Chapter 128 Chapter 128

Chapter 128 Chapter 128
Liam was currently at the gym, finishing up the last set of his workout.

His muscles strained as he lifted the heavy dumbbells one final time before slowly lowering them back onto the rack.

He let out a long breath and sat upright.

His chest rose and fell rapidly from the intense workout.

Sweat glistened on his skin, soaking through the collar of his shirt, while a few damp strands of blond hair clung to his forehead.

He reached for the towel hanging around his neck and wiped the sweat from his face before grabbing the bottle of water beside him.

After taking a long drink, he picked up his phone.

His fingers moved quickly across the screen.

''Hey, Logan. Just checking if we're still meeting today.''

He hit send.

Barely a minute later, his phone vibrated.

Liam unlocked it almost instantly.

A smile slowly spread across his face as he read Logan's reply.

"Yeah, we're still on. See you later.''

His smile widened even more.

For a brief moment, he simply stared at the screen, rereading the message as if afraid it would disappear.

Finally... After all these years... He was going to spend time with Logan again.

Nothing could ruin his mood.

"What's got you smiling like that?"

The voice pulled Liam from his thoughts.

He looked up.

His friend was sitting on the bench beside him, eyeing him suspiciously.

Liam immediately locked his phone. "Nothing."

He stood up from the bench, slinging his gym bag over one shoulder. "I'm leaving."

His friend frowned. "So early?" He looked around the gym in confusion. "You usually stay another hour. What's so important?"

Liam paused, then a knowing smirk slowly appeared on his lips.

"Let's just say..." He glanced down at the phone in his hand ''I'm going to see one of the most important people in my life."

A quiet chuckle escaped him.

Without waiting for another question, he turned around and hurried toward the exit.

His friend stared after him in complete confusion.

"What the hell?" He scratched the back of his head. "Who even is this mysterious person?"

Shaking his head, he slipped his headphones back on, picked up his dumbbells once more, and continued with the rest of his workout.

Meanwhile, Liam walked out of the gym with a smile that refused to leave his face.

To everyone else...

It looked like he was simply excited to reconnect with an old friend.

But hidden beneath that smile was an obsession that had never truly faded.

And today...

He was finally taking the first step toward getting Logan back into his life.


Liam sat quietly at a table near the window of one of the city's finest restaurants, waiting for Logan to arrive. 

On the outside, he looked calm and composed, but inside, his heart refused to settle.

For what felt like the hundredth time, he straightened the collar of his white T-shirt before smoothing down the denim jacket he had carefully picked out. He glanced at his reflection in the glass window beside him, running a hand through his blond hair to make sure every strand was perfectly in place. His expensive blue jeans and designer sneakers completed the outfit. He wanted everything to be perfect. After all, he was meeting Logan.

The restaurant door suddenly opened, and almost instinctively, Liam looked up. The moment his eyes landed on the familiar figure walking inside, his heartbeat quickened. It was Logan. Dressed in nothing more than a black T-shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers, he looked effortlessly handsome. There was nothing extravagant about his appearance, yet in Liam's eyes, he was the most attractive person in the entire room.

"Logan!" Liam called, waving enthusiastically with a bright smile.

Logan spotted him almost immediately and smiled back before making his way over. 

"Hey, sorry I'm late." He pulled out the chair opposite Liam and sat down. "Hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long?"

Liam immediately shook his head. "Not at all. I only got here a little while ago." He laughed softly before leaning forward. "Honestly, I'm just glad you didn't stand me up. Whether you're late or not doesn't matter. What matters is that you came. Thank you, Logan. You have no idea how worried I was."

Logan chuckled. "Come on, I already told you I'd show up, didn't I? If I wasn't planning on coming, I wouldn't have agreed to meet you in the first place."

Liam nodded with a smile. "You're right." He picked up the menu lying on the table. "So, can we order now? We can catch up over some food because I'm honestly starving."

Logan laughed softly. "Go ahead. Order whatever you want. Today's on me."

Liam instantly shook his head. "There's no way I'm letting you do that. I invited you here, so I'm paying."

"I really don't mind, Liam." Logan replied with a warm smile. "Besides, you're not just a friend. You're like a little brother to me."

The smile on Liam's face disappeared for the briefest second.

Little brother.

The words echoed painfully inside his head. That wasn't how he wanted Logan to see him. It never had been.

He quickly forced another smile onto his face before Logan could notice anything.

"Even so." He said lightly. "I'm paying today. You can pay when we hang out next time."

Logan could already tell there was no arguing with him. He simply smiled and nodded. "Fine then. Next time, the bill is mine."

"It's settled." Liam replied cheerfully before raising his hand to call a waitress.

She walked over with a polite smile, handed them the menus and patiently took their orders before excusing herself.

The moment she left, Liam leaned forward, resting both hands on the table as a teasing smile spread across his lips. "I hope your boyfriend won't be mad because I don't plan on letting you leave so early."

Logan smiled and shook his head. 

Truthfully, he hadn't told Chase exactly where he was going. He'd simply told him he was heading out for a while without mentioning he was meeting Liam. He hadn't wanted Chase worrying after what had happened at the amusement park. Still, he had every intention of telling him everything once he got home. He had nothing to hide.

"It's fine." Logan replied reassuringly.

"Good." Liam smiled. "Because I've got tons of questions to ask you."

Logan laughed, relaxing into his chair. "Alright then, hit me."

The conversation flowed naturally after that. They laughed over old memories from high school, talked about classmates they hadn't seen in years and filled each other in on everything life had thrown at them since graduation. It felt almost as though no time had passed between them.

Before long, the waitress returned carrying their meals. The delicious aroma instantly filled the table as she carefully placed each dish before them.

"Finally." Liam laughed. "I was beginning to think I'd starve to death."

Logan shook his head with an amused smile. "You've always been impatient."

"I have not."

"You definitely have."

Both of them burst into laughter before beginning their meals. Even while eating, the conversation never stopped. To anyone watching from a distance, they looked like nothing more than two old friends happily reconnecting after years apart.

But beneath Liam's warm smiles and easy laughter, something much darker continued to grow. Every smile Logan gave him, every laugh they shared, every second they spent together only made the obsession he'd carried for years sink deeper into his heart.