A Remaining Podeshire 1

Chapter 8 (Part 3)

"Ugh..." Oliver groaned as he hobbled along the sidewalk, his injured ankle sending rippling waves of unbearable pain with every step.

     While limping down the road, Oliver spots a familiar man standing on the sidewalk ahead. He squints to get a better view and quickly realizes that it is none other than his friend, Gregory. As he draws closer, Oliver notices Gregory's face contorting—as if he has recently been through a heated argument.

     Oliver sighs with relief as tears leak from his eyes. He races from the side towards Gregory with hope and desperation. Oliver's sprained ankle sends a sharp shock through his legs every time he paces. But, despite the excruciating pain, Oliver moves swiftly.

"Greg!!" Oliver cried out with a hoarse voice.

     Gregory hears Oliver's troubled cries. He immediately turns his head to his side and sees Oliver scurrying towards him while limping. Gregory gasps as he watches tears gush down from Oliver's eyes. As he hurries towards his friend, Oliver feels a stinging pain in his ankle, making him fall in front of Gregory. With his eyes wide, Gregory reaches his hand and catches Oliver in his arms.

     Oliver yelps as he lands on Gregory's broad chest. Gregory quickly wraps his arms around Oliver and brushes his hair. Oliver pants as he holds onto Gregory's shoulders.

     Oliver and Gregory stare at each other in the eyes. Gregory immediately notices tears falling from Oliver's eyes. Gregory's brows quickly arch up in concern.

"What happened to you...? W-what's wrong?" Gregory asked, his voice filled with concern.

     As tears flood Oliver's eyes, he looks down, his emotions overwhelming him. Suddenly, he feels a warm pair of hands wrapping his palms. Gregory takes hold of Oliver's hands and grips them tightly, trying to offer comfort and sympathy to his friend. Gregory cradles Oliver in his arms and passes his warmth onto him.

"Oli... I'm here for you. You know that, right...?" Gregory said, his voice gentle and reassuring. "We'll get through this together, I promise."

"...Hm," Oliver whimpered as he lowered his head and leaned closer to Gregory's face.

"Now... tell me... please... what happened?" Gregory asked.

Oliver nodded, his breath trembling as tears filled his eyes. "I... I ran away from home," he admitted.

Gregory's eyes widened in shock. "Why?" he asked.

"After we stopped the wedding, my adoptive parents—" Oliver flinched. "...I mean... Mr and Mrs Fuers became furious and threatened to beat me up... like they always did since I was a child..." Oliver explained, wiping away his tears.

Gregory gasped. "I... I'm... I'm so sorry, Oli. Oh... Oliver," he wrapped his arms around Oliver's shoulder.

Oliver shook his head. "I can never go back there," Oliver said firmly. "I won't let them hurt me again..."

Gregory nodded. "We'll figure something out," Gregory said as he looked around and saw strolling men and women staring at them.

As Gregory spoke, Oliver let out a sudden cry of pain, clutching his injured ankle. "Ouch!!"