Jock Next Bed (BL)
Chapter 186: The decision

Chapter 186: The decision

His phone started ringing again for the umpteenth time.

He looked down, wondering which bastard it was this time. He hated seeing different names or strange numbers flash on his screen. Yet, he always looked at it quickly whenever a call came in. Excepting it to be that call.

And whenever the phone rang, his heart stopped.

But once again, it wasn’t him.

However, this time, it was... his mother.

He didn’t pick. He could not pick it up.

"I’ve been overthinking. A lot," Sky admitted, his voice quieter now. "One part of me wants to believe Chris had a reason for this. For lying. But another part..."

He hesitated, swallowing. "I don’t know..." He shook his head.

"My mind is still so slow to process all of this." His eyes travelled around their room. Every corner. Every edge. He looked down at Chris bed and rubbed his hand on the sheets gently.

Quietly, he muttered, "Was I... just a joke to him?"

The thought burned.

He had been trying so hard not to remember. But he did remember. All the times he kept emphasizing that he would take care of Chris, asking him not to spend his money, telling him he would help him improve his grades and get proper reward for the deans list just like he had. He was remembering everything. Even the hotel room they had stayed in.

The flimsy things he bought for Chris. Cheap things.

What had he thought about those?

This was it. The insecurity Mei always reminded him of.

He also remembered the words he had said to Chris just a few nights ago about rich people.

His phone rang again, pulling him out of his thoughts. He quickly looked at it.

This time, it was his father.

"STOP FUCKING CALLING ME!" He bellowed at the innocent phone before he stood up and began to pace around the room, his hands on his hair, pulling.

"You have to get a hold of yourself!" Rain snapped at him. "You are spiraling. You need to breathe." Rain said to Sky who didn’t stop pacing. Her phone also began to ring. It was a call from their mother but she silenced the phone and dropped it on the table, turning the screen away.

Was this the end? Sky wondered.

Something told him Chris would not come back. May not come back.

The idea of never seeing Chris again—of things just stopping like this—

"I’m going to die." Sky said as his shaking fingers went to his lips and he nibbled absentmindedly. "I will die."

Sky barely had time to react before Henry grabbed a pillow and threw it at him, smacking him right in the face with it.

"What the hell?" he muttered.

"Shut the fuck up about dying! You need to sleep! Jesus! You really need to see how you look like. You might really die before that call comes!" Henry said, his voice loud and firm.

"I haven’t heard from him. I don’t... I need to know what is going on. I still can’t wrap my mind around this. He needs to be in front of me and tell me what this is. You do understand what I am trying to say, right?"

He was spiraling. He looked like he would completely crumble in the next second. His eyes were bloodshot.

Noel sighed. He also had his issues but that was the thing with Sky. When his issues set in, it was hard for anyone else to focus on anything. He was bad at managing his emotions.

And whenever he said the words about dying, they knew he wasn’t just simply saying it. He meant it. That was how intense it was for him.

"Chris’s whole world turned upside down overnight. His father collapsed, and now he’s suddenly expected to take over a company he probably never even wanted, seeing how he came far away and hid his identity. He’s being torn apart by the media, and people are questioning his entire life. Of course he’s drowning in all of that." Rain explained calmly. "Do you think calling you would be his first priority?"

Sky clenched his jaw. He knew all of this, but... still.

"He could’ve at least sent a text," he muttered, feeling the frustration settle in his chest. "Just to let me know he’s... he’s okay."

The three people gave him long looks. "Are you worried about him? Or are you upset that you’re not the one he’s turning to?" Henry asked.

That made him pause. Of course, he was damn worried about Chris! And there were a lot of things he needed his slow brain to catch up on.

He wasn’t about to start playing ’we are in different worlds, so I should stay away,’ or ’you lied to me, and I need a break.’

He couldn’t do that.

"What crazy thing are you thinking in your head right now?" Rain asked suspiciously.

Sky went to pick up his phone quickly. He seemed to have come to a solid decision because he said, "If he needs someone to turn to... it has to be me." He said without this looking up from his phone’s screen.

"Don’t tell me..." Henry started as he looked at Sky like he had lost his mind.

"I can find my way. I need to go."

"Sky!" Rain stood up immediately, glaring at him. "You have never been to Southend before. You don’t know how to meet him. Security is properly tight as hell, and he is crazy busy. Can you not be selfish and let him be for now?"

He pulled his gaze away from his phone where he was already looking through flights to look at his sister. "I am not being selfish. I just need to know how he is. I won’t ask him to explain anything to me. I promise!"

He sounded like a child trying to convince an adult to believe they would only pick one candy from the bowl of candy in front of them.

"And how would you meet him?" Henry cut in. From his tone, anyone could tell he also was not buying this madness.

"Wilson." Sky said quickly. "His friend."

"Do you have his number?" Rain asked and was about to ask why he hadn’t called him all this while if he had the number but then Sky shook his head, bursting their bubbles.

"But I know who might." He paused briefly before supplying the name, "Ash."

"Ash?" Came a chorus from the three, even Noel who had been quiet the entire time.

Sky nodded. "At his last pool party, he... he seemed quite ’friendly’ with Wilson," i.e., they were making out. "He should probably have it. I’ll check."

And with that, he disappeared before anyone could stop him or change his mind.