"So, I came back actually for a reason" Theo said laughing off the scenario that just went down so casually. It was as if it all of a sudden it didn't affect him.

"Oh? What reason would that be?" Liam smirked as if he knew where this was headed.

"Soo... I know you guys have a sort of policy for... guests and such..."

"We do" Liam laughed. He knew it. This was about the guest he was with the night before. Liam couldn't help laughing "but, since he is no longer a guest..."

"Awesome! Thanks!"

"I can't believe you're like this over-" Liam looked around, making sure no one was around to hear their conversation before he lowered his voice, "over someone who literally paid to have sex with you. It's a little..."

"What? I mean, it's not like I'm in love with the guy. It's just that I wanna know if he's hot. I mean he has to be right? You can't fuck like that and not be hot enough to be experienced."

"You and Mason would definitely get along well" Liam giggled. Mason was also open about his sex life with Liam and he'd gotten to the point that he was used to it by now. Though, hearing it from Theo, he still blushed a little. "What room were you in?"

"Uhh" he looked at the text in his phone "213."

"Ok let me look in the check-in history from last night" Liam didn't take a long time to find that the room had been checked into at 7 pm and to a "Jace Donovan." Apparently, this was the wrong answer, because Theo froze. It was only for a second, but Liam still noticed it. "What's wrong?"

"Donovan?"

"Yeah. That's what it says, but not as a first name-"

"He could have used a fake name! Most of these people do! I mean, hell even I use one!" Theo's face and voice were still relatively calm for how freaked out Liam knew he was. Donovan was the creep that Liam had the displeasure of meeting at the bar on his twenty-first birthday party. The

reason Theo told Liam his secret 'profession'.

"Theo, I don't think that guy has enough resolve to plan something like that and then carry through with it" Liam may have been drinking but he remembered the guy grabbing at Theo and being aggressive and threatening to call the cops if Theo didn't give him what he wanted. Thinking about it made Liam's stomach do flips. This was the kind of people that he had to deal with all the time, even working a legal job.

"Yeah, well... hey! Don't you guys have like pictures you take with their driver's license when you copy them or whatever?"

"We don't do that anymore. Actually, I don't think anyone does that anymore" Liam laughed. "Guess your love just isn't meant to be." Theo's face was not amused, but Liam snorted laughing at the poor guy. "You must really not get anyone decent doing this."

"Honestly, it's rare. It's one of those things nobody really talks about. Some people-"

"Hi, checking in, Jackson Whittemore and guest."

"Good afternoon and thank you for choosing The Beacon! Room 314 is still being prepared, but your wait time shouldn't be long" Liam told the man in what Theo could only describe as a completely different personality. This went beyond 'customer service persona'.

"I hope not. I certainly wouldn't want to be you if it does."

"While you wait, we have complementary muffins and an assortment of beverages for you and your guest to choose from."

Jackson eyed the muffin basket and the coffee cart in the corner of the room "thanks" he said begrudgingly.

When he stalked away with his guest, Theo started laughing like it was the most insane interaction he'd seen in his lifetime. "Dude, what the hell was that about?!"

Liam rolled his eyes "Mr. Whittemore... is a 'very special' guest. He requires 'extra special attention'. I almost lost my job when I first started working here. He was being exceptionally prickish and... my IED... need I say more?"

"Nah I get it. He would make anyone wanna punch him" Liam laughed but Theo was half laughing and half serious "I mean, he has a very punchable face." They both laughed harder.

"Hey what if he's the guy" Liam thought out loud.

"Why would you think that?"

"He's in here every few months for like a week straight doing this type of thing. I mean, everyone knows it."

"Why would he use an alias one day and not the next? Also, why would he not want me to see him, but he has another person he walks in with."

"I don't know. Maybe-"

"Also, why wouldn't he use the same hotel room?"

"You know what? It was just an idea" Liam huffed. He's the one who wanted to know so bad. It

was just a suggestion.

"Well, I appreciate that. I have to start getting ready for work in a few hours, so I'm gonna go home and get a nap in if I can."

"I can't imagine you needing sleep if it was that good" Liam joked.

"Let me know if you need a ride home?"

Liam froze. He didn't know what to do or say. He felt like he wanted to finish the conversation with Theo about Brett, but he also didn't know if he wanted to do that yet. He wasn't sure Theo was ready to talk about it. He felt like Theo would have said it without being forced. His mouth spoke free of his mind "I'm actually doing something with Mason this afternoon, but thanks for the offer!" Why?! Just... why?!

"Ok. Next time then." Theo didn't look bothered to Liam. Maybe he wasn't. Maybe Liam was just bothered. He'd lied to this man, and he actually did want to hang out with him. He just didn't want Theo to get tired of him. He didn't want to be that clingy friend that people only invite because he has a disorder and they're worried about him damaging their property. Oh well. The damage is done now. Now he has to make plans with Mason, which wouldn't be a bad idea. He could use more best friend time. Especially after the events that transpired today.

