Entering the pub, Jack went over to the bar and got the first order.
Soon they were all sat around a table drinking and discussing what they were doing over the Christmas break. Both Jack and Toby were going home to their families, and Luke was staying with Tom and Seb.
"So, you really don't have a family to go home to?" Toby asked. They knew about his past in foster care and about his friendship with Matt, but he'd never discussed his time on the streets.
"No, I don't. Me and Matt ran away from my last foster home. Don't get me wrong, there are some places out there with good families, but not all of them are like that."
"If you don't want to stay with them, you're more than welcome at my house. My mum can't wait to meet you," Toby said. "She's heard all about you and Jack."
"Hope it's all good, mate," Jack muttered, lifting his beer and taking a sip.
Toby coughed a little, glanced over at Luke them back down his pint. Luke watched Toby take a deep breath in and release it. "Is any of it true? What Sarah's been saying?"
"Fuck, Tobes," Jack muttered, shaking his head.
Luke didn't answer. He didn't want to lie to his friends, but if he told the truth, there was no guarantee that they would remain his friends. Not many people understood when they heard the truth. Who'd want to be friends with him, someone who had let men fuck him for money?
As the silence grew between the three of them, Luke's stomach churned. A sweat broke out over his skin, and he swallowed hard, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans.
"Jesus, it is, isn't it?" Toby muttered.
"What do you want me to say? Would you accept the truth?" Luke asked. He watched the expressions dance across Toby's face.
Shock, horror, pity.
Finally, Toby shook his head. "How long were you on the streets for?" he asked, wiping the condensation from the side of his glass.
"Around two years." Luke swallowed.
"Were you careful?" Jack asked, staring Luke straight in the eyes.
"Always," he answered, swallowing again.
He bit his lip, glancing between the two of them, waiting for them to shout at him, to swear at him, to say what a disgusting human being he was. But they said nothing. Luke frowned, wondering why neither of them was leaving.
"We kinda knew," Jack mumbled. Sitting back in his chair, Jack looked directly at Luke. "What? You think we won't be friends now? Because you were a rent boy?" Jack leaned forward on the table and continued to stare at Luke. "Did you want to do it?"
Luke shook his head. "No," he whispered.
"Can't imagine what you went through living on the streets, and no, I wouldn't want to do it. We've talked about it, and we admire the way you turned your life around. You've now got friends, you're doing a degree, and you're going somewhere. Got fucking big brass balls, mate."
Toby choked out a laugh. "Big brass balls?" Shaking his head, he said, "You sure got a way with words, Jack."
Looking again at Luke, Jack added, "You don't have to tell us about what happened when you lived on the streets. It's none of our business. But if you ever want to talk about it, we're here. Now, we need to get pissed, don't you think?"
Luke laughed, raised his glass, and drank half of it down. He had awesome friends.
Chapter Eight
Luke grunted as he carried the heavy suitcase up four flights of stairs. Why did Josh have to live on the fourth floor? It seemed that Tom had had the same thought.
"You could have picked a better time than now to move, Matt," Tom grunted as he also carried a suitcase up the stairs to Josh's apartment. "You could've waited 'til you had a ground floor apartment, not a fourth floor one."
"Shut up, Tom," Josh muttered.
"Fuck you, Josh."
"No thanks. I'd rather Matt did that."
"Like being bottom boy, d'ya?"
"Yep. Don't you? Seb can't be that bad in the sack."
Tom dropped the suitcase he'd been carrying turning to face Josh. "Seb is fuckin' great. He does this thing with his tongue--"
"Please, will you just shut up. All I've heard today is you two bickering." Seb told them as he carried the Christmas tree. "And stop discussing our sex life, Tom."
"Hey. Does this mean I get Matt's old room now?" Luke asked.
"My bed's not even cold yet, Luke." Matt stopped and stared at Luke.
Luke shrugged. "So?"
"Couldn't wait to get rid of me?" Matt asked, smiling at him.
