Life had shifted in small, quiet ways.
Kia was drowning in work.
Rylan was drowning in work.
And somehow, despite living under the same roof, they barely saw each other except for soft, stolen moments in hallways and sleepy kisses before dawn.
But the biggest shift wasn't about Kia or the twins.
It was Liam.
Ryan's best friend.
His longtime confidant.
And CEO of a company that rivaled Kia's—
which had never mattered to their friendship… until now.
Since that night Ryan went into heat, Liam had changed completely.
He stopped coming over unannounced.
Stopped calling as often.
Stopped sending his usual snarky voice notes about work and drama.
Stopped teasing Kia in the group chat.
He was polite when Ryan messaged him.
Dry when replying.
Always "busy," always "in a meeting," always "will call you later."
Except he never did.
Liam wasn't just distant.
He was avoiding him.
And Ryan had no idea why.
---
One evening, Ryan sat on the couch, staring at his silent phone. Three unread messages from clients. One from Kia saying he'd be home late. None from Liam.
Max plopped beside him dramatically.
"Why is your face like that? You look like you want to fight somebody."
Ryan sighed. "It's nothing."
Max gasped. "It's Liam, isn't it?"
Ryan blinked. "…Why do you say that?"
"Because I saw you staring at your phone like a widow waiting for her soldier man."
Ryan threw a cushion at him. "Shut up."
Max dodged it. "I'm serious! He hasn't been coming around. Did you two fight?"
"No."
"Did you cuss his ancestors?"
"No!"
"Did Kia scare him?"
Ryan stopped.
Slowly turned his head.
Max raised his brows. "Aha. So it IS Kia?"
Ryan rubbed his temples. "I don't know. Liam won't talk to me."
Before Max could reply, the front door opened and Kia walked in, exhausted but smiling gently when he saw them.
"Bunny," he murmured.
Ryan gave a small smile back… but his eyes were tired. Kia saw it instantly.
He sat beside Ryan, hand resting lightly on his knee. "Long day?"
Ryan hesitated.
"…Liam hasn't spoken to me properly in weeks."
Kia froze.
Just for half a second.
Barely noticeable—
but Ryan noticed everything.
"You know something," Ryan whispered.
Kia looked away. "It's complicated."
"Kia," Ryan said softly, "he's my best friend. Tell me."
"It's not my place."
"Then whose place is it?" Ryan asked, heart sinking.
Silence.
Heavy, dense silence.
Max stood up from the couch, sensing the tension.
"Uhm… I'll just go get a snack I don't actually need," he muttered, slipping out of the room.
Ryan looked back at Kia, voice barely audible.
"Did something happen between you two?"
Kia didn't answer.
Which was the answer.
Ryan swallowed. "…Kia?"
Kia finally spoke, voice low.
"Liam confronted me. The day after your heat."
Ryan's stomach dropped.
"He was angry," Kia added. "Very angry."
"Why?" Ryan whispered.
Kia hesitated—then met Ryan's eyes.
"Because he thinks I took advantage of you."
Ryan went completely still.
Shock.
Confusion.
A pulse of quiet hurt.
And below all of it…
anger.
At Liam?
At Kia?
At the situation?
He didn't know.
But one thing was clear:
Liam was avoiding him because he thought Kia hurt him.
And Kia didn't tell him because he didn't want to "cause trouble."
Ryan exhaled shakily.
"Oh," he whispered.
Kia reached for his hand.
"Bunny—"
"I need to talk to him," Ryan said, standing up.
Kia stood too. "Ryan—"
"He's my friend," Ryan said, voice trembling. "He should have come to me. Not you."
Kia's eyes softened, but he didn't stop him.
Because Ryan was right.
And the storm between Ryan and Liam was coming.
Author pov: hey guys, how about you go get a popcorn, the show just begin 😁