Once in a Lifetime {BxB English}

🖤 Chapter 12

"You're staying with me tonight" Ody said, and they locked eyes, both seeming to get lost in each other's gaze.

"I thought you were with your girlfriend"

"At her place. I'll call and explain"

"What are you going to tell her?" he asked, giving Ody a meaningful look since he knew he didn't want anyone finding out about Kash.

"I'll tell her..." he tried to think. "When I called you, I told her you'd been hit. I'll make up an excuse"

Mano exhaled sharply, turning his head away.

"What?"

"Why don't you just tell them the truth?" he turned back, meeting Ody's green eyes again.

"For what? To put them at risk? Look at yourself. They hit you just for seeing them messing with me. If my friends find out and try anything, they'll get hurt too—just like you did. And all because of me"

"It's not your fault"

"Then whose is it? If you hadn't seen him throw coffee at me, you wouldn't be like this" Ody said, guilt written all over his face.

"Don't do that" he looked at him seriously.

"Do what?"

He sighed before answering, "They're the ones who hit me; they're the ones to blame"

Ody lowered his head, silent. Then he looked up at him. "What are you going to do? Are you planning to keep going with this?"

"Even if I wanted to, I can't right now" Mano replied, gesturing to himself.

"When you're better... are you going to go after them again?" worry flashed across Ody's face at the thought.

["From now on, I want you to be an even better boy than Ody. Otherwise, we'll come find you again," he punched him. "And beat you again," and again. "It's up to you if this continues. And from what I know, you're all alone. I can bring more people to fuck you up real bad"]

["Now, let's hear it. Gonna get involved if you see us messing with that loser again?"]

["You're gonna be a good boy from now on, or I'll bring the others?"

"Good. See? That wasn't so hard"]

"If they mess with you again..." Mano said, anger simmering as he flashed back to a few hours earlier.

"Don't worry about me. You need to worry about yourself, Mano"

His honey eyes met his again, but this time Ody could see concern in his gaze.

"They'll mess with you again... he told me so"

Ody blinked, then sighed. "It doesn't matter. I can take it. They've been doing this for a while now, it's nothing. What they did to you, though, that's..."

"I can't just let them hurt you again"

"Stop acting like a hero! Look at yourself, damn it! You're not getting involved with me anymore!" he shouted, his voice rising as he met Mano's gaze, who remained silent.

"No, don't... I didn't mean it like that," Ody quickly clarified. "I mean don't get involved if you see them messing with me" he explained, looking down.

Mano clenched his fists and jaw, his gaze fixed on Ody's downturned face. He couldn't just leave him to deal with this alone. He'd promised he'd stick by him through all of this. He couldn't let them keep hurting him. But on the other hand...

On the other hand...

["And if you try to act tough and interfere again... I'll beat Ody even worse than I'm beating you"]