Page 4 of Unwanted

"Maybe we can swing by tomorrow and pick up your stuff?"

Liam nodded slowly, still looking around the room, his fingers absentmindedly brushing the bedspread, his lower lip slightly drawn into his mouth, almost as if he were biting it in a rueful grimace.

The words just came out as I gazed at him, seeing that sadness on his face that still lingered, no matter what.

"I’m deeply sorry you’ve been through such a tough time, Liam. I really hope things start looking brighter for you…"

Liam shrugged lightly, his gaze drifting off, avoiding mine.

I could tell he didn’t want to talk about it anymore, so I said, "I’ll go grab you some clothes to change into. Most of my shirts will be too big for you, but they might work as nightshirts."

Quietly closing the door, I left the room and went downstairs to dig through my closet for something Liam could wear.

When I came back, he was still standing by the window, looking out at the yard.

"Here’s a T-shirt, and I’ve even got some brand-new boxers, still in the packaging. And here’s a towel."

Liam glanced at the items I handed him and mumbled a quiet, "Thanks."

I hesitated. "Would you maybe like to go out to the yard for a bit? I noticed it caught your eye. It’s 8 pm now, so there’s not much light, but if you want, we can sit out there for a while."

He hesitated, but I could feel he was drawn to the yard for some reason.

When we got downstairs and headed out to the terrace, Liam’s eyes immediately went back to the colorful clumps of ornamental grasses.

"I really like these grasses. Your garden is small, but it's perfect. It feels so… serene here."

"Thank you. I like it here too, the whole Zen Garden vibe. It does take some work, but ever since I laid agrotextile around the plants and covered the ground with white gravel, the upkeep has gotten a lot easier, and it still looks nice."

"What made you put up such a tall fence? Nosy neighbors?"

I laughed.

"This plot used to be part of a much larger one, owned by an older omega who needed money for some home renovations. He divided the land with a surveyor and sold it off to raise funds. But the thing is, his garden runs along the whole left side, and the other sides border access to bigger plots owned by other people. So, while the distance from the other houses isn’t too bad, the old omega used to spend a lot of time in his garden, and I’ll admit it got on my nerves when he kept staring at me before the fence was up. So, I built it for privacy, and I’m happy with it."

"A very relaxing scene indeed, and I can appreciate that. My life wasn’t very… peaceful before," he whispered.

"Maybe it will change now? You are welcome to spend as much time in the garden as you want."

"How did you come up with the idea for such an arrangement? Did you hire a landscape designer?"

"No! I did it on my own—" I said, and I told him more about how I learned everything about gardening from the internet and how the garden was gradually created.

Liam listened quietly without interrupting. It was refreshing. Most people these days couldn’t listen without jumping in, always waiting for their turn to talk, but Liam just listened. It was nice, and it made me want to open up more in return.

"Tell me more about you. What do you do for work?"

Liam shrugged. "Nothing much to tell. I’m a programmer at DevApp, working in the database support department. But I’ve already decided I’m going to leave. I don’t want to stay where I’ll keep seeing Soren."

I nodded slowly. "If that’s how you feel, then it’s probably the right move. I don’t know if you’re aware, but there’s another big software company just 20 minutes from here called D-Project. Winter has a few friends there; I’ll talk to him and see if he can help you. I’m sure they’ll find a spot for you."

Liam looked at me uncertainly. "I don’t want to be a bother. I’ll just apply on my own…"

"Don’t worry about it. Winter knows a few guys from college who work there in management, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem. And honestly, I also think it’ll be healthier for you to start fresh in a new workplace with new people. I wouldn’t want to see my ex every day, either. It’d mess with the healing process."

Liam nodded slowly, his eyes drifting back to the clumps of grass.

"And you? You’re a professor, right?"

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