Luke shrugged, stuck his tongue out, and pushed past him into the living room. Dropping the suitcase, Luke practically fell on the sofa. He wasn't carrying anything else.
"Bastards," Matt muttered as he sat next to Luke on the sofa.
"So, we decorating then?" Luke asked, glancing around the living room.
"After we've eaten," Seb informed them, dropping the tree on the floor.
"Take out then?" Luke sat up on the sofa. He could eat a curry right about now.
"No. I've booked us into the Italian down the road and Geoff and Ben are joining us. So, let's finish bringing everything in, then we can head over."
"You didn't have to –"
"I know, Josh, but I did. So come on, let's finish, then we can eat."
Twenty minutes later, everything had been brought in. As they walked to the restaurant, Seb turned to Matt and Josh.
"Christmas at mine? After we've been to see Nate?"
Josh looked at Matt before smiling at Seb. "No place we'd rather be."
"Ugh! Quit the mushy shit. Some of us are single, you know." Luke groaned. He was only joking, though. He was genuinely happy that Matt had fallen in love. He wished it had been easier for him, though.
"You'll find someone," Matt told him.
A few minutes later, they walked into the restaurant, found Ben and Geoff, and sat down.
It was a fantastic evening, and Luke had a great time. It was nice to be out with all his friends and being able to catch up and talk without watching what he said. The four of them had come a long way from those days spent on the streets and Seb, Geoff, and Josh knew all about their past, and it didn't affect them.
Once the meal was over, they said their goodbyes and went home. There were only a few days before Christmas and Luke couldn't wait. Christmas was his favourite time of year.
❊❊❊
Luke had been back at university for a couple of weeks. He'd handed in his assignments, knowing they weren't up to his usual standards. He couldn't help the lack of focus he'd had recently. When he'd expected the gossip and rumours to die down, he'd been surprised that they hadn't. Sarah and her cronies were still happy to make his life hell.
Every day he woke up with this horrible sinking feeling in his stomach. As soon as he thought about his day, Luke would feel physically sick, his stomach churning, and sweat breaking out over his skin. His mouth became suddenly dry, and he'd have to swallow, continuously moving his tongue around, trying to create some saliva.
He hated his life.
Luckily for Luke, Jack and Toby had stood by him. Today, Friday, had been the worst, but thankfully, it was the end of the week, so he had a break from it all.
Sarah had been waiting outside Luke's lecture room with Daisy and Neil. As soon as Luke had left, she'd started making snide comments towards him, making sure the others could hear her.
At first, Luke had chosen to ignore her, hoping she would go away, but she'd followed him down the corridor.
"How's your hole, Luke?"
"Can you sit today?"
"How much are you gonna make tonight when you're out on the streets?"
"I hope everyone gets tested that comes near you. Fuck knows what they'll catch."
Eventually, Luke had snapped, spun around, and stood facing Sarah.
Her look of surprise made Luke happy. She clearly hadn't expected him to stop and face her. Her mouth had fallen open, and she ended up taking a couple of steps back away from him. Luke watched her eyes widen.
"Dirty fucking scum!"
"
Is that really the best you can come up with, Sarah?" Luke asked.
"How much? Thirty, forty, fifty quid? Does your ass work now or is it a loose hole flapping away?"
Luke closed his eyes, shaking his head. Opening them, he stared at her. "What the fuck is your problem?"
Just as Sarah was about to open her mouth, someone in the corridor shouted, "Shut the fuck up, bitch! We're not interested! Forget about it and move on."
Whoever made the comment walked away, leaving the four of them stood together. Luke shook his head, turned, and carried on walking down the corridor, choosing to ignore her.
"Don't you fucking walk away from me!"
Luke blanked her out as he continued to walk away.
"How many men you gonna fuck tonight? Slut!"
"I don't know why you're still bothering with him. He's a dirty fucking scum bastard. Walk away and leave him alone. Don't waste your time," Neil said to Sarah.
"He lied to me. I had to get tested! I could have caught anything from him."
