good evening.” Looking at both of us, he stares straight into my eyes and says: “How are you, Kyle?” I’m surprised he knows my name. He smiles at the corner of his mouth when he notices my reaction. He doesn’t take his eyes off mine. Angeline says, smiling but looking a bit awkward now: “Wow, I swear I didn’t mean to interrupt your date.” He turns to her, a
Connor assured me they would take good care of him and keep him safe from any danger, which gives me some comfort. But not enough to make me feel okay here. After the shower, I go to his room, sit on his bed, and run my hands over my face. I really like him more than I thought I did but as he said himself, I’m not ready to tell the world about it. I never thought I would feel this way about a man, and I admit it still scares me. The week drags by between trips to the local pub at night because I don’t want to be alone at home watching TV. I finally call Connor in the afternoon. “About the mission in Alberta, do you still need me?” He replies: “You know you’re one of the best, Hunter. We always need you.” Then he continues: “Are you really okay to do this right now?” Maybe he was one of the few people who noticed what was going on between me and Liak. I say: “Yes, I’m fine. I’ve been idle for too long.” He says: “Be at the East Side headquarters on Sunday night a
Connor calls one of his subordinates and soon we’re on our way to the room where Liak is. My heart feels tight and a little fast. I don’t like him being here — it brings back memories of that afternoon when I found him. When the door opens, he looks a bit surprised to see me, but not completely. Clarence stays outside the room while I enter, saying I won’t take long. The accommodations are the same as the barracks where I started in the army, but this room has some extra furniture and what I assume is a bathroom. I look at Liak and say: “Why are you doing this?” He avoids my eyes and tries to act casual, but he doesn’t quite succeed. “I explained my reasons in the letter.” I run my hand through my hair, feeling even more frustrated than when I read those words. I try to explain it in a way he can understand better, in case it wasn’t clear last night: “You didn’t have to do this, come here. They already have everything they need from you.” He says: “I know. I just rea
“Liak?” I walk through the living room toward the kitchen, but there’s still no sign of him. Maybe he went out to buy something? I think so. I reach the kitchen and see no signs of anything being prepared. I’m about to walk to the fridge to get a glass of water when I notice a white envelope on the table with the words: For Hunter I don’t like the feeling that immediately hits me when I see it. I pick it up, open it, and find a folded piece of paper inside. I unfold it and start reading. "I didn’t want to have to do this this way, but I know I wouldn’t be able to do it any other way especially while looking at you..." I’m really not liking where this is going. I keep reading. "Last night I had what I can only call the best night of my existence. I will carry every second I spent with you inside me forever. You are an incredible person, Hunter, and I owe my life to you. And that’s exactly why I want to set you free from me from feeling obligated to take care of me." "
I try to keep my focus on the conversation with Carl, Lacey, and now Andy, who joined us because Liak was taking so long. I have an idea of what might have happened. I say as I stand up: “I’m going to check on Liak.” Andy looks at me gratefully, and they quickly go back to talking as I head i
We grab some beers like Lacey asked, cold cuts for the snacks, and Coke. I keep watching Liak out of the corner of my eye, but since he seems focused on the shopping, I decide not to push any conversation we can’t have properly in the middle of all these people. ... When we get back home, we
I rummage through the drawer in my dresser looking for something I bought a long time ago when I was much younger. I didn’t use it much back then because I didn’t need to, but in a situation like this, I think it’s perfect. After a while, I find the old fleshlight hidden among my clothes. I don’t
"Hey, Lacey." She walks in, closing the door behind her, and sits on the bed next to me. "I came to check on you boys." I don’t really know how Liak is doing, but I’d love to find out. I’m feeling great, but I could never tell her the real reason why. She smiles when she hears my answer. That’







