"Why? Seb's a solicitor. Who's better to advise you than him?" Josh reminded him. Yes, Seb was a solicitor, and Tom was training to become one, but their relationship was getting back on track, and he didn't want his dramas to rock it. They'd had difficulties with Josh, and at one point, Tom had left. Both couples had overcome many obstacles, and Luke didn't want to upset them. The last thing he wanted to do was to cause problems between either of the couples. He was an adult. He could handle it himself.
"Okay then. Tomorrow, we'll meet at the bus stop, and I'll walk with you," Matt said.
Luke shook his head. "No, there's no need to do that."
"Yes, I will. We've known each other a long time, and I'm not going to let some fucking bitch cause problems for you. We will meet tomorrow morning and we're walking in together."
Luke stared at Matt, a stare Matt returned. Eventually, Luke nodded. "Okay, I'll meet you in the morning."
"Good, I'm kinda hoping she will do something now so that I can give the fucking bitch a mouthful."
Josh wrapped his arms around Matt. "That's my babe."
"Tomorrow then."
Luke nodded.
❊❊❊
Matt and Luke stood at the bus stop. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Luke asked. His stomach rolled, and he wiped the palms of his hands on his jeans. He looked around the area, only noticing a few stares their way.
"Course I do. Let's go." Matt walked towards the building, and Luke slowly followed.
"How long do you think it will go on for before she gets bored?"
Matt shrugged. "Not long. There's hardly anyone looking our way now, so they've probably moved on to someone else already."
Luke nodded. Matt was right. When Sarah had first started saying things about him, it had felt like virtually everyone was looking at him or commenting on him. But now, hardly anyone seemed bothered. It appeared like it was finally dying down.
Glanced around the area again, Luke spotted her. Sarah and her cronies. "Shit! There she is." Taking a shaky breath, Luke rubbed the back of his neck and dropped his gaze to the floor.
"Keep your head up. You've got nothing to be ashamed of. As far as we're concerned, she doesn't know anything. She's jumped to conclusions, so ignore her."
He glanced across at Matt. "But she hasn't, has she?" he whispered.
Matt stopped and grabbed Luke's arm bringing him to a halt. "No one needs to know. No one." Matt gave Luke a hard stare. "It's the past, and it doesn't matter to anyone."
Luke nodded and Matt released his arm, walking forward again. He glanced over at Sarah and watched her glare at him.
At the entrance to the building, Matt said goodbye and Luke walked to his lecture room, while Matt walked back to his stop.
It was an hour long of boredom, and Luke struggled to pay attention. As he was leaving the lecture hall, Krish shouted at him from behind.
Luke paused, glancing over his shoulder and watched Krish approach him. "Fancy going for a drink?" Krish asked him.
Luke glanced up at him. He hadn't really paid attention to him when they'd gone for the coffee before. His mind had been on Sarah and what she'd been saying about him. But now, he could appreciate the man stood in front of him.
Taller than him by a good three or four inches, Krish was broad across the shoulders. Slim waist and lean hips, with strong thighs, evident through the jeans he wore. Luke glanced back up to Krish's face, taking in the full lips and strong jaw. His light brown skin fascinated Luke, and he wanted to reach out and touch it. He had dark curly hair, almost black, and bright hazel eyes.
Luke swallowed. He could feel the attraction towards Krish, and it scared him. He hadn't been with the man since his time on the streets, and he wasn't sure if he could do it again. The thought of letting someone fuck him... No, he couldn't do it.
"Well?"
Luke swallowed again. "Okay." There was no harm in having Krish as a friend.
"My place isn't too far from here, so let me grab my work, and I'll meet you outside, and we can go get a drink. Is that okay with you?"
Luke took a shaky breath in. Was that okay with him? Did Krish want more?
Glancing back up at Krish's face, Luke's eyes flickered over his face, but Luke couldn't see anything other than friendship reflected. Luke slowly nodded. "Yeah, sure."
"Okay, I'll meet you outside in a few minutes."
Luke nodded and watched Krish walk away, then went outside.
Within a few minutes, Krish was there with a large bag over his shoulder. "Have you got a lot of work to do?" Luke asked when he saw the bag.
