Page 5 of Unwanted

"Yeah, but not just that. I teach on Mondays, half of Wednesdays, and Fridays, but the rest of the time I work at a research institute that’s part of Malden Pharmaceuticals."

"The owners of Malden Pharmaceuticals and DevApp are brothers. They’re a powerful family."

"Yeah, you’re right. I always wanted to work for Blue Lowen. He’s considered a genius in his field—" I hesitated, unsure if I should tell him more, but for some reason, I didn’t feel like talking much about my career. Around Liam, I felt no pressure to talk about my achievements. It was different with Winter—we always had this unspoken competition between us, and it could be exhausting, like we had to prove we were the best at what we did. But with Liam I had the opposite feeling. Everything seemed more… spacious, however strange that sounded.

"Would you like something to drink? I’ll go get it…"

"No, thanks. To be honest, I’m tired. I think I’ll just go to bed…" Liam whispered, still gazing at the garden.

"Of course, after a day like this, you deserve a good rest. The bathroom’s yours; get some sleep," I said with a soft smile. "And sweet dreams, Liam. I believe tomorrow will be a better day."

"I know it will," he murmured before turning around and walking away, his head low.

LIAM

I think I lay in bed for a good hour, staring up at the starry sky through the ceiling window. But I wasn’t used to going to bed at 9 pm, so I just couldn’t sleep. Eventually, around 10:30, I decided to get up, just to stretch my legs and release some pent-up energy. I quietly crept downstairs; Finn's house was already dark, and his bedroom door was closed. Carefully, I unlocked the back door and stepped into the yard.

The only light came from the solar lamps, casting a dim, moody glow, but I was determined to do what I had planned earlier in the day. I found a nice spot between the colorful grasses and lay down on the ground. The cool, smooth gravel under my back felt surprisingly comfortable. The grass swayed gently above me, and the sky was even more beautiful than it had been through the window.

I lay there for a long time, feeling something shift inside me. The serenity I so needed finally came. The thought of ending my life suddenly seemed completely absurd. The memory of standing at the edge of the cliff, with the cold rocks below, was now unpleasant—almost shockingly revolting. If it weren't for Finn, for his grip on my shoulders, I would have crashed into those rocks, leaving nothing but a disgusting pile of broken bones and bloody flesh.

I gritted my teeth, and my fingers dug into the cool gravel. Memories from the day flashed in my mind: Soren's face, and then Finn's. Skye had been right—there was a resemblance between them. Those same beautiful gray eyes I used to stare into—now belonged to a different face. But today, those eyes had looked at me with concern and tenderness. I hadn’t seen that kind of look in so long—not since my grandfather had been in the care home, taken by Alzheimer's to the point where he didn’t even recognize me. No one had shown me that kind of kindness in a long time. Certainly not Soren.

But I wasn’t stupid. I knew Finn was just being polite and kind, moved by the sight of some sad little guy—just a simple human reaction. I shouldn’t read more into it. But still, for some odd reason, a part of me shyly wanted to believe it was more than just brotherly help.

The silly me started to like the stranger I barely knew, having only seen him a couple of times from afar in the hallways of college! Now, my brain was playing tricks on me, stubbornly pushing Finn’s face in front of my mind’s eye. He saved me, so was there a ‘romantic savior’ factor here, impacting me? I remembered how he held me after pulling me away from the cliff, almost clutching me in his arms. I recalled that fleeting—maybe even false— feeling of safety. In his arms, everything changed for me.

Was I really being stupid, confusing his basic decency with something more? And what would that even be—the ‘more’? After just a few hours, had I already started hoping for something romantic from him? I was truly the walking definition of a desperate person. One guy rejected me, and here I was clinging to the first guy with the same eye color! Pathetic?

And Finn… an established, older man—thirty-four, from what I understood—with a career and good looks. He was definitely a catch, and he’d certainly… caught my eye. Was Istarting to drift a little too deeply into some dreamlike fantasy scenario?

Frustrated with myself, I sat up, feeling an urge to act.

Why the hell not? I had nothing to lose, right?

I’d wanted to end it all today, for fuck’s sake!

So, I got up and went back into Finn's house, heading straight to his bedroom door. I stood there, hesitating, shooing away any remnants of my sanity. If anyone saw me lurking there, they'd probably think I was some kind of creep (I kinda was!). But strangely enough, I wasn’t paralyzed by fear—half of me really wanted to go through with this.

Slowly, I pressed down on the door handle and walked into Finn’s room. He was lying in bed, covered only by a blanket, since the days had been warm. I approached him cautiously, fully aware of how erratic my behavior could be perceived. I was a guest here, a mentally unstable, suicidal person, and I’d just invited myself into his private bedroom while he slept—or… not? As I stood over him, I noticed he wasn’t asleep; his face slowly turned toward me.

"Liam? Is everything okay?" His voice, surprisingly, wasn’t alarmed by my uninvited entry; it was soft, warm… and it gave me the courage to ask.

"Can I lie down next to you? I don’t want to be alone."

Finn sat up slightly. "Of course, I understand completely. Come on in."

He lifted the blanket aside, and that’s when I noticed he was only wearing boxers. His torso, illuminated by pale moonlight, was bare, and I was a little stunned by how well-built he was—muscular chest, defined abs. He must spend a lot of time at the gym. It reminded me of how Winter looked. Both of them were unusually muscular for betas. Was that Finn’s type? If so, I was the complete opposite. Oh well, I had to work with what I had.

I hesitated before sliding into bed next to him.

"Would you like a hug? A friendly one, of course," Finn added.

I wanted it so badly but didn’t want to seem too eager—that would be weird. Not only had I snuck in here unannounced, but I was about to jump into his embrace like some touch-starved freak. So, after a properly long silence, as if I were hesitating, I mumbled shyly, "Okay."

I scooted closer, resting my head in the crook of his arm. The fresh, clean scent from his shower gel surrounded me. His skin was warm, and my hand instinctively rested on his chest, my fingers feeling the firm muscle beneath. The sensation was intense, and I trembled slightly, taking a deep breath to control my body’s reaction.

The last thing I wanted was for him to feel my hard-on pressing against his leg, so I subtly shifted my hips backward. That would’ve been rude. Inappropriate, really. But to my horror, it didn’t help. Being so close to him kept my heart racing, my body heating up. I had no idea what was happening—it felt like a fever, my body betraying me.

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