Look Out For Me (ManXMan)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Matt managed to call Mel after he dried his face. He told Mel their location, but what terrified Matt the most, Mel didn't ask any questions. Lucas never left his side. In fact, he wouldn't let Matt out of his sight. Even when Matt needed to visit the bathroom to clean his face up. His face was pale, blotchy and red around the eyes. He looked awful.

Matt found Lucas standing dear the doorway pretending to be on his phone, but when Matt looked up from the sink, Lucas quickly looked away.

Lucas offered Matt an extra shirt, which he had no choice but to accept. To Mel, it might appear Lucas had staked his claim, or if he stayed shirtless, it would be as though they were rubbing it in Mel's face.

When Mel arrived, a crisp white shirt halfway unbuttoned with black suspenders and matching slacks, with no suit jacket to be a seen. Matt had a hard time looking Mel in the face. Something in Mel's face, somehow showed that he understood what had already happened. Like it was expected, and now Mel couldn't look him in the face. Matt managed to see Mel's indecisiveness. Perhaps not all was lost?

Mel picked the chair by the small breakfast table. He flipped it around, set his forearms on his thighs and knees when he sat. He stared at the floor before looking at Matt. Matt expected to see misery on the beautiful mans face, but all he saw was determination.

Meanwhile, Matt noticed that Mel sat opposite of Lucas. Lucas sat on the couch, to Matt's left. In a strange way, it was as if Lucas was protecting him. There was a short table blocking the pathway between Matt and Mel. With Lucas and Mel, there was nothing in the way.

Matt tried not to look at Lucas, but it was impossible not to. Would Lucas look antagonizing?

No. Matt realized they were both looking at each other with determination. Almost as if they were having a silent conversation with each other. Lucas looked stubbornly determined, while Mel looked like he had suddenly come up with an idea.

They're so different yet so much alike. Matt never fully realized it until just now.

Mel broke the ice by speaking first. He looked so handsome and diplomatic that Matt wanted to approach him. "This was bound to happen. Sooner or later."

Matt was the only one to lower his head in guilt.

"Do you regret it?" It took Matt a moment to realize Mel was speaking to Lucas, man to man.

"No." Lucas stared back, still stubbornly determined.

Mel's eyes then turned to Matt. It was a struggle for Matt to hold himself still. "Do you regret?"

Did he? Matt was sure Lucas was resisting the urge to look at him. Matt appreciated that. It would suck to feel extra pressure about now.

Mel's gaze, his eyes, felt like they were penetrating Matt. Matt knew somehow there would be no lying. He didn't want to hurt Lucas's feelings, or Mel's. It was a tough place to be, but he knew without a doubt that he had to answer honestly.

"No." Matt felt his voice croak. He felt like everything he worked so hard for, built himself up on crack and crumble beneath him. He had told the truth. There would be no going back from this.

Mel's face hardly gave away much. Matt had expected Mel to look demeaning, but he didn't. "Did you go the whole way?"

Matt brought his head up fully. He turned to look at Lucas. Lucas's mouth hung open a little. Somehow Matt thought that Lucas was far more up to speed then he was.

"Did you-" Mel shut his eyes quickly. For the first time, he looked impatient.

Matt finally understood. "No."