At that moment, Professor Stapleton walked out of another door, pausing when he heard what Sarah was shouting. "What's going on here, then?"
"Nothing, Professor Stapleton," Luke told him.
Stapleton stared intently at Luke, then looked behind him at Sarah, Daisy and Neil. "No, Luke, I don't believe it's nothing. I could clearly hear what was being said to you." Walking past Luke, he stopped in front of the other three, glaring at them. "We have a no bullying policy here at the University. If it comes to my attention that this is what is occurring here, I will have all three of you up on charges. Do I make myself clear?"
All three nodded as they muttered, "Yes, sir."
"I'm glad we understand one another. Turn around and walk away, and if I see you anywhere near Luke Bell again, I will bring you up myself."
Luke watched the three of them glare at him and then push past him as they continued down the corridor. He looked back at Stapleton, seeing the stern look he gave him.
"How long has this been going on for?"
"I just want to forget about it."
Stapleton stared at him for a few seconds, before finally nodding. "I will let it go this time, Luke. But if it continues, I want you to tell me. No student here will be a victim of bullying."
Luke nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Good. Now get going."
Luke watched Stapleton continue down the corridor until he turned the corner and was out of sight. He sighed, his gaze dropping to the floor, and he scuffed his trainer on the carpet.
Two weeks. Two weeks he'd been back after Christmas, and it was still going on. Sure, it was mainly Sarah and her friends who are doing it, but he'd hoped that it would have eased off by now. He was still being trolled on social media, and he knew the time was approaching when he would have to delete all his accounts, but he kept putting it off.
Luke sighed again and began walking down the corridor. After a few minutes, he exited the building, pleased Sarah and her friends were not hanging around to scream abuse at him.
Glancing up, he saw the TA, Krish, walking towards him. "Luke Bell? Can you wait a minute, please?"
Luke groaned. What had he done now?
❊❊❊
"Hi. We've not really spoken before. I'm Krish, the TA for this course."
Luke nodded. "I know who you are. Is there a problem?"
"I wanted to discuss your assignments..."
"Why? Is there something wrong with them?"
Krish paused, watching Luke bite his lip. "Your scores have dropped a little, and I was wondering –"
"How much are you charging him?" Someone shouted at them.
Krish spun around, glaring at the person who'd made the comment. "What did you say?"
There was no reply as the group quickly walked away. Krish looked back at Luke, noticing how pale his skin had become. He was avoiding Krish's stare, and Krish frowned. "You know what that was all about?"
Luke still avoided his gaze, staring anywhere but at him. "No," he whispered.
Krish's frown deepened, not believing what Luke had said. "Tell me."
Luke shook his head and took a couple of steps away. Krish wasn't letting him go. Luke clearly had some issues.
"Come on. Let's go for a drink and we can talk about it."
Luke met his gaze then quickly glanced away. Krish stood waiting, and eventually Luke nodded. Krish released a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding, nodded, and said, "There's a cafe around the corner. We can go grab a coffee and talk."
Krish walked away, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that Luke was following and he smiled to himself when he saw that Luke was. They didn't talk on the way there and from the occasional glances Krish gave Luke, it was plain on Luke's face that he was apprehensive and unsure. He was looking at the ground, biting his lip, and avoiding Krish's stare.
Once when they reached the cafe, Krish told Luke to sit, and after buying a coffee for the both of them, he sat at the table opposite Luke. He waited patiently, but after a few minutes of silence, Krish eventually spoke. "I'm here to help. Whatever you say stays between us. Now, tell me what's been going on."
Luke's eyes kept flicking up to his, then quickly away. He continued to bite his lip and eventually, Krish reached over and gently removed it from his teeth, causing Luke's eyes to widen in surprise.
"You're going to hurt yourself."
Luke nodded. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
"There's nothing to apologise for. Please, tell me what's going on. "
Luke slumped back in his seat, sighing. "I'm being bullied," he muttered.
"Bullied?"Krish frowned. "How long has it been going on for?"
