kiss of regrets

Chapter 3: Secret and Mystery

The night had settled quietly over the city, but Liam found no peace in its embrace. He sat by his window, staring out into the dark streets below, lost in a labyrinth of thoughts. The encounter at the orphanage with Blake had left him unsettled, and try as he might, he couldn’t shake the strange feeling that had taken root in his chest.

The man’s intense gaze, the way he spoke as if he knew Liam from another life—it all gnawed at him. Who was Blake, really? And why did he seem so familiar, yet so distant at the same time?

Liam sighed and ran a hand through his tousled hair. He knew he shouldn’t dwell on it, that it was better to focus on the life he had carefully built for himself, but the thoughts wouldn’t leave him alone. There was something about Blake that made Liam’s skin prickle, and not entirely in a bad way. It was as if Blake had unlocked a door in his mind that he hadn’t even known existed—a door to a past he couldn’t remember or a future he wasn’t prepared for.

But as dawn’s light began to seep through the curtains, Liam forced himself to push the thoughts away. He had a life to live, a job to go to. The sun had risen, and with it came the responsibilities of the day. He couldn’t afford to lose himself in daydreams and confusion.

He stood up from the chair, stretching his tired limbs, and made his way to the small kitchen. His apartment was modest but cozy, filled with the warmth of personal touches—potted plants, framed photographs, and the soft scent of lavender that he loved so much. It was a sanctuary, a place where he could escape the world, even if only for a little while.

Liam made himself a simple breakfast, trying to focus on the tasks at hand. The familiar routine of brewing coffee, toasting bread, and cutting up fruit grounded him, helped him find his center again. By the time he finished eating, the sun was fully up, casting a warm glow over the city.

He glanced at the clock and realized it was time to get ready for work. His job at the little florist shop downtown was one of the few things that brought him genuine joy. Surrounded by flowers and greenery, he felt at peace, as if the beauty of nature could soothe even the deepest wounds in his soul.

Liam dressed quickly, pulling on a simple shirt and jeans before grabbing his jacket. He took one last look at the apartment, making sure everything was in order, and then headed out the door.

The walk to the florist was pleasant, the cool morning air waking him up more than the coffee had. He passed familiar streets and familiar faces, exchanging polite nods with the neighbors he knew by sight. It was a quiet neighborhood, the kind of place where people looked out for each other without prying too deeply into each other’s lives. Liam appreciated that—it gave him the space he needed to breathe.

When he arrived at the shop, his heart lightened at the sight of the colorful blooms that filled the windows. The florist shop was a small, family-owned business that had been around for decades. It was a place where people came not just to buy flowers, but to find a bit of happiness, to brighten someone’s day.

Liam had been working there for a few years now, ever since he had moved to the city. The owners, an elderly couple named Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, had welcomed him with open arms. They treated him like a son, always looking out for him and making sure he was doing well. It was the closest thing to a family Liam had ever known, and he cherished it.

“Good morning, Liam!” Mrs. Thompson called out as he walked through the door. She was arranging a bouquet of daisies behind the counter, her hands moving with practiced ease.

“Morning, Mrs. Thompson,” Liam replied with a smile. “Those look beautiful.”

She beamed at him. “Thank you, dear. I’m just finishing up an order for Mrs. Harper down the street. She loves daisies, you know.”

Liam nodded, taking off his jacket and hanging it on a peg by the door. “I’ll get started on the displays for the front. We got a new shipment of roses yesterday, didn’t we?”

“We did,” Mr. Thompson said as he walked in from the back, carrying a box of vases. “They’re some of the best we’ve had in a while. Should make a lovely display.”

Liam got to work, his hands moving skillfully as he arranged the roses in the front window. The task was soothing, a way to lose himself in the colors and textures of the flowers. He found comfort in the simplicity of it, in the way the petals felt soft against his fingers, in the way the fragrance filled the air.

But as he worked, his mind kept drifting back to Blake. The intensity of their meeting, the way Blake had looked at him as if he was seeing a ghost—it all felt surreal. Liam couldn’t understand why it affected him so deeply, why he couldn’t just let it go.

Meanwhile, across town, Blake sat in his office, a manila folder open in front of him. The information his secretary had gathered on Liam Glenn was spread out on his desk—birth records, school transcripts, employment history, everything that could be found about the young Beta.

Blake’s eyes scanned the documents, his expression unreadable. He had spent the night thinking about Liam, replaying their brief interaction over and over in his mind. The resemblance to his first love was too strong to ignore, but the more he learned about Liam, the more questions arose.

According to the records, Liam had grown up in a small town, raised in foster care after being abandoned as a child. He had moved to the city a few years ago, finding work as a florist and living a quiet, unremarkable life. There was nothing in the files that suggested any connection to Blake’s past, no reason why Liam should look so much like the one Blake had lost.

But the resemblance was there, undeniable and haunting. Blake couldn’t shake the feeling that fate had brought Liam into his life for a reason, that there was something more to this than mere coincidence.

He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples as he tried to make sense of it all. The memories of his first love were painful, wounds that had never fully healed. Seeing Liam had reopened those wounds, bringing back all the emotions Blake had tried to bury—the longing, the regret, the bitterness of loss.

Blake knew he should let it go, that he shouldn’t get involved with Liam. But he couldn’t help himself. There was something about Liam that drew him in, something that made him want to know more, to understand the connection between them.

He picked up the phone and dialed his secretary’s number. “This is Blake. I need you to dig deeper into Liam Glenn’s past. I want to know everything—people he’s been close to, places he’s lived, anything that might explain who he is and why he’s so... familiar.”

His secretary’s voice was steady as she replied, “I’ll get on it right away, Mr. Blake. I’ll have more information for you by the end of the day.”

“Good,” Blake said, his voice clipped. “And keep this between us. I don’t want anyone else knowing about this.”

“Understood.”

Blake hung up the phone, his gaze returning to the documents on his desk. He knew he was treading dangerous waters, that his obsession with Liam could lead him down a path he wasn’t ready to face. But he couldn’t stop himself from digging deeper, from trying to unravel the mystery that was Liam Glenn.

As the day wore on, Blake found it increasingly difficult to focus on his work. His thoughts kept drifting back to Liam, to the way he had looked surrounded by children, his face lit up with a gentle smile. It was a sight that had tugged at something deep inside Blake, something he had long since buried.

By the time the sun began to set, Blake had made up his mind. He needed to see Liam again, to talk to him, to find out what it was about him that stirred such powerful emotions. He wasn’t sure what he was hoping to find—answers, closure, or perhaps something more—but he knew he had to try.

Meanwhile, Liam had finished his shift at the florist and was heading home. The day had been busy, filled with customers and deliveries, but the sense of unease had never left him. He kept thinking about Blake, about the strange way their paths had crossed, and about the unsettling feeling that their meeting was only the beginning of something much larger.

As he walked through the quiet streets, the evening air cool against his skin, Liam tried to make sense of it all. He had lived his life trying to stay under the radar, to avoid complications and drama. But now, it seemed that fate had other plans for him.

He reached his apartment and unlocked the door, stepping inside with a heavy sigh. The familiar comfort of home wrapped around him, but it did little to ease the tension in his chest. He tossed his jacket onto the couch and made his way to the small kitchen, filling a glass of water and sipping it slowly as he leaned against the counter.

*Why can’t I stop thinking about him?* Liam wondered, frustration bubbling up inside him. He didn’t know Blake, had no reason to be so affected by him, and yet...

And yet, there was something about the man that Liam couldn’t ignore. Something that drew him in, even as his instincts told him to stay away.

Liam shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He needed to focus on the present, on the life he had built for himself