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FREDDIE
How had I gone from slapping the shoulder of Dawson’s back with the widest grin on my face at the fact Dawson had askedmypermission to ask Everleigh to marry him to a shitshow in seconds? It was fucking ludicrous in my mind that Dawson had thought he needed my permission to even ask her. He did what he wanted when he wanted without question, but it seemed I had some sort of say to my best friend’s future.
That all changed in a blink of an eye, though, when I saw my best friend stumbling, tripping over her feet as if she’d been slapped across the face, making sure she was as far away from Luke as humanly possible. What the fuck had happened?
The moment I saw Luke’s cell phone and his confused expression as he explained that the guy in the photo linking his arm was his cousin, I felt my knees collapse beneath me and I fell to the ground as Luke grabbed his cell and ran for the door. Isobel grabbed my arm and helped me stumble to my feet before turning me into her arms as I let out a hoarse cry of pain.
“Fuck, has someone died or something? I thought that this was meant to be a welcome home party, wasn’t it?” Robert waltzed over with a round of shots as Dawson barged past, knocking his shoulder as he quickly righted the tray without spilling a drop and went in search of Everleigh. “What’s his problem?”
“Party’s over,” Isobel uttered, as she waved for Chrissie to come over. “Can you deal with everyone?”
“Yeah, of course,” she replied as Robert downed a shot, not looking too happy at the fact of an early close.
I pulled away from Isobel and stormed off in search of Everleigh and Dawson, knowing I had to talk to them and clear the air. I didn’t have a clue about Luke’s relationship with Tye and they didn’t know that. I’d never deceive them, as they meant so much to me. I couldn’t comprehend right now, though, if Luke had deceived me. Did he know who Everleigh and Dawson really were? I mean, he did say that Dawson looked familiar.
“Everleigh,” I shouted, walking towards the women’s toilets in the hope that that’s where she’d taken refuge and she hadn’t just left. “Please talk to me.” I choked back the tears.
“Fred.” Everleigh opened the door and stared at me. “Why are you still here?” She turned to look over her shoulder with her red-rimmed eyes, and I realized Dawson must have been standing behind her. “You should be with Luke.”
“I had to tell you I didn’t know,” I uttered, wringing the shirt I wore through my fists. “I’d never intentionally hurt you.”
“Oh Fred, we both know that. It was a shock. I mean, it hurt, but it’s not me you should be having this conversation with…” She let out a long breath. “It’s the guy who has you so wrapped up in knots and makes your heart pound so wildly in your chest. Isobel messaged me and told me he left. Fred, he left without you and ran.” Dawson peered over her shoulder in the doorway and kissed the top of her head. “It’s you who runs from a situation, so please go find him and talk through this. Tell him everything, every detail, and then listen to him. Don’t make a huge mistake.”
“But what about you?” I let a tear run down my cheek and swiped it away. “It’s not my story.”
“Fred, it affected us all. I have my man to talk it through with. Go and find yours, Fred, to help you with yours. He needs you just as much as you need him.”
Everleigh was right. Why had I been so blind to something so obvious before my eyes? Luke was mine, and I knew if I didn’t discuss the past that stood currently between us both, it would hinder our future. It didn’t matter if I had permission from Everleigh or not. Luke was my man, and this affected the pair of us, no matter what I’d let my mind originally believe. I had to be strong and honest, for both of our sakes.
I’d never run as fast as I did then to get into the fresh air and hail a cab down. The moment the yellow cab pulled to a stop, I opened the door and jumped inside, spilling the address of Luke’s apartment off like the lyrics of a popular song ingrained in the back of my mind. I just hoped he’d still be there, and I wasn’t too late.
* * *
Fifteen minutes of traffic had never felt so long in my life. I’d even debated jumping out and making a run in the downpour across the rest of the route but arriving dressed like a drowned rat and having to get changed or sit in drenched clothes as we discussed something of such significance weighed heavy on my mind as I impatiently tapped my foot and picked at the skin on the edge of my finger, giving me something to think on rather than the standstill outside the window.
Eventually pulling outside Luke’s, I chucked a fifty at the driver and didn’t wait for any change, even though I knew it was way more than the fare and jumped out. I slammed the door, ignoring the man’s gratitude as I legged it up to Luke’s place with my heart banging against my ribcage. I froze the moment I entered his corridor and saw him slumped with his back against the door, fingering the keys in one hand, a packed bag by his side, and scrolling through his cell phone.
“Luke.” I approached him cautiously as I knelt down beside him. “What’s all this?” I looked around him as I reached for his chin with my forefinger and thumb and lifted his head to look into my eyes. The sudden pull back from me had a crack form in my chest as his red-rimmed eyes flitted over my own and mirrored my hurt as he turned away to face me. “I’m going, Fred. I can’t do this.”
“Luke.” I choked back the tears that hurt more than the fucked up situation that Tye had put us in. “I can’t just let you walk away. We made a promise that we’d talk about things. Now hand me those keys…” I said sternly, forcing my voice to remain steady in the hope that he didn’t see through my sudden burst of bravado as I placed my palm out so he could see I meant business. “Or I’ll take them from you, but we’re going inside and we’re going to talk about this situation together. Like a couple would do.”
“A couple?” Luke tested the words as he turned to face me before dropping the keys into my opened palm.
“Yes, baby. Boyfriend and boyfriend, unless I missed a memo. One problem doesn’t mean that we part ways. It means we talk.” I stood up and placed the keys in my other hand before I held out my palm for Luke.
He reached up and stood by my side. “But your friends?”
“Yeah, what about them? You’re my boyfriend, Luke.” I picked up his bag and hung it loosely from my fingers as I curled my arm around his waist and placed the keys in the door, unlocking it. “You’re my number one priority. Now, I’m going to make us a drink and I want you to get comfortable because things may be about to get hot and heavy.”
I watched Luke coat his lips with his tongue as he brushed his shoulder past mine, walking into the entrance hall. The sheen enticed me to taste him, but I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. I needed to keep the sexual desire locked away whilst I spoke about Tye and the monster he’d revealed himself to be and, by the signals being deliberately flung at me by Luke, he wanted to prolong the inevitable for as long as possible. He forgot I had a way with words and this couldn’t be brushed under the carpet. No matter how scared Luke was.
“Sofa, Luke. I’ll be there in two minutes and bring your cell,” I said as I walked in behind him and closed the door.
Placing the keys in my pocket for safekeeping, I headed straight to the kitchen and grabbed two glasses of water for us, knowing that alcohol could fuel the tension between us and cause even more of a problem.
“Here you go.” I handed Luke the glass as I made my way towards him and took a perch right by his side, knowing I’d crave his touch. Even if it was just the palm of his hand in mine at some point. “So, Tye’s your cousin?” I blew out a breath, even though we’d already established this point, as I ran my hand over my suit trousers that suddenly felt very tight. “Tell me about him, about the guy you knew,” I stated, swallowing hard.
“He was always there for me,” Luke started, keeping his head low. “Tye and I used to be the mismatched pair and found comfort in spending time together. I always found myself in some sort of trouble, but Tye had the gift of talking his way out of anything.” I couldn’t help but chuckle at the statement as Luke’s gaze met mine and his hand covered mine on my leg. “It was more like we were friends than cousins, if you know what I mean?” I nodded in response as Luke scrolled to a couple of early young photos of the pair of them. “We were just a couple of Jack the lads until we grew up and drifted apart. I never made time for him…” Luke let out a sob as the tears began to trickle down his face. “I just couldn’t understand how someone so young and so full of life could die so suddenly. It’s what made me originally decide to visit New York.”
