Page 35 of A Thousand Cuts

“It’s in the trash. I threw it out while I was waiting for you,” Liam said.

Fix was on his feet in seconds, walking over, pushing the swinging lid in, and spotting a box of flowers. He pulled them out, willing them to combust in his grip. They were just flowers, but clearly unwanted.

“No note, I assume?”

“There is one,” Liam said, and Fix rummaged through the trash before pulling out a little card. He read it, vision going blurry when he saw the words. “They’re my favorite flowers. Were.”

Which told Fix that this person at least knew Liam a little. Definitely his address. So maybe it was an ex?

“Have you ever mentioned on stream that you liked these flowers?”

“Maybe?” Liam said, voice breaking slightly. “I couldn’t say for sure.”

Fix hummed. “Is this the first time something like this has happened along with the curses?”

“Yes. My apartment was curse-free after you left,” he said. “And then the flowers came and they restarted again.”

“It’s hard to say if they are or aren’t connected. My gut says yes, but it could also be a coincidence.” He looked at Liam again. “Have you never thought of going to the police over this?”

Liam looked away and out the window.

“If someone has been targeting you for years…”

“They don’t care about the camboy’s sad story. Trust me.”

The finality and conviction in those words stunned Fix momentarily. It was another mystery. Another wall he was sure Liam didn’t want him to cross.

So he told the truth instead.

“I care.”

Liam was quiet for a time, the words suspended in the air between them until he met his gaze again, vulnerability painted across his face like watercolors. “You really do, don’t you?”

Fix held his questing eyes firmly, refusing to even blink. He’d make Liam understand he wasn’t alone anymore.

“Trust that. If you don’t trust anything or anyone else, just trust that I do care and want to help.”

Liam didn’t say anything, but he could see that his words landed, his eyes fell to his lap, fingers twining around King’s collar.

“Maybe if I’d known sooner,” Liam said quietly. “It would have all been different.”

“Known what?”

Liam looked up for a split second. “You.”

Fix put the flowers on the side and walked back toward him, stopping at the arm of the sofa. King gave him a warning growl and Fix begged him internally to give him a second.

He crouched down, chancing a hand on the armrest. King fixated on it but didn’t move.

“You know me now,” Fix whispered.

“It’s too late now,” Liam said, his voice as forlorn as his expression. “Maybe not for the curses, but…”

“Liam…”

“I think you should go now,” Liam said, and even though it was expected, Fix still had to swallow the disappointment down. “I’ll be okay.”

Fix wanted to scream. He wanted to punch something and that wasn’t a feeling he often dealt with. Fix was a peacekeeper by nature, and it shocked him how distraught he was feeling.