Chapter 17 — The Call He Didn’t Expect
1069 Words
Noah didn’t expect the call to come that fast.
His phone vibrated against the desk, the screen lighting up the dim room. Liam’s name stared back at him, bold and unavoidable, as if it had been waiting for this exact moment. Noah’s breath caught in his throat.
Aiden wasn’t around.
That fact alone made his chest tighten.
He hesitated. His thumb hovered over the screen, heart beating too loudly in his ears. He already knew—felt—that this wasn’t going to be a normal conversation. Something was different. The way Liam had messaged earlier. The urgency. The insistence.
Noah finally accepted the video call.
Liam’s face appeared on the screen instantly.
No helmet this time. No playful grin. No teasing confidence.
Just him.
His hair was messy, eyes darker than usual, jaw tense like he’d been clenching it for too long. The background looked unfamiliar—dim lights, shadows stretching behind him. He looked… undone.
“Noah,” Liam said quietly.
Something about the way he said his name made Noah’s stomach drop.
“Liam,” Noah replied, voice cautious. “You said you needed to talk.”
Liam nodded once. Slowly. Like he was bracing himself. “Yeah. I do.”
There was a pause.
Too long.
The silence pressed against Noah’s chest, heavy and uncomfortable.
“You okay?” Noah asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
Liam let out a short, humorless laugh. “No. Not really.”
Noah frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Liam looked away from the camera, running a hand through his hair. When he looked back, his eyes were sharp—too sharp—with something Noah had never seen before.
“You didn’t go home yesterday,” Liam said.
Noah stiffened.
“I heard,” Liam continued, voice low. “People talk. You were with him.”
Noah swallowed. “Aiden.”
Liam’s jaw tightened. “Yeah. Aiden.”
The name sounded bitter on his tongue.
“Noah,” Liam said again, leaning closer to the camera, his voice dropping. “How long?”
Noah blinked. “How long what?”
“How long has this been going on?” Liam asked. “You and him.”
Noah opened his mouth, then closed it. His heart pounded harder. He hadn’t prepared for this. He hadn’t planned what to say if—when—this moment came.
“Liam…,” Noah started.
“Just answer me,” Liam snapped, then immediately softened. “Please.”
Noah exhaled slowly. “I don’t know. It wasn’t planned. It just… happened.”
Liam stared at him, eyes searching his face like he was looking for something—anything—to deny.
“So it’s real,” Liam said quietly.
Noah nodded. “Yes.”
That single word landed like a punch.
Liam leaned back, running both hands over his face. When he dropped them, his eyes were red—not crying, but close.
“Do you know how stupid I feel right now?” Liam asked, voice tight.
Noah’s chest ached. “Liam—”
“I watched you,” Liam interrupted. “For months. I waited. I told myself you were just quiet. Just shy. That you’d open up eventually.”
Noah’s breath hitched.
“I liked you,” Liam continued. “Not like a crush. Not like some stupid distraction.” He laughed bitterly. “I fell for you.”
Noah froze.
The words echoed in his head.
I fell for you.
“You… what?” Noah whispered.
Liam’s eyes locked onto his through the screen. “I have feelings for you, Noah.”
The room felt suddenly too small.
Noah’s pulse raced. His hands trembled slightly as he gripped the edge of the desk.
“I didn’t plan to tell you like this,” Liam said. “I didn’t even plan to tell you at all. But then you disappeared with him, and I realized…” His voice cracked. “If I don’t say it now, I never will.”
Noah shook his head slowly, overwhelmed. “Liam, I didn’t know. You never said anything.”
“I know,” Liam said softly. “That’s on me.”
Silence stretched again.
Noah closed his eyes briefly, trying to steady himself. When he opened them, his voice was gentle—but firm.
“I care about you,” Noah said. “I really do. But not the way you want.”
Liam flinched.
“I’m with Aiden,” Noah continued. “I didn’t expect it either, but… it feels right.”
Liam’s expression hardened—not angry, but hurt. Deeply.
“So that’s it,” he said. “I was too late.”
Noah swallowed. “You weren’t late. You just… weren’t the one.”
Liam looked away, jaw clenched, breathing uneven.
“You know what hurts the most?” Liam asked quietly. “It’s not that you chose him. It’s that I never even got a chance.”
Noah’s chest tightened painfully. “I’m sorry.”
Liam scoffed softly. “Yeah. I know.”
Another pause.
Then Liam looked back at the camera, eyes steady now—guarded.
“Does he know?” Liam asked.
Noah hesitated. “No.”
Liam nodded slowly. “Figures.”
“He trusts me,” Noah said. “I won’t break that.”
Liam’s lips twitched into a sad smile. “Good. Don’t.”
He straightened slightly, composure returning piece by piece.
“I won’t interfere,” Liam said. “I won’t chase what’s not mine.”
Noah studied him. “Are you sure?”
Liam met his gaze. “I’m not a villain, Noah. Just someone who fell for the wrong person at the wrong time.”
That hurt more than anger would have.
“I hope,” Liam added quietly, “that he knows how lucky he is.”
Noah nodded. “He does.”
Liam gave a small nod, then reached forward, ending the call.
The screen went black.
Noah stared at his reflection, heart heavy, emotions tangled.
He sat there for a long time, replaying every word, every expression, every crack in Liam’s voice.
When his phone buzzed again, this time with Aiden’s name, Noah answered immediately.
“Hey,” Aiden said. “You okay?”
Noah took a deep breath.
“Yeah,” he said softly. “I am.”
And for the first time, he truly meant it.
- Writer