"Always." Krish chuckled. "But don't worry, I've got time for us to have a drink together. Come on. The car's just over here."
They walked over towards a red Citroen and Luke jumped in. Krish was right. It only took a few minutes to get to the house where he lived.
"I live here with a couple of friends I met on my course, Danny and Simon. They're good guys. They normally have their girlfriends, Katie and Jess, here as well, but don't mind them."
Krish parked up and they both got out of the car. Luke followed Krish towards the front door of a mid-terraced house. Krish let them both in and closed the door behind Luke.
"Just us here, Luke. Fancy a beer?"
Luke followed Krish into the kitchen. "Yeah, that'd be great, thanks." Luke glanced around the kitchen, noticing the faded wallpaper and cupboards. It wasn't dirty, it was just a bit old and needed some repair. A typical student house.
Luke took the bottle Krish handed him and followed him into the living room. He dropped his bag to the floor and sat on the chair. Again, the living room was showing signs of wear, but it wasn't too bad. Brown carpet and cream walls. Books were everywhere, including a few dirty dishes.
"So, anymore bullying?" Krish asked.
"Nah, it's died down now. It's just my ex and her friends. Coming off social media helped."
"Good, I'm glad. So, why English Literature?"
Luke smiled and talked about his love of books and reading. It turned out they both had a lot in common and over the course of the evening, Luke drank several beers and learned a lot about Krish. Including the fact that Luke was attracted to him, which scared the shit out of him.
He was laughing at one of Krish's stories about his siblings when Luke realised how drunk he was. He really needed to go home.
"So, why is Sarah so angry with you? I mean, she left you, so why keep it up?"
Luke glanced away, biting his lip. He shrugged, not wanting to answer the question.
"It can't be that bad."
Luke nodded. "It is."
"You know whatever is said between us will remain between us."
Luke stared at Krish. "I was a rent boy." Shit. He hadn't meant to blurt that out. He dropped his head into his hands, hiding from Krish.
When he felt Krish's hands on his shoulders, he lifted his eyes, blinking, tears running down his face.
"Did you have a choice?" Krish asked quietly, wiping the tears from Luke's cheeks.
"No," he whispered. "I was living on the streets." Luke swallowed hard. "I had nothing."
"How long were you on the streets for?"
Luke shrugged, "Around two years or so." Luke glanced up, looking into Krish's eyes. "Do you hate me now?"
Krish rocked back on the heels of his trainers. "What? Hate you?" Krish shook his head. "Why would I hate you?"
"'Cause I'm a used up hole."
Krish leaned close. "No, you're not. There are more than a few students who are escorts. The extra money keeps them at Uni. Most students leave with mountains of debt. I know a couple of them. They're really nice people. So, no, I don't have a problem."
Luke sobbed, dropping his face into his hands. Krish pulled him closer, holding him as he cried.
Luke wasn't sure how long he cried for, he'd held so much in, but eventually, his sobs eased. He leaned back, creating some distance between them. He couldn't look at Krish, so he glanced around the room inste
ad. Anything to avoid looking into Krish's eyes and seeing the loathing there.
It was when he felt a hand on his chin, lifting his head up, that Luke finally looked at Krish. He took in a shaky breath, holding it, waiting to Krish to ask him to leave.
"You're safe here, Luke. I won't tell anyone what you've said to me."
"Promise," Luke whispered.
Krish nodded. "You did what you had to do. No one should use that against you." Standing, Krish held out his hand to Luke. "Come on. You can stay in my bed tonight, and I'll drive you home in the morning."
Luke glanced at the hand and eventually reached up and gripped it tight. He allowed Krish to pull him up and lead him from the living room, up the stairs and into his bedroom. Luke let Krish sit him on the bed, take his trainers off and pull the covers back.
"I'll leave the room while you undress, but try to get some sleep, and I'll come up in the morning."
Luke sat watching Krish as he walked from the room. "Wait. Where are you going to sleep?"
"Don't you worry about that. I'll be fine. Good night, Luke, and I'll see you in the morning."
