Jock Next Bed (BL)
Chapter 121: Side chick at disposal

Chapter 121: Side chick at disposal

He didn’t need to be told to know what was happening.

Even if he couldn’t fully understand and read this boy, he had come to understand one of his facial expressions. It was the same one Sky had sent his way when he said he was leaving the dorm because of a stalker. The same one Sky gave him whenever he could not be around or do something.

He knew that look all too well.

"Don’t tell me..." Chris let his words trail off. He couldn’t even bring himself to complete it.

"I... thought it would be better to speak with you in person—"

That was the final confirmation he needed. No point in letting Sky say the words first.

"You’re canceling."

It wasn’t a question.

That look flashed by Sky’s face again. He couldn’t exactly pinpoint what it was. But there was guilt and a mixture of something else he had yet to put a label on.

Chris tried to look unaffected as he stared at Sky.

"Can you... let me explain?" Sky asked quietly.

Fuck! He didn’t want to hear anything. He didn’t want to hear whatever excuse Sky had. But did he have any other choice now?

"Say it." He urged him with a tilt of his chin.

Sky sighed heavily and ran his hand through his messy bun, then looked aside as he said, "She... suddenly texted me." He paused. "She’ll be in town in a few hours. It was... very random."

"She?"

Who? Chris was slightly confused. He was about to ask who he was talking about, but he stopped himself. Because he could guess it. "She" must be none other than his so-called fiancée.

He hadn’t even known her whereabouts before. But judging from how she had been nowhere in sight, it only meant she wasn’t in this town. But now she was coming? Today of all days?

He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear any more about Sky’s fiancée. Maybe blissful ignorance was the best course of action for now.

So much for his daydreams playing out in the shower. A wave of disappointment washed over him. He schooled his expression into a mask of indifference, but it cracked when he spoke. Maybe it would have been better if Sky was canceling for some other reason instead.

"Oh," Chris managed, his voice barely a croak. He cleared his throat, forcing a lightness that felt hollow. "Well, that’s... inconvenient." He turned for his wardrobe, his back to Sky, fetching a boxer brief and wearing it from under the towel. Then he threw the damp towel a little too unkindly in his empty laundry basket.

He wasn’t surprised, not really. Logically, he knew Sky wouldn’t ditch his fiancée for him, even though he knew nothing about her or their relationship. Fiancées were called fiancées for a reason. But that little spark of hope he’d allowed himself to kindle in the quiet solitude of the shower... well, that was doused good and proper.

The room was covered in silence except for the sounds Chris made as he tried to fetch himself clean clothes. He picked out a simple white tank top and put it on, then went for a fitting pair of shorts.

As he turned around, heading toward his table to blow-dry his hair, he noticed Sky was still giving him that look when their eyes met briefly.

At least, he was smart enough to look guilty. But for some reason, being on the receiving end of such a pathetic look made the disappointment slowly begin to coil into a tight ball of anger in his gut.

"You didn’t have to come all the way here to tell me. There’s something called a mobile phone." Chris’s voice was clipped, devoid of the earlier warmth as he plopped himself down on the chair. He was about to turn on the blow-dryer, but Sky began to speak, so he paused.

"I wanted to tell you in person so that we wouldn’t have any misunderstandings over a phone call."

Chris paused, dropped the dryer immediately, and turned in his chair to face him.

His tone laced with bitterness, he said, "Doesn’t change the fact that you’re blowing me off for her, does it?"

"This was unplanned. I will... I will make it up to you—"

"Make it up to me?" Chris scoffed. "This isn’t about me. It’s about the two of us. If you think it’s about me then that’s fucked up. You shouldn’t have agreed to us hanging out together in the first place if you didn’t want it—"

"That’s not what I meant," Sky interjected.

"Go." Chris said, his voice calmer this time, but his anger was still evident.

Sky looked visibly defeated, his expression etched with apology. "Can we talk about this later?"

"For what reason? Are you going to explain anything to me or just tell me there are a lot of things you can’t tell me and then apologize?" Chris said, his voice carrying his irritation.

There was silence, which stretched for several seconds until Sky’s ringing phone interrupted it. Sky glanced down at his phone, his eyes lingering on the screen before he silenced it and looked up again, locking eyes with Chris.

"Why aren’t you taking your calls? You don’t need to mind me." Chris shrugged before he turned to focus on drying his hair.

Despite the noise from the blow dryer, Chris heard Sky when he spoke.

"I’ll see you later. Have breakfast and take your meds at the right time," he said quietly before picking up a bag and dropping it on the table in front of Chris. Chris hadn’t noticed the bag or the aroma of the fresh breakfast initially. However, seeing this bag, he felt like heaving it at him.

He wanted to tell Sky to cancel on her. He knew he was being silly, but he was already determined not to lose to anyone this time. And it wasn’t for his pride. It was simply for himself. Why did he have to be at the receiving end of this every time?

However, he knew Sky wouldn’t do that.

Fucking hell! He felt like he was some side chick right now. One at Sky’s disposal.

"Will you respond to my texts?" Sky asked beside him. Chris had almost not heard him, but he had.

Chris turned to glance at him and noticed there was genuine regret in Sky’s eyes. It almost made Chris feel pity for him. He wanted to know exactly what this whole mess was about, but he didn’t ask. Because this was Sky, and he wouldn’t give him an answer.

"Just go. You’re distracting me," he said, his voice neutral.

The dismissal hung heavy in the air. Sky hesitated, as if he wanted to say more, but Chris acted like he was invincible and resumed blow-drying his hair, even increasing the intensity of the dryer.

Even though the blow dryer was loud to his ears, he was unfortunately still aware of Sky’s presence as well as when he quietly left the room.

As soon as the door closed, Chris turned off the blow dryer and threw it aside.