William kept his head down, focusing on the papers in front of him, but the tension in the room was practically suffocating. He couldn’t stop thinking about how much things had changed, how much he had changed. He could still remember the way Luke looked at him when they were younger like he was something important, someone worth helping. But now, with the years and the silence between them, it felt like there was an invisible wall between them, and William didn’t know how to break it down.
“So, uh, what’s the guest like?” William asked, trying to fill the silence, his voice sounding way too loud in the quiet room.
Luke glanced up, his face unclear. “They’re important. Very important. Lots of money, lots of connections. That’s why we need to nail this.” He let out a breath, then added, “I know it’s a big deal, but don’t worry. You’ll do fine.”
William nodded, but it didn’t feel like enough. “Yeah, I guess I will.” He bit his lip, glancing at the clock. Time was ticking, and this meeting wasn’t waiting for him to get his act together. But the longer he stayed in the room with Luke, the more his mind wandered to all the things they hadn’t said to each other. All the things he wanted to say.
“Luke...” he started, before quickly trailing off, unsure if he should even bother. What was the point? What could he say that wouldn’t make this whole situation even weirder?
Luke raised an eyebrow, clearly waiting for him to finish. “Yeah? What’s up?”
William opened his mouth, then closed it again. He couldn’t do this. Not now. Not in this setting. Maybe later, maybe when it wasn’t about work, but right now, it just felt wrong. "Never mind," he said, shaking his head. “Forget it.”
Luke didn’t push him, but William saw the hint of curiosity in his eyes. Luke always had that look like he could see right through William, even when he was trying to hide things. It was both comforting and terrifying at the same time.
The door to the meeting room creaked open, and both of them turned toward it. A man in a sharp suit stepped inside, looking every bit as important as Luke had described. He was followed by a couple of assistants, all business.
William stood up straight, trying to push everything out of his mind and focus on the task at hand. But even as he went through the motions, he couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was different now. The way Luke looked at him, the way William felt about him it wasn’t just about childhood memories anymore. It was more complicated, and the realization hit him like a punch to the gut.
As the meeting began, William tried to keep his focus on the presentation. But all he could think about was the distance between him and Luke, and how he wasn’t sure he could bridge that gap anymore.
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