Krish stepped through the doorway and closed the door quietly behind him, leaving Luke alone in his bedroom. He lay down and pulled the covers up to his chin, and blinked his tired and gritty eyes. He closed his eyes, praying for sleep, and that was the last thing he knew.
Chapter Ten
Luke woke up and blinked his eyes several times to clear the sleep from them. Rolling his head over the pillow, he looked at the room he'd slept in. Posters covered the dingy brown wallpaper, and there was a wardrobe in the corner that looked well used. Next to that was a chest of drawers and next to the bed he lay in was a bedside cabinet. All of them were a dark colour. Typical, cheap student furniture.
Luke smiled, rubbing his hands over the covers. Nice and soft, just like the mattress. He tried not to think about how many other people may have slept in this bed and on this mattress, doing God only knows what.
There was a knock on the door, and then it slowly opened and Krish stuck his head in.
When he saw Luke was awake, he smiled and stepped into the room. "Morning. I've brought you up a cup of tea. How did you sleep?"
Luke felt his face heat up and he glanced away. He bit his lip, embarrassed when the previous night played through his mind. "Okay, thanks," he mumbled.
"Are you hungry?"
Luke rolled towards Krish when he sat on the side of the bed, and Luke finally looked up to him. He was smiling as he held out a cup of tea towards him. Luke pushed himself up, so he was resting against the headboard and reached for it. "Thank you." He hadn't brushed his teeth the night before or that morning, so his mouth felt grungy.
Taking the cup from Krish, Luke swallowed eagerly, moaning as the taste hit his tongue. There was nothing like a cup of tea in the morning.
"I'll see you downstairs then, and I'll put some toast on for you." Krish stood, walking towards the bedroom door. "The bathroom is the next door to the left. You'll find everything in there. No spare toothbrush, though."
Luke nodded. "Thank you. I'll be down in a few minutes."
Krish closed the door quietly behind him and Luke continued to drink his tea. How stupid had he been last night? How could he tell Krish everything that had happened? Dropping his head back against the headboard, Luke closed his eyes, squeezing them tight. Shaking his head, Luke muttered, "I'm an idiot."
Sighing, Luke lifted his head back up and opened his eyes, looking at the cup he held in his hands. He drank the contents and put it down on the cabinet, then got up. Leaving the bedroom, he found the bathroom where Krish said it was, and after doing what he needed to, he went back into the bedroom, grabbed the empty cup, and went downstairs.
When he walked into the living room, he found two men sat there talking to each other. When they saw him, the conversation stopped, and they both smiled at him.
"Hi! You must be Luke," the man with the red hair said. "I'm Danny, and this one sat next to me is Simon."
"Hi," he mumbled, glancing around the room looking for Krish.
"Don't mind those two dickheads," Krish said, as he walked into the room carrying a plate of toast.
"Hey, who're you calling dickhead?" Simon asked, throwing a piece of crust towards Krish.
Krish laughed. "Come on, Luke, here's your toast. Once you finish that, I'll drop you off."
Luke walked over to the chair and sat, taking the plate of toast from Krish. "Thanks," he said in a quiet voice.
He looked up to see Danny, Simon and Krish staring at each other, and eventually, Danny rolled his eyes. "Nice meeting you, Luke. Come on, Simon. We've got things to do."
Simon waved at Luke, and both Danny and Simon got up and left the room. Krish sat on the sofa and sipped his drink. Luke didn't know what to say after everything last night. He just wanted to leave and go home to his own bedroom away from everyone. He sighed, picked up the toast and took a bite, chewing it carefully as he glanced at Krish.
"You're okay here, Luke," Krish told him. "I haven't said anything to Simon or Danny, and I won't. I gave you my word, and I plan to keep it."
Luke nodded but didn't say anything.
They sat in silence as Luke finished his toast. Once the plate was clear, he stood, walked into the kitchen, and placed it on the side. Coming out, he found Krish stood by the living room door waiting for him. "Come on. It won't take long to get you home at this time."
Luke followed Krish, and once they sat in Krish's car, Luke gave Krish directions to where he lived. They didn't live close to each other, so it took around thirty minutes, and eventually, Krish pulled up outside his home. They sat in silence for a few seconds. Luke didn't know what to say.
