Choices - 22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Liam stared at himself in the mirror, and tilted his head to the side. With a frustrated sigh he pulled off his shirt and threw it on the floor.

“You changed your shirt again, didn’t you?” Bryce’s exasperated, but amused voice came over the speaker of the phone.

“No,” Liam denied, reaching for another shirt. This one was a deep blue that Alek once told him matched his eyes.

“Don’t lie to me, Liam MacPherson. I can hear the fabric rustling over the phone.”

Liam chuckled and smoothed the shirt over his torso. Yes, this was the one. “I’m done now. I like this one.”

Bryce snorted knowingly. “For now.”

“No, no. This is the shirt I want. It’s one of Alek’s favourites.”

“Good, Lord. Have we gone full teenage girl already? Am I gonna have to drive over there so we can do each other’s hair and gossip about whether or not Jason told Nathan that Alek told Corey that he wants to take you to the Prom?”

“Fuck off,” Liam replied with a laugh. “I know I need to relax, but I’m nervous. This is important, you know?”

“You’re still sure about this?” Bryce’s tone had become serious, and Liam could hear the concern in his friend’s voice. “Do you remember what it was like for you after your breakup?”

“I know,” Liam replied, sitting heavily on the bed. “It was a rough time for me, and for the friends who supported me, but things are different now. Alek is different now.”

“And that makes me happy… for you. I hope this works out the way you want, for your sake.”

“You sound like Nathan. He came over yesterday to make sure I wasn’t making a mistake too.”

“He did? So….” There was an odd hesitation before Bryce continued. “I guess he’s still holding out some hope, and disappointed you took Alek back?”

Liam smiled at the tinge of jealousy he heard. It was nice to see his friend interested in someone, as more than a fun night or two. “Not at all,” he assured. “Nathan was just concerned about me as a friend. He was there after the accident and saw how Alek’s presence affected me. Seeing me so happy convinced him I knew what I was doing. He said he wants to meet up for lunch or coffee tomorrow so he can get the details.”

“Oh. That’s good. It would be sad if he was disappointed.” Liam laughed quietly at Bryce’s attempt to sound nonchalant.

“Hey, since tomorrow is Saturday, why don’t you drive over and join us?”

“I don’t know….”

“Come on. It’ll be fun, and this way I can tell both of you about the date at the same time, instead of repeating the story over and over again.”

Bryce’s laugh was loud over the speaker. “Please. You know if this date goes well you’re going to be telling anyone who’ll listen all about it.”

“Shut up,” Liam reprimanded, though his voice was filled with affection. “So will you come?”

“Sure. Count me in. I wasn’t planning on going anywhere tonight, so I’ll get moving early tomorrow and be there before noon.”

“You’re not going out?” That news shocked Liam. His friend was a wonderful man, but still really enjoyed the club scene, and would often drive into Toronto to enjoy a night on the town. The only time he ever missed an opportunity to go would be if he was sick. “Are you feeling okay? Will you be up for a drive in the morning?”

“I’m fine,” Bryce replied sounding bemused. “I can stay in on a Friday night, you know.”

“Yeah, but why would you?” There was a pause that made Liam stop fiddling with an errant curl of hair over his eye. “Bry?”

“We can talk when I get there tomorrow, okay?”

“Are you su….”

“It’s nothing really bad, Li so stop the fretting. I can practically see you doing from here. I just don’t want to get into it over the phone. Besides… this evening is supposed to be about you and whether or not you should grab the flavoured lube or the plain stuff.”

Liam laughed, and allowed Bryce’s obvious attempt to change the subject. They talked for a few more minutes, to firm up their plans, and then Liam ended the call. Still nervous, he distracted himself by texting Nathan to tell him about Bryce joining them. Nathan would be at work by now so he didn’t expect a reply. Slipping the cell into his pocket, he finally left the bedroom, and was immediately set upon by Tux, who purred and rubbed against his legs.

“Of course,” Liam said with a shake of his head. “You would get affectionate when I’m wearing black.” The cat paid him no attention and wandered off to his favourite window sill. “Love you too, furball.”

Rummaging through his kitchen junk drawer, he was trying to find the lint roller when the doorbell rang, startling him. Alek. In his haste he nearly hit his head on corner cupboard. “Be right there,” Liam called out, quickly grabbing the roller and giving his pant legs a swipe. “That’ll have to do.”

Chastising himself for acting like an overanxious teenager, Liam took a steadying breath before opening the door. “Hey, you’re right on time,” he greeted, pleased that his voice sounded strong and confident.

“Six sharp,” Alek replied with a sexy grin. “You ready to go?”

“Just let me grab my keys, and then I’m set.”

Liam grabbed his keys and stepped into the hall, shutting and locking the door behind him. As they walked side-by-side down the stairs, he felt a warm hand settle on his lower back. It was a possessive gesture, and Liam wondered if he should be as thrilled as he was by it. Deciding to try to stop over-analyzing everything and just enjoy the evening, he revelled in the touch and leaned slightly closer to Alek’s larger body.

Alek climbed into the truck but didn’t start it. Curious, Liam turned to face him.

“I want you to know how grateful I am for doing this.” Alek’s intense gaze met his. “I can’t even say this is a second chance because I wasted that a long time ago.”

“Aleksei,” Liam said softly as he undid his seatbelt and leaned over to stroke the man’s cheek. “As much as I love you, I’m doing this for me. I don’t want to look back on my life with regrets, and if I walked away before seeing where this goes, I would always have doubts.”

Alek’s smile was gentle as turned his head to kiss Liam’s palm. “That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t still be grateful.”

