The enemy of my heart [BL]

Dinner Party

As William's parents greeted me, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease. How could such kind people raise a devil like William?

"It's been a while, Liam," William smirked, his presence already putting me on edge.

"William," I murmured, closing the door behind him. His hand landed on my shoulder, and I flinched, recoiling from his touch.

"She isn't here yet," I muttered, staring out into the yard. Doubt crept in as I entertained the idea that something might have happened to Mia.

But just as I was about to shut the door, a familiar voice pierced the air.

"Liam! Sorry, I'm late!"

I swung the door open, relief flooding through me as I spotted Mia standing by the gate, her radiant presence instantly lifting my spirits.

"You look stunning," I couldn't help but admire her, taking in every detail of her elegant attire.

Mia was clad in a sleek, pitch-black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. The golden necklace adorning her neck shimmered in the fading sunlight, adding a touch of glamour to her ensemble. Silver rings adorned her right hand, glinting as she waved in greeting.

"Thanks, it seems we're matching," she chuckled, pointing out our coordinated black outfits.

I held the gate open for her, offering my arm with a gallant gesture. "May I escort you, miss?" I asked, a hint of playfulness in my tone.

"Of course, sir," Mia replied with a smile, looping her arm through mine. The warmth of her touch sent a shiver down my spine as we made our way towards the house, her presence dispelling the tension that William's arrival had brought. With her lavender perfume lingering in the air, I couldn't help but feel a sense of hope for the evening ahead.

Mia joined the rest at the dinner table, her presence a soothing balm amidst the tension that seemed to thicken with each passing moment. William's gaze bore into me like a hawk, waiting for his chance to strike.

*

Despite his looming presence, I noticed someone was missing. The doorbell rang, distracting me from my train of thought.

"Liam, can you go open the door, please?" my mom's voice broke through the silence, pulling me from my thoughts. With a resigned sigh, I made my way to the door, steeling myself for whatever awaited on the other side.

"Outta champ, how've you been?" My dad's jovial voice greeted me, his touch wrapping around me in a suffocating embrace.

"How've you been, Dad?" I forced a smile, masking the turmoil brewing within.

"Busy as always, oh, everyone's here," he chuckled, hanging his coat and hat on the hanger as if nothing had changed.

"Busy, he says," I thought bitterly, clenching my fists in frustration. "Mom works the same hours, yet she always makes time for me."

As I returned to the dinner table, James and Evelyn's concerned glances did little to ease my anger.

My mom arrived with the lasagna, a feeble attempt to restore normalcy to the strained atmosphere. "So, how's rugby been, Liam?" my dad asked, his voice betraying his ignorance of anything beyond the sport.

"It's been great," I replied tersely, my irritation growing with each passing second.

"That's odd, Liam. I haven't seen you at practice since Monday," William's smirk was like a spark igniting the powder keg of my frustration.

"Is rugby the only thing you're going to ask about?" I snapped, my voice laced with pent-up anger.

"What do you mean, champ?" my dad's confusion only fueled my rage.

"Don't 'champ' me," I seethed, the words pouring out like molten lava. "The only thing you know about me is freaking rugby. You never ask anything else. I decided to quit rugby."

"Did what?" Mom and Dad's voices overlapped in disbelief.

"Now you know absolutely nothing about me, you deadbeat," I spat, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. "Why can't Mom have chosen someone else—"

"Liam Martinez, that's enough!" My mom's voice sliced through the air like a knife. "You're not going to disrespect your father."

"What's your deal, Mom?" I turned to her, my frustration boiling over. "Why are you still with a guy who prioritizes work over family?"

"It's alright, these outbursts are normal. He's going through a phase," my dad interjected, attempting to diffuse the tension with false reassurance.

"Fuck you," I shot back, my anger unchecked now. "I know for certain this isn't some phase. So what, staying away from your family for weeks at a time—is that a phase too?"

Everyone's faces were pale in disbelief, yet I noticed William holding his arm in front of his face, snuffing out his laughter. I stood up from my chair, leaving my food untouched, storming off into my bedroom, their judgmental expressions piercing me like bullets. "I'm not in the wrong, he is," I repeated, stumbling inside my room.

*

"Oh, you're not going to eat?" I took a deep breath, noticing Ronin playing Mortal Kombat.

"I don't know, I'm not really into big dinners like that," he uttered, engrossed in the game.

"Wait, is he shy?" I thought aloud.

"What happened? Your face seems all red and shit," Ronin murmured, a hint of concern in his voice.

"It's just my dad being an asshole. What makes it worse is that it feels like I'm the one in the wrong," I explained, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.

"Fuck him," Ronin said bluntly, wearing a small smirk.

"Yeah, fuck him," I echoed, feeling a small sense of solidarity in Ronin's words. It was the first time I had seen him smile, and it brought a flicker of hope to my troubled mind.

"Hey, I'm sorry. Just know that I don't have any vendetta or anything against you," Ronin uttered softly, his words carrying a sense of sincerity.

"Naw, you're cool. I should be the one apologizing for freaking out around you," I murmured, feeling a sense of warmth inside. "We're actually talking," I thought, surprised at the turn of events.

Silence befell us as the sounds of the video game grew louder, both of us eagerly waiting for the other to say something.

"Liam, I'm sorry, genuinely. I know that I'm saying it a lot, but I shouldn't have confessed my feel-" Ronin was interrupted as James and Evelyn burst into the room.