Stay (Boy × Boy) ✔

CHAPTER 1

Isn't it such a cliché to be secretly in love with your best friend? It's such a popular scheme in movies and novels, isn't it?

Those movies usually have a happy ending and then everyone lives happily ever after — but in reality falling in love with your best friend was downright torture. Maybe it wouldn't have been as painful if William had been a beautiful girl, because then he would at least have a chance.

It didn't help that William had decided a long time ago that he would never leave Aydan, even if he fell in love with someone else, because then he could at least be close to him.

This is something they always say in those movies, William thought bitterly and turned over on his bed for the millionth time.

It had been two days since that day they met at the ice cream shop. The two hours they had spent together had felt more like a year to William, who had impatiently waited for the time he could go home and be alone in his misery. It had been painfully difficult to maintain a smile and seem happy when all he wanted to do was punch the wall and cry his eyes out in the comfort of his room.

Aydan knew his friend well enough to notice his real state of mood, but this time he was too absorbed in his rose coloured happiness to see behind the smiles and sweet words. When they had said their goodbyes, Aydan had left with Claudia and William had walked straight to his car.

His car was atypical for a young guy like him: it was a black luxury sedan, the latest model of Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Luxury cars were William's dad's passion, and even though William didn't care that much about the car he drove, his dad made sure he always had the best one in the market.

If you're thinking that he's spoiled, you're not wrong: William did usually get everything money could buy. He was after all the only child of a prosperous family.

William hadn't paid attention to the car or revered its air conditioning, even if he was already sweating just after walking a short distance from the ice cream shop to his car. He had barely even noticed his physical discomfort as he had turned on the engine and started driving.

Normally William forbore to drive even a yard without music, but that time he didn't bother turning on the channel. The wealthy young man had driven home in silence, tears swelling in his brown eyes.

Looking at his home, the glorious mansion, you could have thought he was the most fortunate guy in the world, but he didn't feel lucky at all. William would have easily given up all the material comfort just to get the love he yearned for.

It had been two days now, but the heartache hadn't eased a bit. William rarely had a day off from swimming, so he didn't get to stay home swelling in his misery for long, which was mostly a good thing.

William had always loved swimming; just to get his feet underwater was enough to make his troubles disappear. Even the smell of chlorine at the swimming pool was sweet for him. In the first practice after that day William's record wasn't good, but this time he was going to make it better.

He had gotten up early, since the morning practice started 5 am, and picked up Aydan on his way to the indoor swimming pool.

Aydan was as spirited as always — no, more than that, his eyes were glowing and he was all smiles — whereas William had to force, again, a smile on his face. This wasn't the first time they saw after that day, since they practiced in the same club.

William was the one who usually drove them to the practices and back. His friend didn't actually need a drive, because he lived in the centre not that far away from the indoor swimming pool where their team gathered. William just happened to pass his house on his way, so it was no bother to pick him up.