"Hey buuudddyyy" Liam called Mason on his last break of the day. He tried to sound as sweet as possible, but he actually sounded like he accidentally threw his favorite stuffed animal in a bonfire.

"What did you do now?"

"What? Nothing!"

"You sound guilty" Mason said sternly. He was right. Liam was guilty. But not of anything that he'd probably be thinking.

"I just need you to come pick me up from work. I was hoping we could hang out tonight."

"Oh. Alright then. I thought Theo was doing it."

"What would make you say that?"

"Corey. He said Theo was off tonight and that he was going to try and hang out and that he had something to talk to you about."

"He told me-" Liam realized he probably shouldn't say anything else. He didn't want to risk outing Theo as an escort. "Well, we talked a little bit today. Maybe he told me everything he was trying to say."

"What happened?"

"I'll tell you when you get here."

"I'll be there in about five minutes."

"Were you already on your way?" Liam said in disbelief.

"You guys have been hanging out for like a week straight and you already had an episode. I figured

you'd start feeling like 'the clingy friend' about now."

"You know me so well."

True to his word, Mason was there in just over five minutes. He'd picked up something for them to eat for an early dinner, so he got a little behind. Low and behold, here comes Brett trying again to make insane claims about Theo. "You know, I really didn't deserve what he did to me."

"Oh yeah? And what's that? Because you've failed to mention it" Liam said with gruffness in his voice.

"He set me up" Brett said taking a puff from his cigarette. "I may not have been perfect, but neither was he" Brett seemed like he was genuinely hurt, but Liam didn't want to believe that Theo was capable of that.

"What do you mean?"

"He claimed I did something that I didn't do. I loved him. It hurt to see him wanting constant attention from anyone who wasn't me. I may not have handled it the right way, but I didn't do that."

"Do what?" Liam asked, voice shaky. Did he hit him? Did he abuse him sexually? Did he try to kill him?! All these thoughts were spinning in his mind and before Brett could answer, Mason drove up breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Get in loser! We're playing videogames and trash-talking!" Mason laughed.

Liam was still curious. Brett looked sad. It was weird considering how excessively confident he seemed the entire time he's known him. He did sound sincere. Liam didn't want to think about it. The man was put in PRISON. There was a reason. Liam set aside any thoughts of redemption and looked Brett in the eyes "Cops put you in prison, Brett. Not Theo. You did something and it was enough to get you in trouble for it and for Theo to have a restraining order. Please stop looking to me as this weird connection between you two." Brett only scoffed a laugh. He wouldn't say anything else.

"So... wanna tell me what that was about?" Mason asked after five minutes of piercing silence. It was awkward, but Mason knew that it was serious and put the pieces together as to this being the reason Liam wasn't wanting to be around Theo right now.

"The guy, Brett, the guy I asked Corey about."

"That's him?"

"Yeah."

"He's seriously hot!"

"Mason good god!" Liam rolled his eyes.

"What? I mean he can still be a scumbag and also be hot! How do you think serial killers get to being serial killers?"

"Mason please. He's not that hot" Liam said with an eyeroll. He tried not to notice his freakishly

good looks and his above average height. He'd be a great model if he weren't such a weasel.

"But he is a dirtbag right? I mean, Corey literally didn't tell me anything."

"Then maybe I shouldn't-"

"He said he didn't want me to tell you. Now that you already know-"

"I don't really know much either. He just said that they dated, and Brett went to live with him when his parents died. That Brett wasn't always a dick bag and he didn't like him working at Halefire."

"What was this I was hearing about- oh what was it again- oh right yeah PRISON?! The guy was in PRISON, Liam!"

"Yeah, I never got an explanation for that. All I got was they loved each other at one time and Brett said Theo set him up. He didn't say how or why."

They pulled into Liam's driveway and got out of Mason's car, food in hand. Mason shuffling around for keys while Liam held everything like he was some donkey or pack mule. Mason entered the house and kicked his shoes off first, followed by Liam and headed up to Liam's room and started the game that they had picked out. Mason was distracted, but not because he was eating and trying to play videogames at the same time. He and Liam had become experts in that art. No, he had something on his mind pretty heavy and Liam wanted to ask, but he was finally beating him for once. It was Mario Kart, but still.

Finally, he just stopped the game and asked, "Dude, what is it?"

"Do you know this guy's last name?"

"Talbot. Why?" Mason got out his phone and started typing and his eyes grew wide. "What are you do-"

"You know you have access to public police records" Mason said, something in his eyes gleaming.

"I mean yeah-" Liam looked suspicious at him.

"Look at this" Mason handed the phone to Liam. "Brett Talbot is public domain... Liam he's a registered sex offender."

"What?!" Liam took Mason's phone to see and right there was all the proof he needed about Theo. Brett's mugshots looking annoyed and just... inconvenienced rather than remorse or innocence was something that made Liam feel sick to his stomach... Probably the McDonald's a little bit too.

Chapter End Notes