Stay (Boy × Boy) ✔

CHAPTER 2

Being "just as good friends as they used to be" turned out to be harder than William had thought.

It was not because Ayden had changed - although he inevitably was - but because his heart ached just as bad as it had ached the first time when he saw the lovebirds together. The smiles, lingering glances and holding hands felt like a stab through William's heart.

Truthfully he wasn't sure why he had come in the first place. Maybe it was Aydan's complaint about how they rarely saw each other outside of practices, even though it was Aydan who chose to spend all his time with Claudia, or maybe William just realised he couldn't delay seeing her forever.

The food was bland, because Claudia didn't like anything spicy. Surely it wasn't a secret that William hated nothing more than bland food, but of course Aydan had chosen to please his girlfriend. It didn't really matter that much, since William was feeling too nauseated to even think about eating.

He couldn't wrap his head around why Aydan wanted him to come, because he was just a third wheel in their date. Claudia was nice of course, and she kept including William in the conversation.

''How was your practice today?'' She asked smiling sweetly. It made William notice she was even more mesmerising when she smiled that way. Another stab through his heart.

''Which one?'' Aydan answered playfully and then continued by telling how Coach had made them swim an extra mile and how exhausted it had made him. William just mumbled something vague.

Of course Claudia asked more about William - what was his family like, how long had he known Aydan, was he waiting for school to start again - just to be polite.

William would have appreciated not being the centre of attention more, but there he was answering the questions uneasily and poking the already cold food with his fork. William was surely being unjust to Claudia, who was just trying to be nice, but he couldn't help himself feeling ill at ease in her company.

''We're going to a club this weekend, want to join us?'' Claudia asked after a moment of silence.

''I'm underage.'' William refused quickly.

''We can get you fake ID, it's no problem at all. Besides, didn't your dad say you should go out more often?'' Aydan was clearly jazzed up about the idea.

''I don't think going to a club with fake ID is what he meant.'' William answered, knowing very well there was no escape from the offering. Fortunately there was still time and he could easily make up something by the weekend.

Going to a club would be hell for him: unknown people, drinking and loud music. Not to mention he would have to go there with Ayden and Claudia.. William was definitely going to find a way to opt out from it.

***

He had gotten into a habit of swimming in the pool, which was probably his favourite addition to the mansion where he and his mom lived, late in the evenings. Although the practices were tiring, William found it relaxing to get back in water before going to sleep.

It wasn't just so that he could be even better at the sport, but because his thoughts often started racing just before bedtime and falling asleep had gotten challenging. Basically he went swimming every evening to get some sleep before the next practice. Apart from the occasional sleeping issues, William was doing better than he had thought he would.

It was already getting easier to bear the fact Aydan had someone else. Did it hurt? Of course it did, and it hurt like hell, but William had gotten over the shock he had had at first and now there was just a dull pain in his chest.