TEXT BUDDIES

Rain poured heavily from the sky, soaking the streets in a cold blur of gray.

Liam ran from his car to the house, clutching the takeout bag tightly in one hand and a small bouquet of roses in the other, trying his best to shield them from the rain.

“Not today… come on,” he muttered under his breath.

Today mattered.

It was his and Fiona’s five-year wedding anniversary.

He had tried to take the day off, he really had—but life didn’t work that way for him. Not when rent was due, not when his credit was still wrecked from a “family trip” he never wanted but ended up paying for anyway. Not when he still had tuition fees for his evening classes.

Becoming a vet wasn’t cheap.

And neither was survival.

Working two jobs—sales at a luxury jewelry store during the day and a veterinary assistant at night—barely kept him afloat. Comfortable was a dream he couldn’t afford.

Still… he tried.

For her.

For them.

_________________

He finally reached the door, fumbling with the keys before stepping inside.

“Fiona?” he called out, slightly breathless.

No answer.

The house felt… off.

The living room was messy—things out of place, cushions tossed aside like no one cared enough to fix them.

Liam frowned slightly but said nothing.

Maybe she was just tired.

Maybe she had a long day.

Even those who stayed home could have long days too.

He walked toward the dining area, planning to set up their anniversary dinner.

But the moment he stepped in, he froze.

The table was already set.

Two red candles—burned halfway down.

Two wine glasses—used.

Two plates—empty, with utensils carelessly left behind.

His brows slowly pulled together.

He stared at it for a moment longer than he should have.

Something about it didn’t sit right.

A quiet discomfort settled in his chest—subtle, unfamiliar… but impossible to ignore.

Still, he shook it off.

It didn’t mean anything.

It couldn’t.

He set the takeout and roses down on the counter, exhaling slowly.

“I’ll just… go find her,” he murmured.

___________________

Upstairs, the hallway felt quieter than usual.

Too quiet.

The kind of silence that pressed against his ears.

Liam reached their bedroom door and pushed it open.

The bathroom door was closed. Water ran steadily behind it, steam slipping through the edges. Soft music played faintly—something slow, something unfamiliar.

But that wasn’t what made him stop.

It was the room.

The bedsheets were twisted, half hanging off the mattress like they’d been pulled in a hurry. Pillows lay on the floor. Clothes were scattered everywhere—Fiona’s black dress, her heels kicked aside, her bra, her underwear—

Carelessly discarded.

Used.

The air felt warm. Heavy.

Not fresh.

Liam’s chest tightened.

“Did she go out…?” he murmured, though even to him, it didn’t sound right.

No… this wasn’t getting dressed.

This was—

He didn’t finish the thought.

The bathroom door clicked open.

Fiona stepped out, wrapped in a towel, her damp hair clinging to her shoulders, water still trailing down her skin.

The moment she saw him—

She froze.

Just for a second.

But it was enough.

Fear flickered across her face before it disappeared, replaced with a quick smile.

“Liam? Baby… you’re early.”

Too quick.

Too light.

Liam forced a smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“It’s our anniversary,” he said softly. “I tried to get off early… I wanted to surprise you.”

“…Oh.” She turned away too fast, bending to pick up her clothes, avoiding his gaze. “That’s… nice.”

Silence stretched between them.

Thick.

Uncomfortable.

Liam’s eyes moved around the room again—slower this time. Taking everything in.

Then back to her.

“Did you have company?” he asked.

His voice was calm.

Too calm.

Fiona paused.

“W-What? No—I mean, yeah, just… a friend stopped by.”

Liam nodded once.

A friend.

His gaze dropped—

And then he saw it.

A watch.

Resting near the edge of the bed.

His breath caught.

Slowly, he bent down and picked it up, turning it in his hand.

“…Is Brian here?”

His voice changed.

Lower.

Colder.

Because he knew this watch.

He knew it too well.

The same watch his aunt had bought for Brian—using money that was supposed to go toward Liam’s education.

The same cousin who had always taken from him—

And been given more.

Behind him, Fiona’s breath hitched.

For the second time since he walked in—

She looked scared.

And this time…

Liam noticed.

___________________

Fiona quickly started talking, her words stumbling over each other.

“Yeah—Brian stopped by, I— I mean, he just dropped in. We were talking about the Christmas trip we’re supposed to take. He forgot his watch downstairs, and since I had a friend over earlier, I didn’t want it to get stolen, so I brought it up here…”

She let out a small, forced laugh.

“You know how careless Brian is with his things.”

Liam didn’t respond.

He just looked at her.

Quiet. Still.

Then, calmly—

“I’ve told you before… don’t get too close to him,” he said. “Brian is bad news. You know that.”

Fiona’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

He believed her.

Of course he did.

Just like every other time.

What a gullible idiot.

But she smiled anyway, soft and sweet.

“Well… you know how your family is,” she said lightly. “We can’t exactly say no to them. They run your life, baby.”

She turned away, continuing to tidy the room.

Liam stood there, watching her.

Something about everything felt… wrong.

Then his eyes caught the bed.

She was stripping the sheets.

His brows furrowed.

“…Those sheets are clean,” he said slowly. “We just changed them last night.”

“I spilled milk on them,” Fiona replied quickly, not even looking at him. “I need to wash them.”

Liam hesitated… then sighed.

“…Okay.”

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small velvet box.

“I got you something.”

He opened it, revealing the necklace—the one she had pointed out weeks ago.

Fiona took it, barely glancing at it before speaking.

“This isn’t really what I wanted,” she said flatly. “The stone is too small… it’s not my style.”

She shrugged.

“But I guess it’s still better than those cheap gifts you usually get.”

Liam’s face flushed slightly, embarrassment creeping in.

“I’m sorry… things are just tight right now,” he said softly. “But once I start working full-time as a vet, things will get better. I promise.”

He stepped closer, about to hug her—

“You don’t expect sex over this, do you?” Fiona cut in, her tone sharp. “I’m really tired tonight.”

Liam froze for a second.

“No… I don’t,” he said quickly. “I just wanted us to have a nice evening.”

Fiona looked him up and down, unimpressed.

“Then go set the table,” she said. “I’ll change.”

Liam hesitated.

“…Shouldn’t we dress up a little? For dinner, I mean—”

“If you wanted fancy,” she interrupted, already walking away, “we will be at a fancy restaurant.”

She paused at the door, glancing back at him.

“You’re a little too broke to be making those kinds of suggestions.”

The words landed harder than she intended—

—or maybe exactly as she intended.

She stepped out into the hallway.

And just as she did—

A voice echoed from downstairs.

“Fiona, my love! I forgot my watch!”

Liam went completely still.

Author’s Note

Hi loves ❤️

Welcome to Text Buddies—thank you so much for giving this story a chance. It truly means more than you know.

This book is very close to my heart, and I hope you’ll enjoy Liam and Lucious’s journey as much as I enjoy writing it.

I’d really love to hear your thoughts as you read!

Don’t forget to react, vote, comment, and share—your support helps me improve and keeps me motivated to keep updating.

Every message, every vote, every little bit of love… I see it, and I appreciate it so much.

Thank you for being here 🫶