Jock Next Bed (BL)
Chapter 101: Quarreling. Again

Chapter 101: Quarreling. Again

Inside the dorm room, Chris’s heart raced, echoing the remnants of the adrenaline that had surged through him. The whirlwind of emotions within him was overwhelming—anger, triumph, and a lingering discomfort from having kissed someone he despised. His chest heaved as he leaned against the wall, the aftermath of the confrontation settling upon him.

The unexpected kiss played on a loop in his mind. He felt a jumble of emotions—anger at Ashley’s provocations, triumph over turning the tables on him, and a gnawing unease from having crossed a line he hadn’t intended to cross. He had hoped that the rumours about them would spread like wildfire, effectively taking the focus off his connection with Sky, but he was beginning to realize that this impulsive act had consequences he hadn’t fully grasped.

**Earlier...**

The world seemed to spin for a moment as the unexpected kiss silenced the onlookers. Ash’s initial shock gave way to a mixture of surprise and disbelief. Chris’s bold move had caught him off guard, shattering his veneer of arrogance. For a few heartbeats, time seemed to hang suspended between them.

Chris’s heart raced, the rush of adrenaline heightening his senses. Every heartbeat echoed in his ears as he leaned into the kiss, his emotions a swirling maelstrom within him. Ashley’s taste was bitter on his lips, a bitter reminder of their animosity. The seconds stretched, the pressure of the kiss mirroring the tension between them.

God, he couldn’t believe he was doing this. The kiss was a weapon, an impulsive act aimed at diverting Ashley’s malicious intentions. The taste of victory mingled with the bitterness of the kiss, creating a dissonance of emotions within him.

Finally, with a sharp inhale, Chris pulled away, his chest heaving as he broke the connection. The mingling emotions within him made his thoughts a jumbled mess. His expression was a mix of defiance, triumph, and something else—something unreadable.

He could see the shock and confusion in Ashley’s eyes, a twisted smile curling onto his lips. The assembled students exchanged confused glances, their whispers spreading like wildfire. Chris’s plan had worked, creating a spectacle that overshadowed Ashley’s malicious intentions. He felt a sense of satisfaction, knowing that he had taken control of the situation and diverted it in a way that protected Sky. The tangled web of emotions was as complex as the situation itself.

Ashley’s attempt to regain control was evident, yet an undercurrent of uncertainty was unmistakable. "You... think that’s going to change anything?"

At least he was quieter now; the arrogant facade momentarily cracked.

Chris’s lips curled into a half-smile, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of challenge and defiance. "Maybe it won’t change anything, but it certainly shook you up a bit."

The tension between them was palpable, a volatile mix of emotions simmering beneath the surface. The unexpected turn of events had thrown Ashley off balance, and he struggled to regain his usual arrogance. Chris’s audacity had left an indelible mark on the situation, revealing a side of him that Ash hadn’t anticipated.

With a wry smile, Ashley straightened his leather jacket, an air of nonchalance returning to his demeanour. "Fine. You’ve got my attention, Chris. But don’t think this changes anything in the grand scheme of things."

Chris’s voice was tinged with a challenge as he retorted, "We’ll see about that."

As the two of them stood there, a complex dance of emotions and motives unfolding between them, it was clear that their confrontation had only just begun. The power dynamic had shifted, revealing vulnerabilities and hidden motives that neither of them had been willing to expose.

Their eyes locked, a silent understanding passing between them—a recognition of the intricate web they were weaving around each other. As onlookers slowly dispersed, leaving the two of them alone in their enigmatic standoff, the unspoken tension remained, an electrifying undercurrent that promised further twists and turns in the story that was unfolding.

Ash’s sudden laughter broke the spell, a mixture of resignation and amusement. "You win this time, Chris. Not a bad kisser at all." He smirked before the confident smile returned to his face. "I’m sure you have no idea what you’ve just done."

Chris huffed, feeling a storm of emotions raging within him. He didn’t want Ashley to see how much he was affected and how much this situation was weighing on him. He turned and walked away, his steps heavy with the weight of the situation. He knew he couldn’t let Ashley control him, and he couldn’t let Sky get hurt because of him. But he also knew that he was facing a battle he couldn’t afford to lose. The eyes that followed him as he walked were a reminder of the storm that was brewing around him.

As he walked away, Chris realized that what he had been trying to escape from was the very thing he had landed himself in. The complexity of his emotions and the tangled mess he had created were becoming increasingly apparent. His resolve to protect Sky had never been stronger, yet the path ahead seemed more treacherous than ever.

Unbeknownst to Chris, he had indeed been foolish, as he began to grasp the true extent of the situation he had just ignited. The weight of his actions was settling upon him, and he slowly realized why Ashley had smugly remarked that he had no idea what he had done.

The echoes of his impulsive act were far-reaching. His phone began to buzz incessantly with notifications, indicating an influx of messages. Chris hesitated, watching the device as it lit up and went black. He knew that whatever was waiting for him in those messages would shape the trajectory of events.

He tried to guess who those text messages came from. Rachel? Rain? Sky? Henry? Emily? Or maybe they were from the group chat with his classmates?

Damn it!

Why did Ash show up from nowhere and choose to make his life here complicated?

Chris could not bring himself to open any of the messages.

Because he knew that the notifications were a testament to the ripple effect of his actions—people had witnessed the kiss, and the speculation and questions were rampant.

Until the phone began to ring, and the name that popped up was none other than Sky’s, making his breathing stop for a second with his eyes locked on the screen.

He didn’t need to be told that Sky was aware of what had just happened. But how was he going to explain this to him?

Wait... why was he bothered about what explanation to give?

Damn, why shouldn’t he be bothered?

He was planning to snatch him away, and he couldn’t go about kissing other people.

But that was not the worst part.

Taking a deep breath, he answered the call.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, CHRIS?" Sky’s voice boomed through the phone, an explosion of frustration and disbelief.

Chris winced, pulling the phone slightly away from his ear. "Okay, calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down! Do you have any idea how those words make me feel right now?"

Chris’s chest tightened, the full weight of his mistake crashing down on him. He struggled to find the right words as Sky’s anger resonated through the line.

"I did that because it was necessary—"

Sky’s anger seemed to intensify, and it sounded like he was pacing around, his voice growing louder. "Necessary? For heaven’s sake, Chris, I don’t care whatever he did to provoke you. But that was Ash! Ashley Calvin. First of all, he had the police pick you up just less than 24 hours ago, and secondly, Ash is a BOY! And maybe it is easy for you to flirt with people and not mind going far with them, but did you stop to consider how that would make me feel?"

What the hell!

"SKY!"

"You thought it was a great idea to make me the centre of campus gossip? To have people question my connection with you since most people know we are roommates!?"

There it was. The same thing he had been trying to save Sky from. But at this point, he couldn’t even feel guilty because Sky was pissing him off.

Sky, "You didn’t think about how this would affect me? How it would feel to have people talk about me because of your impulsive actions?"

"Can you just calm the fuck down? You always think about just yoursel—"

"YES! I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT MYSELF, CHRIS!" Sky’s voice was sharp as he cut him off. "That’s how I got this far in my life!"

Chris’s stomach churned, his guilt and anger deepening with every word Sky uttered. He wanted to retort, but then he reminded himself that he knew Sky couldn’t take things like this. He remembered how frustrated Sky had looked at his mother’s party when his father was speaking with him about his appearance like Rain had said. He also remembered how Sky would rather take in everything than let anyone know about the things he was going through, just like he had been drugged that night. And last night, how he had been crying in the middle of the night.