Lying to the Prince

Chapter 11

Daniel's POV

I'm not going to help him. Sure, I've known Liam a long time, and he's a good guy, but I have to think about Noah, too.

Noah's the pregnant one, and I could sorta understand why he might need some space from Liam. Liam has a tendency to say what he thinks without thinking about how it sounds.

I hung up the phone, frowning at Liam's words. "Can you help me get in contact with Noah?"

He wouldn't be needing my help unless something is up with Noah. Which means Noah is either avoiding him because eof insecurities, or he's aboiding him because Liam said something stupid. Either way, I'm not helping.

Noah, he's like a brother to me. A small, vulnerable pet I have to protect. I'm not going to forgive Liam, no matter how long I've known him, if he hurts Noah. He's probably the whole reason this is happening, so I suppose my threat is useless.

"Who was it?" Asked Dakota.

"Just Liam, being an idiot."

"Okay. Tell him I said hi."

Dakota, my sister, is aiming for Liam. Well, sort of. She's not serious, but she wants to at least "have a fair chance." Honestly, girls confuse me.

I pulled out my phone once more, dialing Noah's number. It rang several times before the receiver clicked. "... Hello?"

"Noah? This is Daniel. I talked to Liam earlier, and he said you were avoiding him. I wanted to ask you what happened."

"..." Noah sighed. "... Okay. What do you want to know?"

"Well, for starters, what stupid thing did he say this time?"

"I was staying over at his mother's house for a while, so he would come to visit. After a few visits, he said it was a hassle to come and physically see me. He said he shouldn't have to do it when his mother could, and that it's not his responsibility."

"Of course he did. Listen, are you on maternity leave right now?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"You wanna come over? Talk about it?"

"... Sure."

---

Noah clutched a small bag, looking around for Liam. "Relax. I'm not as much of a jerk as Liam that I'd invite him too."

Noah smiled but his eyes still darted around. We entered the house, and I led Noah to the living room. He seemed to relax when he saw that Liam wasn't going to jump out of the closet or anything. We sat down across from each other, and I looked him in the eye. "Okay, why are you avoiding him?"

"Well... He called me a hassle. What else could I do? He made it obvious I'm not his responsibility. I mean, he seemed to care a lot more about me when I was just a random pregnant person. Now... It seems like he cares more for his unborn child. Even then..."

Noah sighed, and I noticed the bags underneath his eyes. Poor Noah, worrying fruitlessly about Liam's feelings. I leaned back. "... You can stay with us."

Noah looked up. "What?"

"Well, if you're on your maternity leave, it means the baby will be born soon. You'll need someone to help you to the hospital. I'm pretty sure you won't be able to call an ambulance when you go into labor."

Noah smiled softly. "I'd love to stay here, but..."

I raised my hands in surrender. "Look, I'm only suggesting something. I'll respect whatever you decide. It's your child, after all."

"Yeah, it's my child. But, it's Liam's child, too."

I knew Noah was conflicted. Liam seemed to care more about the child, and yet cared little for both of them, while Noah himself was struggling with his feelings for Liam that had been seemingly tossed away when Noah was deemed a hassle. Honestly, how the heck did Liam ever get Noah in the first place?

"Noah, maybe you should tell Liam how you feel about what he said."

"B-but... What if he doesn't accept my feelings?"

"Then he doesn't. He's not worth your time if he says that. Just, say what you feel. See how he reacts, and you'll know how he feels."

"... I... Can't.  Not yet, at least. Maybe... After the baby's born?"

"... Fine. But you have to stay here, and I get to tell Liam when you go into labor, as well as which hospital."

"... Deal."