Twisting on his seat, Krish said, "Your secret's safe with me. I'm not going to tell anyone and thank you for trusting me."
Luke looked at his clasped hands on his lap and slowly nodded. "Thanks for last night," he whispered, darting his eyes towards Krish and then looking away again.
Krish's hand gripped the back of his neck and Luke looked up at him. The grip tightened as Krish spoke. "Whenever you need to speak to me, I'm here. I will never judge you for what you did, understand?"
Luke nodded. He got out of the car, and before slamming the door shut, he bent and looked at Krish. "Thanks again." He closed the door, waved at Krish through the window, and walked up the path towards the front door. Luke let himself in and paused, listening to the sounds of the house. Both Seb and Tom were up.
Walking into the living room, he found them both sat together watching TV. They both glanced up at him, and Luke smiled.
"Hey, where were you last night? Everything okay?" Tom asked.
Luke walked into the living room, dropped his bag by the side of the sofa, and sat down on the chair, slumping back and closing his eyes. "Look, I need to tell you something."
"Is everything all right?" Seb leaned forward on the sofa.
"You know me and Sarah broke up. Well, she started spreading rumours about me, and it got really bad for a while and I had to delete all my accounts. I didn't want to tell you guys. I didn't want to drag you into to my mess."
"What the fuck! Why wouldn't you tell us something was going on?" Tom said. "We're your mates, and we've been through too much shit to keep secrets from each other. We're not going through what we just went through with Matt and Josh."
Nodding, Luke opened his eyes and sat up, leaning forward. "I know. It's because of that I didn't want to drag you into my mess. Look, Sarah was asking questions about my past, and I was evasive because I didn't want her to know. When I told her I'd been on the streets, she jumped to conclusions -- of course, they were the right conclusions -- but because I wouldn't say anything, wouldn't discuss it, she told everyone. It's been a nightmare."
"Is that why you've been spending more time in your room?" Seb asked.
Luke nodded again. "Yeah."
"How bad has it been?"
"It was bad at fir
st, but since I got back after Christmas, it's lessened. Now that I've deleted Facebook and Twitter and Instagram, she can't reach me, though I'm still getting the odd text message." Luke shrugged. "I'll get a new number as well, and that should take care of the rest." Luke sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just wish they would drop it. I mean, she's got a new boyfriend now, but she's still hanging around trying to cause problems for me." Luke shook his head. Why couldn't she just let it go?
"Have you reported her?" Seb asked. "All universities have an anti-bullying policy now, don't they?"
"One of the professors overheard Sarah having a go at me and reminded her, so she's not said anything since. And I spoke to the TA on my course, Krish, and he's supportive."
"You told him? You told him what we fuckin' did?" Tom stood, and walked towards the window, crossing his arms and staring out.
"Yeah, that's where I was. He let me stay over, and I never mentioned anyone else's names. I just told him that I lived on the street for a couple of years and what I had to do. He wasn't bothered and said he knew some students who were escorts."
Seb glanced over at Tom, frowning, and then looked back at Luke. "So, he was supportive?"
Luke nodded. "Yeah."
"Good, I'm glad. Anything else we should know?"
"I also told my friends, Toby and Jack. Well, I didn't really need to tell them, they'd already figured it out, and they weren't bothered by it. I told them before Christmas, and they've kept in touch with me, and we still sit together on our courses." Luke shrugged, looking at his jeans and picking at them to avoid looking at Seb.
"Well, we knew there was a chance this would happen, and we talked about it, didn't we?" Seb stood and walked over towards Tom, pulling him back against his chest and wrapping his arms around Tom's stomach.
"Okay, okay," Tom muttered, bending his head back to kiss Seb on the cheek. "And they're supporting you? Not saying shit?"
"No, they're still my friends."
Tom nodded and sighed. "Right, don't know about you, but I've got a fuckin' lot of work to get done."
"Yeah, I've seen it on the desk. Get going, and I'll get dinner started. Roast chicken?"
Breaking Free (Second Chances Book 4) Page 6