Loving Chris (TTSPG Book3)

13

Sorry for the late update.

Was, you know...

Thanks to those that checked up on me.

Do enjoy the chapter and let me know your thoughts.

~~~

Chapter 13

As he headed towards me, fist balled and scorn on his face, I speared him, causing us both to tumble and fall onto the sidewalk.

"What the hell man?" I snapped as we fought on the ground and I continuously tried to hold him down so he'd stop hitting me. When I finally got his hands pinned, I held tight so he couldn't move.

"Stop!" I yelled but he continued to struggle for freedom beneath me. "Stop fighting me and just listen... please." I pleaded.

"Get off me so I can kick your ass."

"I didn't hurt him!"

"So why is he crying, huh? Why the fuck is he always crying when it comes to you?"

"It wasn't my fault! He-"

"He what?"

Derek slams his head against mine and I fall back as a white light momentarily flashes before my eyes. Checking to see if there was any blood, I let out a string of expletives as I blinked up at him.

"Damnit Eric. He was the one that was seeing someone. That's why I told him we couldn't work. I promise you I didn't hurt him."

Derek gets up and holds his head as he stares at me. "What?" He snaps, still angry but not rushing over to beat the life out of me.

Seeing the opportunityto plead my case, I sit on the side of the road as I looked up at him, hand still holding my hurting head.

"I didn't hurt him! Do you think I want to be away from him? Don't you think I'd want to find a way to make our relationship work or even have him near me?"

Derek stares at me as I sit in my position on the floor. "If it isn't your fault then why was he crying? Saying how you guys had a fight."

"Because I'm not going to make the same mistakes of the past. I love him... do you hear me?! I love him but I can't be with him if he isn't single. I won't put us through that again."

"He isn't seeing anyone. "

"I saw him... and he never denied it."

"He isn't seeing anyone!" Derek snaps again and I briefly wondered why he was so invested in Chris and his life.

"You weren't there."

"You're not as close to him as you once were."

"And what are you to him huh? Does your girl know about this?" I spat as jealousy reared its ugly head.

"I don't have to fuck him to be his friend you asshole."

"I-"

"He is my friend! You broke him and so he had no other choice but to let us fix him... you were the one that hurt him, not me. You were the one that ruined his life for four years and I refuse to stand by and watch you do it again."

"I-"

"I am your best friend. I have been your best friend and I will continue to be your best friend until I die but I am also not afraid to make you understand that your actions have consequences."

"Eric-"

"I am not Levi... I'm not mom. I'm not your folks. I will no longer be treating you like the broken boy you once were because he doesn't deserve to be broken any longer... and neither do you."

He looks at me before releasing his hand from his forehead and checking it. When he's sure there is no blood, he comes towards me and gives me a hand.

"What is your next move?" He asks as I stand near him. "Will you let him go or are you man enough to fight for what you want?"

I stare at him, silently thinking back on my past and by extension, my life.

Of course I wanted Chris. There was no debate about that. I would do everything in my power to get him back and treat him the way he was always supposed to be treated. I'm not stupid to think I wouldn't mess up or that he wouldn't, but we were men now and that should mean something.

Slipping my hands in my pockets, I stared up at the dark sky before answering him. "I want-"

Yet again I was interrupted and I almost rolled my eyes and told him to ignore it when I saw Chris' name pop up on his screen. Derek exchanges a look with me before answering and I tried my best to hear what was being said.

"Chris?"

Pause.

"Alexis? What's wrong? What are you say- I can't understand you when you talk so- what? Shot? Who? Chris?"

I tried not to let the panic overwhelm me as I tried to get Derek's attention but he swats me away like a fly as he tried to understand what was being said.

"How did he?- when?- What were-"

Long pause.

Derek makes eye contact with me.

"Where?"

Short pause.

"For fucks sake just tell me where- okay I'm coming."

He hangs up the phone as he hurries to his car and I'm right behind him. I ignore my own car or my coworker that was either drunk dancing with a random stranger or looking for me as panic threatens to overwhelm me but knew that I looked as cool as a cucumber on the outside.

Years of practice. I thought.

"What did she say?" I ask as my best friend speeds out of the parking lot.

"There was a shooting at a gay club and Chris is in the hospital."

I swallowed as my mind thought the worse and even though I didn't want to utter the next sentence... I did just that.

It was better to clear all the skeletons from out the closet.

"Is he dead?"

I might have found it hard to ask that question but it was even harder to look at his worried expression and the way his knuckles turned white from griping the steering wheel as he thought of my question.

"Someone is dead but I don't know who."