boys //ziam

chapter forty-one

liam waits for the call to be picked up. asher doesn't answer the first few times he calls but he finally does at the third attempt.

"have you called to gloat about how you stole my son?" he says bitterly.

"i won't dignify that with a response," liam says. "i called to ask you a question. are there any disorders in your family i should know about?"

"is this some kind of joke?"

"no, i'm at the hospital with theo now and i need to know. please don't waste my time,"

"you're at the hospital? why? did something happen to him?" asher asks, sounding worried.

"no, he's fine," liam says, staring at theo who's eating a chocolate bar that he probably bought from when he went to buy chips and hid it. liam shakes his head at him.

"what hospital?"

"why?"

"because i want to meet him. i don't trust you and i'm not telling you anything over the phone unless i'm sure he's fine," asher says.

liam sighs. asher is the most frustrating person he's ever known.

"hold on," liam says, putting the call on hold. "theo, he says he wants to come. but i don't think that's a good idea. what do you think?"

theo seems surprised. liam is actually asking him to make the decision. he's never experienced that living with his dad.

"i guess he can come," theo says. he actually misses his dad, even though their last meeting was horrible, he can't help how he feels.

liam nods. though he doesn't like that decision, but it's up to theo. he removes asher from hold.

"i'll send you the address," he says reluctantly. "but if you try anything, i meant what i said that day. i will ruin you in court."

...

asher takes fifteen minutes to arrive.

"i'm so glad you're okay," he says when he sees theo. theo looks a bit hesitant around him and asher notices this as well.

"tell us what you need to know and leave. you're making him uncomfortable," liam says, not beating around the bush. he can't handle another moment of staying with asher, he doesn't trust the man and ever since that stunt he pulled in his office, he's trying to keep distant.

asher nods, looking sad but liam doesn't feel an ounce of pity for him.

"the only thing i'm aware my family has is a history of diabetes. my mother had it," he says.

"oh," liam says. theo is definitely at risk of that with the amount of sweet stuff that he takes. liam glances over to theo who's still holding that chocolate bar and gives him a look. theo looks away, knowing that he probably won't get to finish that later.

"is that all?" liam questions. he may not be a doctor, but he knows diabetics isn't a reason for the amount of white blood cells theo has.

"that's what i'm aware of," asher says.

"you could have told me this over the phone," liam says.

"i have to admit, i came here with another motive in mind," asher starts, staring at his son. "i wanted to apologize to you, theo. that day at the police station when you went with liam and not me, made me rethink a lot of things. the way i treated you, well the way i've been treating you."

"i didn't know how to contact you to apologize, i know you wouldn't want to see me again after our last meeting and i just... i'm so sorry theo, i'll let you stay with liam and i won't bother you anymore. i hope you can forgive me," he continues.