Jock Next Bed (BL)
Chapter 134: Strange evening guest

Chapter 134: Strange evening guest

Chris didn’t want to return to his room. He couldn’t stand the thought of being alone with his thoughts right now. The weight of everything with Sky, the pressure of not knowing where he stood, was suffocating. But he didn’t want to burden Rachel with his mood—she’d be studying, and he wasn’t about to drag her into his mess.

His footsteps were aimless as he walked through the last hallway leading him out, when he bumped into her—one of the girls from his class. The same one who always greeted him with a bubbly, almost too excited smile whenever their paths crossed, which had raised Rachel’s alarm bells. He’d never really paid her much attention, dismissing it as casual friendliness, but today, with his mind swirling with everything he couldn’t control, he found himself noticing her more.

"Hey, Chris!"

They made small talks. And then she asked, "Care to grab some study books?" Her voice was sweet, laced with that same energy he had grown used to. But today, it didn’t feel so casual.

He hesitated. Well, he didn’t want to return to his room yet. Also, he was a student and needed study materials for the coming exams. So maybe he should just study like the rest for now. And when he was done, he would set out in his mission again.

Thought he would give up? Ha!

"Sure, why not?" he replied, his voice sounding hollow even to him.

She seemed pleasantly surprised he had agreed and then they walked side by side while she continued to make casual talks he was simply not interested in.

As they moved through the aisles in the library, the girl handed him a note with the sections to find the books, making sure to give him a smile that seemed just a little bit warmer than usual. She told him they were relevant for their exams. He nodded absently as he took the list, trying to focus on them. He could hear her humming softly behind him as they searched for their books, but it felt distant, like he was floating in a sea of his own frustrations.

He picked out an interesting book on artworks, something that distracted him enough to pull him away from his spiraling thoughts. He leaned back against the shelf, flipping through the pages without truly reading them. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been there when he heard the faint click of a snapshot.

His head snapped up, and he immediately saw her, standing a few feet away, phone camera in hand, a playful grin tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Stalker much?" he said, unable to hide his displeasure.

She giggled, her eyes twinkling. "I find it fascinating. Men who like reading."

They both kept their voices very low.

Chris raised an eyebrow, genuinely confused. "I don’t understand. Men aren’t supposed to read?"

She flushed, stepping closer. "I don’t mean it like that. But it’s just nice seeing guys like you... reading." She seemed to stumble over her words for a moment, then added shyly, "Would you like to take a photo together? For a keepsake?"

His brow furrowed for a second. Why wasn’t it ever obvious to these people that he was taken?

Despite the awkwardness creeping in, a part of him felt strangely compelled to go along with it. Maybe it was the distraction, maybe it was just the desire to feel something other than frustration, but before he could stop himself, he leaned in slightly, his posture stiff but giving in to the moment.

She snapped the photo with a bright, almost giddy smile.

As the camera flashed, Chris found himself wondering if he had just been used for a cute photo op—or if she really was into him. Either way, he couldn’t help but feel that same uncomfortable twinge in his chest, the one that had started to settle whenever he thought about Sky.

That idiot.

Look at this girl trying to snatch him away from him.

When Chris returned to his dorm that evening, he thought he had seen it all. That today wouldn’t get crazier. But then, another surprise hit him.

A knock at the door.

His brain wanted to believe it was Sky, hoping against hope that it was him coming to explain himself, to smooth things over. But Chris knew deep down it wasn’t.

He opened the door, and standing there was Collins—the quiet, studious guy who barely spoke to anyone, let alone him.

But today, he looked... different. His usually neat appearance was disheveled, his shirt wrinkled as if he had just crawled out of a fight, and a cut marred his lip.

"Hey?" Chris asked cautiously, his voice laced with confusion. What could Collins possibly want now? Was he here to grab Sky’s things?

Collins’s response came out sharp, like a prickly edge he usually kept hidden. "Can I come in?"

The tone caught Chris off guard. It was... unlike Collins. There was irritation simmering underneath the surface, and it sent an involuntary shiver down Chris’s spine.

"Sky isn’t here," Chris said, his brow furrowing in suspicion.

"I know." Collins’s reply was clipped, colder than usual.

Okay, Chris could’ve understood if this had been Henry—maybe even Noel, though that would’ve been a bit of a stretch. But Collins? What the hell was going on?

He stepped back, opening the door wider. Collins briefly scanned his frame, then locked eyes with him.

"Did you want to speak with me?" Chris asked, trying to keep his cool, crossing his arms.

"What do you think you’re doing?" Collins’s voice was lower now, but it was laced with something Chris couldn’t quite place—anger? Possessiveness?

Chris blinked in disbelief. "I beg your pardon?"

Collins stepped closer, his eyes burning with something like disgust. "If you’re in this school to study, then study. Stop going around everywhere like a prostitute."

Okay...

Chris had never been caught THIS offguard before.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" He asked, trying not to show his anger.

"You’re bi, aren’t you?" Collins asked in an angry, accusatory tone.