Do you believe in love at first sight?

Chapter2.1

Ethan wasn't particularly interested in cars. However, like most men, he knew a thing or two about them, and he could tell this one wasn’t cheap. He worried he might accidentally lose the keys. Even though his coffee shop was doing well, it would still take him years to save up enough to buy a car like this.

Once Ethan got in the car, Maxwell asked, "Where to?"

Ethan quickly jotted down a note. "Liam said I could stay at his place, but my house is big enough, with plenty of spare rooms. You can stay with me while you're here. The first floor is my café, and I live upstairs."

Liam had sold the house to him at a ridiculously low price, and Ethan always felt like he could never repay Liam’s kindness.

“You live there?” Maxwell seemed surprised that someone so young—Ethan was only twenty-two—could afford such a place.

“Yeah, all thanks to Liam,” Ethan replied, then thought to himself, You’ve met me before, you know. But back then, he always wore a hat and couldn’t speak, so Maxwell had probably forgotten about him.

Liam wasn’t just kind to his old friends—was he really this generous to everyone?

“You and Liam?” Maxwell asked, he knowing the group was a mixed crowd of friends, some gay, some bi...... They’d all met in bars when they were younger.but the difference was that they were guests and I was a bartender.

Ethan blushed. “Shop! Don’t anything anythink. Liam and I aren’t like that. We’re like brothers.” Although the place where we met was rather ambiguous, nothing of love ever happened between us. From the moment they first met, they had felt a familial bond rather than attraction. Besides, back then, Ethan hadn’t been in a good mental state.

Maxwell smirked.

“I’m serious! We really aren’t!” Ethan said, growing more flustered by Maxwell’s expression. He didn’t want Maxwell to get the wrong idea about him and Liam.

Seeing Ethan so anxious, with his big, wide eyes almost tearing up, It's so cute that Maxwell almost wants to ......

What am I thinking? Maxwell shook off the strange thought and teased, “Alright, alright. No need to get so worked up. Someone who doesn’t know better might think I’m your lover.”

Ethan’s pale face flushed red again. He knew Maxwell was just teasing, but his heart still raced at the comment.

Luckily, Maxwell didn’t notice his blush as he focused on making a left turn at the green light.

“Oh, I forgot to ask—how did you meet Liam and the others? I don’t remember him ever mentioning such a cute guy joining the group.”

“Two years ago,” Ethan replied. That was when his monotonous life had completely changed, making him a much stronger person.

“Two years, huh? How come I didn’t know about you? Did Liam hide you away on purpose?”

“I told you, Liam and I aren’t a couple!” Ethan replied, a little annoyed, worried that Maxwell might seriously start believing that.

“Don’t worry, I get it.”

“So, where have you been these last two years?”

“The first year I was in the hospital, and last year, I opened the café downstairs. Liam said I wasn’t suited for office work, which is probably why you never heard about me.” I didn’t know back then that you were one of the company’s co-founders with Liam.

“Ah, that makes sense. Do you know sign language?” Maxwell asked. That explained why, a year ago, Liam had insisted he learn sign language. It must’ve been for Ethan’s sake.

“Yeah, I do.”

“Then we can use that to chat sometimes—it’ll make things easier. Except while I’m driving, of course.”

“You know sign language too?” Ethan’s mood brightened.

“Yep! Liam made me learn it.” Thankfully, Maxwell’s memory was sharp, and he hadn’t forgotten it.

Reading his lips, Ethan felt a deeper sense of gratitude toward Liam. He’d gone to such lengths to help him out.

The next time he saw Liam, he would definitely thank him. If it weren’t for him, he wouldn’t even know who his crush was.

But who knew when he’d see Liam again? Liam was off somewhere, who knows where, dragging their group of friends along with him and leaving Maxwell to manage the company.Deliberately leaving all the company's affairs to Maxwell, so that he, a man who likes to wander around, has to stay.