𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧' 𝐆𝐮𝐲 ➺ 𝐵𝓇𝒾𝒶𝓃 𝑀𝒶𝓎 & 𝒬𝓊𝑒𝑒𝓃

15. Strange and Unknown

"I swear I am going to kill that blonde bastard." I gritted my teeth, arms folded tightly across my chest as I sulked my way down the aisle filled with fireworks. Freddie appeared behind me, quickly grabbing hold of my arm.

"Darling, you're not even looking," Freddie said, his voice calm and soothing.

"Fred, I can't focus on shopping for fireworks when I know that my best friend is being screwed over, once again, by a little boy who bangs on a flat surface with a stick for a living!" I raised my voice in frustration, drawing the attention of passers-by.

Freddie hushed me, gently pulling me back and meeting my gaze directly. "That boy doesn't know how to keep it in his trousers, I'm well aware of that. But he genuinely cares for Emma. You can see it, darling, it's undeniable. So, no matter what happens, you cannot... I repeat, you cannot tell Emma about this."

"Are you out of your mind?" I whisper-shouted at him, leaning in closer. "Do you have any idea how much Emma adores Roger? This will devastate her, and I can't stand by and watch her go on with her life as if nothing's wrong."

"I know, I know, dear, I truly understand." Freddie whispered back, his voice filled with sympathy. "There's nothing I want more than to give that boy a good smack but mentioning it to Emma will only make things worse. Roger has a history of this behaviour, and if he spends more than one night with someone, it actually means something to him."

I sighed, turning my gaze toward the fireworks on the racks. "That Patty girl always seemed too suspicious to me. I knew something was off about her."

"Unfortunately, darling, she'll be sticking around us more often now that Mary has befriended her. My suggestion is that you make sure Emma is present whenever we're all together. That way, Patty will get the message loud and clear that Roger is taken and absolutely not available."

Freddie gave me a mischievous grin. "Now, let's find some real bangers, both literally and metaphorically speaking." He winked at me and nudged my side playfully. "Speaking of which, how's Brian?"

"Seriously, Fred?" I struggled to shift gears from the intense conversation about Emma. "H-he's fine, I suppose. He seemed to be alright when I last saw him, but that was also when he dropped the bombshell about Roger, and needless to say, I completely lost it. Naturally. And just like you, he gave me a lengthy lecture about not telling Emma."

Freddie rolled his eyes. "Maria, we have known Roger for much longer than you have. I'm sorry, darling, but it truly doesn't mean anything."

His pleading expression and furrowed brows made me pause and consider his perspective. After all, Freddie and the others had a deeper understanding of Roger's character. Perhaps keeping Emma in the dark was the best course of action to minimise her pain.

"O-Okay... Fine..." I sighed, my voice tinged with reluctance as I nodded slowly. "I'm sorry, Fred. But I'm putting my trust in you and Brian, and I hope you know what you're talking about." I pointed a finger at him, giving him a stern look. "Now..." I turned my attention back to the boxes of fireworks, picking one up tentatively. "What about this one?"

"Please, dear," Freddie scoffed, his eyes twinkling mischievously as he reached for a larger box filled with an assortment of dazzling fireworks. "The bigger, the better, darling. We should know that by now." He winked and placed it into the shopping trolley beside him.

"Yeah..." I huffed, scanning the shelves for more options. "You speak for yourself..."

"You mean..." Freddie began, walking alongside me as we continued down the aisle. "You've never...?"

"No, I haven't. Can we not talk about it?" I blushed, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over me at the topic of my non-existent sex life. "What should we get for dinner, Fred? I was thinking—"