At first, Evan thought that Dante and Liam were just school friends or something, but after that, the friendship seemed much deeper and curious.
"Huh? He asked you about me?" The blond boy nodded. "When was that?"
"Two days ago, at a work meeting."
"Weren't you on vacation, just slacking off?"
"They're called 'accident disability days.' And yes, I'm not supposed to have any work these days since I got out of the hospital, but I still had to go to a meeting to go over script issues with the rest of the cast."
"I see… And I suppose Dante is also at the casting and came up to talk to you there."
"Ding Dong. But it was strange, you know? Even though we'd been working together for a while, he always seemed to have a barrier to keep you from approaching him and never answered with more than monosyllables."
"Oh… right. That's how he is at work." The older man's clearly doubtful look was another reminder that the boy next to him wasn't the Evan of a few months ago. "Let's just say Dante doesn't like being in the spotlight and hates the hypocrisy of high status. But he needs the money to be able to take care of one of the most precious things in his life. He needs a lot of money that he wouldn't get with any other legal job at his age, and he had a stroke of luck as a teenager to work as an actor."
The actor silently processed the information and remembered one of the few conversations he had with that brunette the first time he met him years ago.
He had the misfortune of exploding like a pressure cooker halfway through filming, after enduring too much pressure for months until he finally boiled over. He ran behind the dressing rooms, feeling increasingly difficult to breath. The ground beneath his feet was shaking and moving. He felt like he was going to fall. His vision was blurry, and everything went black. Before he knew it, he was already on the floor, his hands braced against the pavement to keep from falling face down. That's when he noticed someone standing in front of him. He looked up with great difficulty and saw Dante's blurry face. The brunette offered him a hand, possibly out of pity. But Evan didn't want pity, and much less did he want to be seen vulnerable in front of anyone else. Still, no matter how many times Evan rejected that hand, Dante's firm voice kept telling him to inhale, helping him breathe again. Evan was having a panic attack, the air refused to stay in his lungs, and the growing fear was making him succumb. Nevertheless, Dante stayed with him until he could control his breathing again.
They weren't friends, just professional acquaintances, so they both knew there would have been no point in asking the trigger behind that attack. But Dante, seeing him so fragile and defenseless without his superficial facade, perhaps felt sorry for him, and perhaps that's why he told him the story of a girl who wanted to be a mermaid and of her brother who, no matter how hard he tried to collect the most beautiful shells on the beach, would never achieve his dream of turning her into a mermaid and she would never even be able to leave a hospital, much less see the sea again.
"Does he have a sister?" Evan asked, after remembering that time years ago when he told him that story about the girl who dreamed of becoming a mermaid to help him after suffering a panic attack. Liam nodded. "Is she sick?" He nodded again.
Then, every one of Dante's actions and words made sense. Now he understood the reason behind his cold demeanor and his hatred of the superficiality of capitalism.
"The doctors no longer knew what to do for her after she fell into a coma. Dante's parents considered taking her off the grid, but he refused, and from a young age he began working several part-time jobs to pay for the medical expenses, until his manager met him and invited him to film a movie, assuring him of a much higher salary. However, several years had passed, and she still hadn't woken up, so the doctors had given up hope." He let out a long sigh. It was certainly a very tragic story, and he didn't feel he had the right to be the one to tell it, but, given Evan's condition, he thought it would be appropriate since he couldn't remember it at the time. "Since I'm interested in this field of medical research, a professor at the university offered me the opportunity to help him research an experimental treatment for which, curiously, Dante's sister was a perfect candidate. When I saw her case at the hospital, I asked Dante to let us begin the treatment, and to our surprise, he agreed as long as we promised we would do everything possible to save her. As if miracles existed, she responded positively to the treatment, and his younger sister woke up from her coma. We're currently halfway through the treatment, but she's already able to leave the hospital for several days at a time."
"I see. So that's how you know Dante. He must be very grateful to you for saving his sister."
"I didn't do anything," he smiled sideways. "I'm just a simple medical student who helped a great doctor. But yes, both Dante and his sister Nikki are very grateful, because if we hadn't considered the possibility that she could benefit from the treatment, she would most likely still be in a coma."
"And by the way, why did he ask me specifically about you?"
Although much of the story was beginning to tie up various loose ends, the blond still didn't understand the reason for asking him.
"Oh, that's because he knows you're my boyfriend, and it's faster for you to be the messenger 'cause I rarely answer the phone."
The older man almost choked on his own saliva when he saw how calmly the boy claimed to be his partner, and how it made complete sense when Dante asked him about Liam.
"Well, you were? It's a bit confusing, actually. Just a week ago, you were practically living here and..." A slight blush appeared on her face, "You know. Then your accident happened. I went to the hospital as quickly as I could, and you didn't remember anything about me anymore."
As he spoke, his tone changed to a sad melancholy, which didn't go unnoticed by Evan, who felt a pang in his chest.
"Good night. I'll get you some blankets and a pillow," the medical student said, returning to his usual seriousness and standing up. "I'll be working in my room on some projects. I hope the noise doesn't bother you."
The blond just nodded his head in affirmation and watched his back walk away.
Evan was deeply sorry for having hurt that boy, even if it was against his will
I wish I could remember you.
Guilt washed over him like a storm of his own regrets. He really didn't want to hurt Liam. He didn't want to cause pain to that kind boy who had agreed to help him without expecting anything in return.
Kyle was right, Liam is very kind, too kind. He has a very good heart.
His deep voice gave him a certain calm, a certain assurance. As if everything would be okay, as if he could resolve everything, as if nothing were impossible.
Liam is an amazing boy. He's very smart and talented, and he's also so kind. He's always helping others and doesn't even realize it. How could someone as wonderful as him have trusted someone like me?
However, he looked at it, Evan couldn't understand how a shallow actor like himself and a gifted student like Liam ever became a couple. He couldn't understand what could have possibly interested someone like Liam in an actor like him. Evan knew she had a beautiful face, that her blond hair was admired by both men and women, and that her blue eyes captivated anyone. He also knew she had a good body, that she had an attractive physique, since she must have followed diets and exercise routines due to her modeling career. However, he doubted that the green-eyed boy was someone only interested in looks. If so, he would have tried to take advantage of her last night when they were both under the influence of alcohol and sharing the same bed. Instead, he behaved like a true gentleman without laying a finger on her and left early in the morning so as not to inconvenience her.
So, what could she have possibly seen in someone like him? Did Evan really have any value beyond his face and appearance?
How could they have possibly met? Who confessed first, and who was the first to fall in love?
There were so many things he wanted to know, so many things he wanted to ask, so much he wanted to remember… But he didn't have the courage to question that kind, green-eyed boy about it, because it would reopen the wound of now being just two strangers who used to know each other.
I wish I could remember you, Liam. I really wish I could know about you and remember everything about you.
The blanket Liam gave him was very soft and warm. It was indigo, his favorite color. He liked that blanket. It was very warm and fluffy. Evan tended to get cold, so he loved wrapping himself in fluffy blankets.
He covered himself with the blanket and lay down on the couch, unable to stop thinking about that green-eyed boy.
He often had nightmares and suffered from insomnia. His bedtime routine was awful. However, that night he was able to sleep and rest like he hadn't in a long time, with that warm blanket and a scent that felt familiar and comforting.