Aleksei & Liam

39. Richie's secret

(Liam's PoV)

I was sat at my desk, my head in my hands, earphones plugged in as Song 2 by Blur played from his CD.

It was surprisingly a sunny Sunday afternoon and I was in my room after my parents lectured me on coming home at 1 in the morning with a lamb doner.

Last nights events replayed in my head like a broken record but the surprising thing was I had totally expected it to happen. Of course there was some part of me that liked to cling onto the idea that Aleksei felt more strongly towards me after yesterday but a bigger part of me knew things were too good to be true.

'It was a mistake, Liam.'

'It shouldn't have happened.'

'It should never happen again,'

'...ever.'

I pressed the heel of my palms against my eyes in hopes of stopping any tears from spilling.
Charlie was right, I had no business whatsoever falling for a guy who was straight.

But was he? Was Aleskei straight?
Was he straight when he asked me if he could kiss me? Or when he said he wanted me? Maybe when he moaned out my name in the van the night before?

My phone went off and it's an incoming call from Lauren.

Great, the last thing I wanted deal with. An interrogation.

"Hello?" I called out into the phone.

"Hi!" She chirped, "uh, about last night...."

I groaned.

"It was nothing, really." I tried assuring.

"Liam, He's your ex. Your ex who you still have feelings for!"

I could deny it all I wanted but I did care for Mitchell, he was amazing and I was lucky to have ever been with him but that did not mean I had lingering feelings for him.

"That's simply not true." I replied bluntly.

"Then why did you get with him last night!" She whisper yelled through the speaker.

I could just tell her the truth but I would never out Aleksei, even if he had flipped my entire world over by just a few stinging words I would never do it.

"Don't worry, it won't happen again...ever."

That was partly the truth.

I heard her sigh on the other end, "are you keeping well?" She asked and had every right to because last night after Aleksei left I had lost my appetite and my ability to look at the others let alone speak a word.

I know she had sensed some sort of shift in my mood when Aleksei had walked into the shop, kissed his girlfriend goodnight and scurried off on his way without sparing me a fleeting glance.

I bet she knew that Aleksei was the cause for my dampened mood but she didn't ask me anything.

"Yeah. All good."

"Are you ready for tomorrow's French test?" She asked and I groaned, it had totally slipped out of my mind.

"No but I'm sure I have my notes somewhere here..." I began rummaging through the bookshelf when a piece of paper fluttered down to the floor.

Normally I'd throw it into the bin but I could make out some writing on it so I picked it up.

'Alex Roux' was neatly sprawled across the piece of paper followed by a phone number.