Temporary Fix ✔️

Chapter 12

Chapter 12 — Man In Wheelchair

Liam and Jason complete the rest of their journey back to the office in complete silence. Liam did try to start a conversation now and then but it seemed like Jason needs some time to himself; he didn't respond very well.

Frowning, Liam fiddles with his fingers, thinking how he can explain to Jason his feelings when he himself doesn't understand it all too well. He honestly thought he had moved past his past relationship, but it took him listening to Jason telling him his feelings to realise how he wasn't quite ready yet. Liam doesn't know if he'd ever be ready and that only makes him even more irritable than he is feeling.

Jason pulls into the office's parking lot and turns off the car's engine. He shifts his body a little towards Liam as if he's going to say something but then shakes his head, and sighs, as if he's changed his mind.

"Bye, Liam," is all he says, before getting out of the car.

"Fuck, fuuuuckk," he curses under his breath, facepalming, and quickly getting out of the car, locking it behind him before following after Jason.

"He–," but just as he's about to stop him, he stops himself.

Confused, Liam looks past Jason and only then he sees the scene before them. There are quite a few people at the entrance, most of who he recognises as his colleagues and he sees Chloe among the small crowd as well. A wheelchair is rolled out by Rufus, Aaron's best friend, and in the wheelchair is none other than the man itself, Aaron.

Liam starts coughing once he sees the state of him and Jason turns to regard him with narrowed eyes, "You okay?"

Patting his chest heavily, he gives him a thumbs up, grimacing. Jason keeps looking at him for a moment more, but then with a little shake of his head returns to the scene unfolding before them.

Aaron is sat on the wheeling chair, his head leaned back, eyes shut close. Rufus is pushing him forward, openly cackling and talking in a rather animated manner to a man walking beside them — the latter is only silently smiling and nodding, patting Aaron's shoulder in a consoling manner once or twice in between.

Liam furrows his eyebrows; the man looks really familiar. He lets out a small 'ah' in realisation when he goes to stand beside Chloe and puts an arm around her waist. Now he can remember how he seems so familiar — he has seen him in photos, lots of it. He has to be Daniel Patterson, Chloe's husband and Aaron's business associate and another close friend.

Although it has been more than a week since Liam joined the office, this is the first time he is actually seeing the man. He always has been away visiting sites related to their business ventures; Aaron is the one who stays in the office and tends to the formal part that involves papers and meetings and presentations and whatnots.

He is quite tall and looks very intimidating even from a distance. Liam thinks it's better if he tries and makes his presence unknown as much as he can. He hides behind Jason as they cross by where they're standing to a rather expensive-looking blue car. They slowly help him into the car and Rufus get into the driver's seat, laughing even louder than before, waving goodbye before driving away.

Liam feels somewhat relieved, and is already planning out a draft for his resignation letter inside his mind when Chloe notices him, his plan of staying unnoticed failing. She, of course, has to drag her husband along with her as she approaches him and Jason.

"Hey," she says in greeting, "Where were you? We were looking for you all over," and then at the man standing beside him, "Jason, hey. Long time, no see,"

Jason nods, smiling, "Yeah, hi. Daniel," he nods at her husband.

"Jason," the said man nods back, and at Liam, "So, you must be our latest recruit," he holds out a hand, "I'm Daniel Patterson,"

Liam accepts the handshake, wanting to wipe his palms on his shirt lest it was clammy but resisting the urge. Yes, he is intimidating from near too. And Liam also cannot help but notice how he is the shortest one among them all and feels that that gives him an extra disadvantage. At the same time, he tries to think of an excuse to explain his short disappearance to Chloe, but fortunately she seems to have forgotten about the question and moves on to the next topic; one centering Jason surprisingly.

"We never see you much nowadays," she says, crossing her arms across her chest, "Have we been replaced with new friends?"

Liam glances between the trio curiously. As far as Liam is aware, Chloe does talk to all the people in the office friendly, but the way she way addresses Jason makes it seem like they are (were?) much closer. But Jason hasn't ever said anything about that to him — not to sound like a possessive... friend, but Liam has talked about Chloe and a certain Dickface a lot to Jason, and he has always only nodded politely and smiled.

The said man lets out a chuckle, and rubs the back of his neck, shrugging a little, "No, no. It's just I've been a bit busy,"

That's not true; Liam knows since only the day before Jason was telling him how he had a lot of free time on his hands nowadays that he's picked up a couple of new hobbies, although he hasn't exactly found much success in them.

"Really?" it seems like Chloe isn't buying into the lie but she doesn't pressure him much, "I know it can be a little awkward..." she glances at Liam shortly, before resuming, "...but don't be a stranger, okay?"

"Yeah," Daniel chimes in, nodding in tandem, "We liked hanging out with you. Unless, you don't prefer our company as much?" apparently the intimidating man can joke.

"Hah, no. I just felt–" Jason doesn't complete the sentence however, and shakes his head, letting out a low sigh, before smiling, "Yeah, we should hang out sometime soon,"

"I'll hold you to that," Chloe says, pointing a finger at him markedly, "Alright, we'll be going. And Liam, it doesn't look Aaron will be back for today, so you can take an early leave if you want,"

"Is he okay?" Jason is the one who asks this, looking way more concerned than Liam thought he would be.

"Just an allergic reaction of some kind," Chloe waves her hand as if it doesn't matter at all and her husband breaks into a small snicker from beside her, very much incongruent to how he looks.

Chloe jabs at him lightly, shushing him, but the side of her lips quirk up into a secret smile as well. Liam feels a smile to trying to slip out too but he holds it back. Jason is the only one there who doesn't seem to know what had actually transpired.

"Maybe you can call and ask him," Daniel suggested, "I'm sure he would like that,"

"Hehe," Jason lets out a rather uneasy chuckle, scratching his arm, looking at Liam who is watching all this exchange curiously — it is more than apparent that there is something here that the latter is missing, "I'm not sure that's true. It's fine. I will see him once he's back,"

"Maybe you should try talking to him at least once, you know,"

Jason only nods back with a little shrug, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Anyways, it's getting late for me," Daniel says, looking at his watch, "Catch you soon. Liam," he nods in farewell, and then bends down to kiss his wife on the lips, whispering something to her that warrants a smile from her, and takes his leave.

Chloe leaves shortly after too.

"So, that wasn't weird at all," Liam recounts once the both of them are alone again.

Jason just offers him a small smile, and not any further explanation, "I should go back to my work,"

"Right," only then Liam remembers how Jason has left with him suddenly, not really asking any questions either — obviously it has to be for him. He takes in a hard swallow, and forces out the next question, although he probably knows he shouldn't be asking it, not after his more than awkward response to what he said before, "So, lunch?"

"Ah, no. I think I'll just eat in today. I probably have a lot to catch up on,"

Liam can only nod understandingly, trying to tame the assumption that Jason is starting to avoid him. Even if that is the case, he doesn't have anyone to blame but himself.

"Okay, then. See you later,"

He doesn't reply anything to that, just nods and leaves. And Liam lets him.

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