AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Licking his lips, Percy stared at the lunch, then back up at Derek. A part of him wanted to be furious. To blame Derek for not only introducing him to an absolute shit-stain of a man but then trying to defend the guy. But on the opposite end, he wanted a friend, and Derek had been so kind up to that point.
“Have you eaten today?” Derek asked in the tense silence.
Percy shook his head. “No.”
Eyeing the food, Derek said, “Let me take you out. I only have cleanings left on my books today, and my assistants can handle that. Please? At the very least, I owe you a meal.”
He wasn’t wrong there. Percy twisted his fingers together, then finally nodded. “Yeah, alright.”
Derek’s whole body softened like Percy had cut a line of tension on him, and he attempted to shove his hands into pockets before realizing his scrubs didn’t have any. “Come on. I’m parked around back.”
Percy once more felt wrong about going, but Wren was the one who stormed out, and he was the one who hadn’t replied. Percy couldn’t truly fix it if he didn’t know exactly what he’d done wrong, and he had no idea where to start. So really, what was the harm?
Neither of them had said a word on the short drive to a little sandwich shop in the opposite direction of BrewBiz. Percy didn’t bother saying he was grateful to be anywhere else but near Wren’s place of work, but he had a feeling Derek could read it on his face.
He held the door for Percy, then directed him to a table with a small collection of condiments and laminated menus in a small holder at the very edge.
“This place is amazing,” Derek said, pulling one of the menus out. “My friends always take me here every time things in my life turn upside down.”
Percy couldn’t imagine a sandwich could soothe any of his problems, but he scanned the menu and settled on a croissant sandwich with chicken salad. His stomach was still in knots, so it would be a damn miracle if he could digest anything at all. The server came over a second later though, and he ordered a fizzy water with his sandwich in hopes it would calm things down.
“Are you giving me the silent treatment?” Derek asked after she was gone.
Percy looked up with a faint blush. “What? No. I’m so sorry. It’s not you.” If he had been passive-aggressive with Derek, he hadn’t meant it.
“Do you want to tell me what happened if it’s not about my colossal fuckup?”
Percy’s flush darkened with his humiliation. “My, erm, friend,” he said slowly. He had no idea what the hell he was supposed to call Wren. He wasn’t really the sort of person who could use “lover” and not sound like a complete wanker. “He came by. I was having a bit of a shit day with clients, and I hadn’t eaten. He brought me lunch.”
“That doesn’t exactly sound like a problem,” Derek said slowly.
“Well, no. That wasn’t the issue. But, er…my friend is Deaf.”
“Café guy,” Derek said. “The one you hooked up with.”
Percy had damn near forgotten Derek had been his confidant over the last few weeks. He nodded miserably. “The other night, after the bar,” he said, and he ignored Derek’s wince, “Wren and I went back to his. I think we worked something out that would let us be together and make us both happy.” Part of him wanted to explain to Derek about Wren being aromantic, but it wasn’t his place, and he still wasn’t entirely sure if he was ever going to fully trust Derek again. So he left it at that.
“Did he change his mind?” Derek asked. “Is that why you looked like you wanted to cry?”
“I,” Percy started, but he was interrupted by the server appearing with their food, which seemed like record time, but it was entirely possible he’d been sitting in silence for far too long to be considered polite. He offered her a smile and took a sip of his water before looking back at Derek. “You know that security officer everyone hates?”
“Mitch. The dickhead,” Derek said.
Percy nodded. “Wren showed up, but he wasn’t wearing his implants, so he couldn’t hear him. Mitch apparently lost his temper. My receptionist started shouting that someone was being manhandled, and…I dunno. I just got this feeling I knew who it was, so I went out there, and it was him.”
“Wren,” Derek said softly.
“I have no idea what actually happened,” Percy admitted. He used his fork to pick out a piece of chicken and forced himself to have a bite just so he could take a moment. “I missed most of it, but when Wren tried to confront Mitch about the way he was treated, Mitch just walked off. And now I think Wren’s angry with me for not doing more.”
“It doesn’t sound like it was your fault,” Derek said, but Percy shook his head.
“I should have stood up for him. Wren wanted the security company’s information. He was so angry, but Mitch just walked off, and I…I let him. I took Wren to my office like that would solve the problem.”
Derek set his sandwich down and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Okay, that does suck. But you can get the info.”
“Yeah, I know,” Percy said. “But I’m not even sure that’s what Wren was upset about.”
“He didn’t say?”
