Taking It Slow - Reese Knightley Page 0,8

Café stood between them.

“Hey,” Spencer said gruffly, shoving his hands into his front pockets.

“What’s wrong?” Liam frowned at the empty medical room.

“Nothing,” Spencer said.

“Well… I’ll leave you two. Don’t forget to stop by the apartment when you get a chance,” Maddox said to Spencer with a wink.

Liam felt a bit bewildered, gazing after Maddox before turning to Spencer.

He didn’t have time to formulate a thought before Spencer yanked him inside the medical office and slammed the door.

He stumbled against a chair just as Spencer put his back to the door, preventing him from leaving.

“Roughing up an officer?” he teased. He couldn’t help it. It was the first time Spencer’s hands had been on him since Christmas.

And in all honesty, Spencer could manhandle him anytime, it was much better than wanting him from afar.

Spencer squinted. “Hardly.”

“Then what?”

“I got your message,” Spencer said gruffly, not looking at him, but rather staring out the window of the small medical room.

“And?” His heart jerked. Fuck. If they could get back on even ground, then maybe, just maybe he had a shot.

“You really think this will work?” Spencer murmured, still not looking at him.

Liam approached cautiously. Apparently, Spencer had received his personal email about their situation, and even though the soldier hadn’t bothered to reply, at least he’d read it.

“I hope so. Fuck, I hope so. I’m sorry Spencer, for everything. I crossed a line with you and I hope like hell you’ll let me make things right.”

A long moment of silence filled the room.

“By being friends?” Spencer’s voice was a low, deep rasp.

“Yeah,” he husked. “Like we would have been.” If he hadn’t fucked it up, but he left that part unsaid, he’d said it enough.

Spencer was silent so long, dread filled his gut.

“I read the signs wrong,” he continued, desperate for any response. “This is totally on me.”

“No.”

Hurt like he’d never felt before crushed his chest.

“I’m sorry,” he said woodenly, turning away and toward the far side of the room, desperate to find a place to lick his wounds.

“Wait.”

He froze.

“I mean no, this wasn’t all you.”

Liam turned, barely daring to breathe. “What do you mean?”

“You didn’t read the signs wrong.” Spencer shoved his hands into his pockets.

“Okay.” Liam stayed where he was, his gut telling him that to approach now would be the wrong thing to do.

“I’m…attracted to you,” Spencer admitted. “But we can never be anything more than friends.”

“Is it because of the military?”

Spencer started to say something, then stopped.

“We can keep it on the down low until we retire, Spencer,” Liam urged.

“It’s not only that. We come from completely different backgrounds.”

“Is that why you didn’t show up?” He’d thrown a party and had invited Spencer to his estate.

Spencer nodded.

“If I told you that money was inherited would that change your mind?”

“No. We’re too different,” Spencer said so quickly, Liam knew there was a story there.

“Then, can we at least be friends?” He waited.

“Yeah.” Spencer gave a long sigh.

Liam smirked. “Are you sure?”

Spencer squinted, but Liam saw the humor in the other man’s eyes.

“When have I ever lied to you?”

Liam chuckled. “Let’s see, in the two years we’ve known each other?” Liam lifted his hand and ticked off one finger. “When you said you didn’t eat my burger in the mess hall when I got that phone call.”

“Hey, I was starving and it was only that one time,” Spencer protested.

“When you and Maddox ate my hand delivered box of chocolates and lied about it.” Liam ticked off another finger.

“Bah, we were saving you from getting fat,” Spencer grinned.

“When you didn’t show up to my birthday party,” and told me you would. Liam tried to keep the hurt out of his voice with a laugh, but he could tell the moment Spencer noticed. In the couple of years they’d known each other, Spencer had not once been to his home and it had taken him months to work up the nerve to ask Spencer to stop by for the occasion.

“I’m sorry.”

Liam nodded and turned away; it still stung.

“Liam, I’m sorry,” Spencer said again urgently. “Friends don’t do that to friends.”

“If I invited you over for a barbecue this weekend, would you come?” he huffed, milking Spencer’s sympathy for all it was worth.

The skin around Spencer’s eyes crinkled and Liam tried to forget the way his lips had felt against Spencer’s in Bailey’s Café. He smiled and thanked God that Spencer had forgiven him for making that botched attempt at a pass. He’d do whatever it took to keep Spencer in his life in