Club - a Breddy Fanfic.

19) What?

Eddy can't help but literally run out of the place that has given him so much, but now also has taken so much in return. He should have known there would be consequences for indulgence, there always are.
Outside, the first panic subdues and he can breathe a bit more normally again. He feels his insides hurt. His heart and stomach still cramp together, making him feel sick. He wonders if he's going to hurl.

God! How stupid has he been! To fall for a guy like that.
Tears start dripping slowly out of the corners of his eyes. Is he far away enough for people not to see? He can't hold them in anymore anyway.

He hears running feet behind him. Eddy doesn't look up when Luke finally catches up with him.

"Hey, mate. I'll walk with you, if you don't mind." It's not a question. Even if he would mind, Luke wouldn't leave him alone.

Eddy nods and then shrugs.

Luke pats him on the shoulder. "You don't have to talk if you don't want to. I understand. But I don't want you to walk alone. I'll get you home, okay?"

Thank God for understanding friends.

After a minute they hear quick footsteps approaching again.
They both suspect that Timo has followed them too.
Eddy doesn't know if he is happy with that or not. He loves his friends for their concern, but now he has ruined both of their the dance nights. God, why is he so pathetic! The tears won't stop either. Loser much?! He rubs his eyes vigorously with his sleeve, angry at them that they keep coming and coming.
Then a hand is placed firmly on his shoulder and he is quickly turned around.
It's not Timo.
It's one of Brett's friends, the muscular one. Eddy recognises him: he was there the night when Brett went with him. Eddy looks at the tall man with the slight beach boy looks standing before him and raises his eyebrows in question.

"Hi Eddy, I'm Mason. Sorry to barge in on you like this, but I need to talk to you."

Eddy doesn't know what to think about that. WTH? What is he getting at?

"Hear me out please?" Masons ask urgently.

Eddy crosses his arms defensively over each other, but nods for him to continue. What else can he do? He's thankful that Luke is standing by his side, glaring at Mason, ready to spring into action when needed.

Mason starts the conversation with a question. "Why did you leave?"

Eddy responds a bit crass, annoyed. "I'm not in the right mood to see your friend Brett go fuck someone, thank you very much."

Mason nods and looks serious. "I do understand your reaction to all this. But there is a bit more to it than meets the eye. Look..." He runs a hand through his hair, apparently thinking hard how to proceed. "Look... I don't know how much I'm allowed and want to share, but I feel I have to intervene here. Please believe me when I say that Brett's really a lovely bloke, but also one with a lot of baggage. He has been hurt in the past. Very much hurt. It has damaged him. He has been healing now for quite a while, but he's not there yet. He has trust issues, especially with lovers. He has never wanted to trust anyone the last couple of years. I think he only does with the three of us, his closest friends. He never let himself even think about trusting anyone else, until he met you the other day. Do you even know how special it is that he stayed the night with you? He's never done that, until that night with you. He always goes home. But now he didn't want to. The morning that he woke up next to you, he was very surprised. And then he ran. You know he did." He looks for confirmation that Eddy is following his thoughts.

"I'm aware of that." he states the obvious, hesitation in his voice.

Mason continues. "When he arrived home he was all out, shaken. He told me he really liked you. Mind you, he has not told me that in a very, very loooong time. And I've known him for a long time. This week he has been talking to me, no, to us really, about you several times. Even without wanting it, he apparently just had to. For me it's clear as day that he really likes you."

"He has a very strange way of showing that then, don't you think?" Eddy has his eyebrows so scrunched together that it could be a unibrow. But Mason's words are having their effect. Eddy starts to wonder. What is the deal here?

"I know. He's behaving like an asshole. But I think he's just scared of your feelings for him and especially his own feelings for you. I think you might be wondering why I'm here now, telling you all this. It's because he's my best friend and I want to give him a chance of happiness. I have the feeling that you will be good for him. I'm hoping you have it in you to forgive him for this stunt he's pulled tonight. To love him. To fix him more."

"What do you expect me to do then, Mason? When I left he had his face buried in some girl just now, and maybe they are even fucking as we speak!" Eddy doesn't know he can do this. Should he even try?

Suddenly piano music rings through the night. It's a cell phone with the ringtone set on Beethoven's Moonlight Sonate Presto Agitato. It's Masons. He glances over the screen to see who is calling him at this late hour and looks instantly worried when he sees the caller ID.

"Sorry, I need to answer this for a sec." he tells the others, his eyebrows scrunched up in concern. He walks a few steps back and swipes to answer.
"Hey Vince.... What?... He WHAT?!... Who did that?!... The grumpy one? What the fuck! And now?... Listen... No listen to me.... Vincent! Shut up for one sec and listen! You get him out of there right now and get him home... I'll arrive shortly after. And put some ice on his face. There should be a cold pack in the fridge... What? No, go now... I don't care if they want him to talk to the police, just go!... Yeah, what?... They won't let you? Who's not?... Okay, I'm heading back to the Club right now... Yeah, I'll take care of everything there.... Just take care of him and look if you can just GO, for fuck sake!"
He hangs up, inhales profusely and looks angrily at Eddy and Luke.

"You'll need to come with me. Apparently your friend floored Brett and is in a lot of trouble right now."

Eddy and Luke exchange surprised looks.
"He did what?!" they say in unison and disbelief, mouths agape.

"Let's go see what the situation is like, shall we?" Mason turns on his heels and they start running back to the Club.