Like a gravitational pull, Liam felt himself moving closer to Alek until their lips hovered just a hair’s breadth apart. “I can work with grateful,” he teased before closing the remaining space between them. The kiss was sweet and tender, but there was an underlying hunger Liam was sure they both felt. Their kiss yesterday had been wonderful, but this… this was home. By mutual, unspoken agreement they moved apart, flushed and smiling.

“That was a great way to kick off a first date,” Alek said, grinning as he drove out the lot.

“I guess my ‘no kissing on the first date’ rule is blown to hell now,” Liam lamented, feeling pleased with himself when Alek laughed.

“Don’t worry. Your virtue is safe with me.”

Liam snorted and rolled his eyes. “Just drive, smart ass. I’m starving.”

“Your wish is my command.”

The restaurant, although popular and always busy, had an intimate atmosphere. Thanks to strategically placed furnishings and décor, each table had a great deal of privacy. The conversation around them was muted, but loud enough that Liam felt like they could talk without being overheard.

“I haven’t been here before,” Liam commented as he looked around them. “I’ve heard good things from Corey though. Jason brought him here for his birthday.”

Alek looked a little embarrassed as he fiddled with the napkin. “I wanted to bring you here before, but….”

Liam reached across the table and placed his hand over Alek’s. “We’re here now.”

Alek visibly relaxed and turned his hand over so their palms touched. “I know it can’t compare to what you can get in Halifax, but the linguine with mussels is fantastic.”

“I’ll have to take you to my favourite place on the harbour so we can compare,” Liam replied with a wink. It took him a second to realize what he’d said, and he felt a blush creep up his face. “Well, when… if we, umm….”

Alek took pity on him and chuckled. “I know what you meant, Li. Relax. If I don’t screw this up again, then yes, I think we should go to Halifax. You can show me the sights and maybe introduce me to Marty’s parents. I’m sure Marty would love to see you too.”

“Oh,” Liam said, excited. “I didn’t tell you. Marty is being transferred to the Ontario office. He’ll be moving to Toronto soon.”

“That’s great news. I know how much you’ve missed him.” There was a touch of apprehension in Alek’s face as he squeezed Liam’s hand. “How do you think he’ll react to this? Us? He must hate me for what I did to you.”

“He doesn’t hate you, Alek.”

Alek raised his eyebrow, his skepticism clear.

“Okay, he’s not your biggest fan, but he just wants me to be happy. If he thinks you can do that then he’ll be fine.”

Alek response was delayed by the arrival of their waiter. The smartly dressed man gave them each a menu and took their drink orders before retreating again. After looking over the menu for several minutes, they made their selections, and then returned to their conversation.

“When is Marty moving?”

“He’s not sure. Last I heard it would be at least a couple of months. He has a few projects he has to finish up first.”

“Even if Marty is here, I hope you’ll want to show me around Halifax someday.”

“Of course. I would love to give you a tour, and introduce you to Eileen and Walter.”

“You’ve said they were like second parents to you.”

“They are,” Liam replied with a fond smile as he recalled his recent visit with them. “They’ve loved me like one of their own since Marty dragged me home in grade school.”

They chatted about Liam’s trip to his home province and his insights about his father, stopping only briefly to give their orders to the waiter. Liam took a sip of his white wine and hummed in appreciation as he thought over Alek’s question about his relationship with his dad.

“My dad was a good man,” Liam started, “but he was always taciturn. Getting a hug or a kind word from him was rare. They became even rarer after mom passed. I think a part of him died with her. That’s why I was so grateful for Marty and his family. They became my surrogate parents. I don’t think I could have survived Dad’s death without them to lean on.”

“I remember you mentioning that to me before. I’m grateful you had them in your life. It’s hard to have parents who aren’t there for you.”

“Like your dad?” Liam prodded. He knew was right when Alek visibly flinched. “Sorry, I don’t mean to bring up bad memories.”

“No,” Alek replied with an attempted smile. “It’s a fair question, especially with our past history.” Alek took a long drink of water before continuing. “Neither of my parents are good with expressing their feelings, but Mom was always freer with physical displays of love for us. She would always give us a hug and kiss goodnight, and she was who we turned to if we needed comfort. Dad was… is cold. He’s always been that way, even towards my mother. He doesn’t show outward signs of affection… thinks it’s a sign of weakness.”

Liam felt his heart aching as he thought of what Alek’s childhood must have been like. His childhood might not have been ideal, but he did have the Harrisons. “Oh, Alek. That’s awful.”

“It wasn’t so bad,” Alek replied with a crooked grin. “Natascha, Elena, and I have always been close, and when Dad was away on business trips, Mom would come up with fun things for us to do. I remember one time she had us bring our bedding to the living room and we made a tent under the dining room table. She even let us roast marshmallows over candles. To this day, I don’t think Dad’s figured out where the sticky stain on the carpet came from.” Alek’s expression was wistful and a little sad as he relived an obviously happy memory, and Liam could feel tears forming in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Alek.” His voice cracked as he fought with his guilt. “If it wasn’t for me….”

“Hey,” Alek interrupted. “What happened between me and my parents isn’t your fault, so don’t take that on yourself. I told you, I came out for me. I wasn’t happy living a lie and pretending to be someone I wasn’t. It took me a long time to find the courage, and I wish they had taken it better, but I don’t regret anything.”

“But, you obviously miss your family.”

“I do,” Alek agreed, “but I have my sisters, and I hope my mom, at least, will come around eventually.”

“You’re doing better with all of this than I thought you would.”

Alek reached across the table and lifted Liam’s chin so their eyes met. “It was a hard lesson for me, but I’ve realized other people’s reactions are out of my control. I can’t live my life for them. Besides, some things are more important. This—you and me, our first real date—are my priority now.”

A big thank you goes out to my rockstar editor and friend, Gary, for all of his help and wise advice.    Thank you to all who read and support this story.