"Couple weeks before Christmas. I was hoping it would have died down by now, but it hasn't." Luke shrugged, reaching for his drink and taking a sip.
"Have you reported it?" Krish was well aware the university had a no bullying policy and was very strict in following it.
"No." Luke shook his head. "I just want to forget about it."
"Exactly what is going on?"
"It's mainly online. Stuff being posted to my social media accounts. You know, like, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram."
"Are the accounts still active? Or have you deleted them now?"
"I know I'm stupid, but I didn't want to delete them. I was sure it would have stopped by now, but it hasn't."
Krish nodded. "You need to delete those accounts. It will be better for you in the long run. How are you feeling?"
Luke shrugged again. "I'm lucky that I have some good friends who are standing by me."
"I'm glad you have some good friends too, Luke. When asking you how you're feeling, I'm more interested in things like isolation, depression or maybe self-harm."
Luke's eyebrows rose so far up his forehead they were almost buried in his hair. "No, no. I admit it did get me a bit down, but I've been through worse." Luke quickly looked away when he finished speaking, picking up his coffee and sipping it again.
Krish frowned. He'd been through worse? What could he have suffered that was worse than all the bullying he'd clearly been through the last month or so?
"Okay. Start by deleting your social media accounts. Hopefully, that side of the bullying will stop. We'll just have to deal with anything that's said at the University."
"Okay, I will," Luke agreed.
Krish reached into his pockets and pulled out his phone. "Here, take my number, and if you ever need to talk to someone, I'm here."
Luke's eyes flickered up to his. He didn't say anything, just waited for Luke to react. Eventually, Luke nodded and pulled his phone from his bag. They exchanged numbers, and Luke stood up to go.
Krish also stood. "Will you be okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine, thanks."
"Alright, I'll see you on Monday."
"Okay, and thanks, Krish. I appreciate it," Luke muttered as he walked away, leaving Krish stood watching him.
Krish frowned. There was more to Luke than met the eye
, and he was curious to find out what.
What was it about Luke Bell that drew him?
Chapter Nine
"So, what's been going on?"
Luke glanced over his shoulder at Josh, frowning. "Don't know what you mean?"
Luke had gone over to see Matt and Josh, and he hadn't been there long before Josh had started questioning him.
"I know something is going on. You're quieter than normal," Josh told him, folding his arms across his chest and staring at him.
"Is it still going on?" Matt asked.
Luke sighed, nodding his head. "It's not as bad as it was. I've deleted all my social media accounts and only get the occasional text or email now. Sarah still follows me around, shouting shit. I just ignore her and walk away."
"You need to tell that bitch to fuck off," Josh said.
Matt smiled at Josh. "You gonna go down there and beat some of them up?"
Josh snorted. "Not worth my time. Bitch needs a slap, and I don't agree with hitting women, but I'd do it to her!"
"Now now, Josh"-- Matt kissed him-- "less of the fighting."
"Thanks, though."
Josh snorted again, "No fighting? This is me we're talking about."
"Yes, it is. And remember you're trying to do better, be a calmer person."
"I am," Josh argued. "Just don't wanna see Luke getting picked on."
Luke lifted his hands up, palms out. "Okay, thank you. It's really not necessary, though. It'll die down. She'll get bored and start on someone else. Anyway, she's seeing someone else now. Can't imagine he's gonna want to stand there when she's screaming abuse at me. No bloke wants to see his girlfriend's more interested in the ex than him."
Matt nodded. "Well, I hope it does. You'll tell us if it doesn't, will you?"
"Yeah, 'course I will."
"Really? You didn't tell us it's been going on for the past month, did ya?" Josh reminded him.
Luke sighed. "I just didn't want to involve you two. You've gone through so much together, and now you've moved in and you're starting a life together." Luke shrugged again. "I just hope it would settle down and I won't have to involve anyone."
"Seb and Tom don't know?" Josh asked.
"No, and I don't want them to know. Please don't tell them."
Breaking Free (Second Chances Book 4) Page 5