Chapter 96 - The villain never plays clean

Willow could see Liam's face close to his own as he kissed his cheek, a loving expression on his face. Eager to get away from the sight, Willow turned his head to the other side, the one that Liam had previously been blocking."Willow...?" Charlie asked with difficulty. His eyes were hollow, no expression visible in them. "Is... is that you?"Willow's eyes flew wide open when he saw who was standing at the entrance of the valley. It was... Charlie.A thousand questions flashed in Willow's mind as he continued to stare at the other boy, both of them too shocked to react. Charlie seemed to understand the situation a little, as he stretched his hand out as if to pull him away, but stopped. It was as if he realized that the one he was trying to reach was now out of his grasp.He didn't question anything. Charlie didn't scream, get angry, or try to pull them apart. He just watched as Liam continued to wrap his arms around Willow's body, doing nothing. He didn't ask what was going on; he didn't say Willow had wronged him; he didn't blame Willow. All that came out of his mouth was a soft question, something he didn't really want answered. "Will..."He stopped, the name suddenly hard for him to say. He repeated, "Willow, is... Is that really you?"Liam had long since released his lips, but still, Willow found it impossible to answer the other boy. He couldn't say anything and just continued to stare at Charlie, watching as Charlie's whole world fell apart in front of him, unable to do anything.Charlie smiled sadly, in a self-mocking way. "I'll take that as a yes."He didn't say anything else. It was clear to him that his presence was making Willow uncomfortable, and somehow, even now, he couldn't bear to do anything Willow disliked. He turned, intending to walk away without another word."Charlie! Wait-" Willow cried, desperate to stop the other boy. He...he couldn't let him go! He had to clear this misunderstanding first, he had to tell Charlie, he can't let him leave, not like this-Charlie's steps halted, unable to do anything against Willow's wishes, even now.Tears sprang up in Willow's eyes as he tried to explain. "I- listen, this...this is all a misunderstanding! Really!"Liam smiled, watching it all from the sidelines. Although he had decided not to interfere at first, he couldn't help but want to rile things up even more.He tiptoed and came from behind to whisper in Willow's ear. "A misunderstanding? Don't make me laugh. He literally saw you kiss another guy right in front of him, and you telling him you only love him? How can that be a 'misunderstanding'?"Willow stopped, the gravity of the situation dawning on him. At that moment, he didn't think much. The only thing in his mind was that he had to stop Charlie at all costs, stop him from leaving. He didn't have time to think about his explanation, or how he would fix things- if it was even possible to fix things at this point, that is."I mean, even I kind of feel sorry for him. He saw his love, which is you, kiss another man in front of him and then had to listen to you make excuses about how this was just a misunderstanding.""Isn't it too cruel to hold him back here even now? Shouldn't you at least let him go, instead of digging into his wounds?"Although Liam's voice was low, it echoed in the otherwise quiet alley, making sure Charlie heard every word clearly. It was evening, and the sun cast an orange glow over everything, with snippets of sunlight seeping through the cracks in the wall. In the sunlight stood Willow and Charlie, not unlike the day they became friends. Everything-everything was just like before, except them.Willow couldn't say anything and just watched as Charlie, after waiting for about ten minutes, took a small step forward. willow couldn't look him in the eyes- so he looked down, unable to face Charlie. His stomach churned as he hard Charlie finally speak, and his voice was harsh, making Willow dread his expression."I'll go, then."Small steps became big strides until Charlie was practically running, running far away from there. Willow could only stare blankly as Charlie's figure grew smaller and smaller, eventually disappearing into the crowd.No questions were asked, no accusations made. He wasn't even worthy of Charlie's anger. Everything ended, just like that. There was no screaming, crying, or hateful words, and somehow, this silence hurt more than any words ever could. He'd rather have Charlie grab his collar, demand answers, or even hit him. Anything-anything to vent his anger. At least then, there might have been a chance of reconciliation. Even if there wasn't, at least he could be satisfied. This peaceful farewell dug into Willow's skin like thorns, making his mind an unsteady mess."Don't hate me, alright? I kept my end of the promise," Liam laughed mockingly. "After all, didn't I say I wouldn't try to break you two up from the moment the deal took effect? I followed that, didn't I?"Willow was so out of it that he didn't even protest as Liam led him to his car, making him get in. What was the point of struggling anyway? He...he was powerless. He couldn't even protect the one thing he held dear. What was the point of putting up a fight now? He had lost everything.It's not like things could get worse than this, anyway.Today made him realize just how easy it was for Liam to ruin his life. He...he was such a fool. Such a fool to ever believe he was in a position to make deals. A fool for believing an offer this good could ever be good.He was a fool for thinking the villain was ever going to play clean.