Love Hurts (boyxboy)

Chapter 9: The last person

"Why didn't you text me back?"

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What's going on, Josh?" Rich says as Josh pushes open the bathroom door to see Rich sat on the sink counter.

"I can't remember anything about that night, not after the club, but... I slept with someone."

"Well, good for you." Rich pats Josh on his upper arm. "Is that your big news? Was it your first time or something?"

"What? No!" Josh suddenly realised the gravitas of his words. He repeats himself, a little less sure. "I thought I'd slept with Maria that night, but I didn't." Josh can see Rich's face contort in a weird furrow, but Josh is so desperate to know the truth right now, Rich's feelings will have to go on hold. "Maria... she said to ask you."

"Well..." Rich looks down at his hands, grabbing onto the edge of the sink. "I left you with your clothes on."

But that still didn't answer the question. "Then... What did happen?"

Rich jumps down from the sink counter. "Honestly, I don't remember much. But I do remember me getting emotional about Maria in the taxi and crying like an idiot on your shoulder. And that's when you mentioned your crush on Neil. Josh, please, Maria must never know I bawled like a baby."

Josh goes as white as a sheet. "I said that?...about Neil?"

Rich then turns to Josh, looking him straight in the eyes. "I don't give a shit about your love life.  I'm only staying quiet because you will stay quiet but…" He gets up close to Josh's face. "If you ever touch Maria, I will fucking kill you." He walks out of the bathroom, leaving Josh a little stunned with a million thoughts in his head. The main one being who the hell did he take home?

He is about to head back to the office when his phone pings. He takes it from his pocket. It's from the 'unknown number.' He gulps down air as he takes in the message.

Unknown number
I just heard your chat.

Josh quickly turns to see the very end of the cubicle door closed. Why didn't he check before he started his conversation? He hears the door slowly unbolt... The door creaks as it slowly opens… "Everything seems to slow as Josh sees one foot appear, two feet, and then...

"Simon?"

He just stands at the other end of the bathroom, like they are in a Western.

"Why didn't you text me back?" He says in a quiet but deep voice. Josh's mouth goes dry, and he doesn't know what to say, as Simon starts to walk slowly towards Josh as he speaks. "You don't remember...do you."

"Simon, I..." Josh begins as Simon stops right opposite him. His height is a little shorter than Josh's. His blue eyes look bright, his mousey brown hair mop like, over his face. His thin frame drowned in his blue shirt.

"It's ok." He gives Josh a weak smile."

"Simon... I need to know what happened... please tell me."

Simon looks down at his hands, fiddling with his fingers, not even looking up.

"I...I saw you coming out of 'Queens'. I was standing outside.

"Queens?" Josh then realised he must have decided to hit the gay bars instead of going home. He looks at Simon, and he glances up at Josh before staring back down at his feet. "Why were you..." He stops himself from speaking. He knew exactly why Simon was there. The same reason that he had snuck out of his dad's house at 16.

There's silence between them before Josh nods...urging him to go on. "You saw me and came over. I could tell you were drunk, but you still said I shouldn't be there so late and you'd take me home. But I didn't want you to take me back home. I'd argued with my mum and didn't want to go home. You said I could stay at yours for a bit..." Simon looks up at Josh. He smiles, making Josh nervous. "Don't look so worried, Josh. You didn't do anything I didn't want to do....anyway, I left when you passed out. I guess it was around 5ish. I messaged you to see if you were ok. You were out cold."

Josh rubs his hand on his forehead. "Yeah... I was.."

He looks at Simon, who now has seemed to have found some confidence from somewhere to look directly back at him. "I won't tell." Simon replies.

"Simon, I'm not ashamed of what we did. I'm just embarrassed of my drunken behaviour."

"Don't be... I enjoyed myself." He then steps closer, stretching his neck up to whisper in Josh's ear. "And when Mr Rose turns you down, you know where to find me." He walks past and pats Josh's arm. Josh has to give him credit. He wasn't as ballsy at his age.

Josh reluctantly heads back to the office to get back to work. He sees Maria is back at her desk, headset already on. She glances up at him but looks back at her computer screen. He can not tell what she thinks of him right now but is too stressed out to care. Josh looks up one more time at the man at the centre of it all, not expecting to see him looking straight back. Neil smirks, not averting his eyes. It was as if they were having a staring contest. Who would bail first?

Neil lifts his pen up and taps his cheek, and Josh just watches, transfixed. This small interaction giving him a small thrill. He forces himself to look away. Neil chuckles to himself before continuing to his work.

Caught you.