Seeing Colors

Chapter 12

January 2007

"See youse after me and Ant's meeting?" Dec asked his boyfriend who was sat across him on their dining table.

"Hmm, what was that?" Stephen shifted his attention from his phone and onto Dec. "Sorry, I was distracted."

"I said, 'See you after me and Ant's meeting?'" 

"Oh, probably not. I'm gonna be out." Stephen returned his attention to his phone.

"Where you going?" Dec frowned. 

"Um...just out."

"Just out?" Dec asked, suspicion niggling in the back of his mind.

"Yep, just out," Stephen smiled at Dec. Seeing the time on the clock behind Dec, Stephen said, "Oh, you better finish your coffee before the car gets here to pick you up."

Dec opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off when he heard honking from outside. "Speaking of the devil...well, I guess I'll see youse when you get home from whatever you're goin' to." Dec got up and walked over to Stephen.

"Yep," Stephen says nonchalantly, eyes still glued to his phone. He only looked away when Dec leaned down to kiss him goodbye, and even then, he was distracted by his phone.

"Bye, pet." 

"Hmm," Stephen hummed in reply, effectively angering Dec in the process.

Dec slammed the front door on his way out and stomped over to the awaiting car. He grumpily sat next to Ant in the car.

"Oh, looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Ant commented.

"Don't feel like joking around right now, Ant."

Ant dropped his grin and pulled Dec into a side hug. "Oi, what's wrong, man?"

"Stephen." 

"Aye, what about Stevie boy?" 

A sob escaped Dec's lips. "I think Stephen is cheating on us, Ant."

The frown on Ant's face deepened when he heard this. He coaxed Dec's head onto his shoulder and let the smaller man cry against his shirt. Ant did his best not to lose it and focused on comforting his friend. "Shh, shh. Just let it out, Decky." He pressed a small kiss on the top of Dec's head as he rubbed circles on his back.

"We've been together for 16 years, Ant, and he's just throwing it all away by cheating on us." Dec cried. "He's my soulmate, Ant. How could he do this?!"

 Their driver looked at them through the rear view mirror, but diverted his gaze away quickly when he made eye contact with Ant. He dared not to look back again, instead he focused on his driving.  

"Look, what makes youse sure that Stephen is cheating on you?" Ant asks, playing devil's advocate.

Dec sniffled and lifted his head from Ant's shoulder. "He's been distant from us for a couple of weeks now...he's always on his phone, just like this morning. Couldn't wait for us to get out of the door."

"Have you talked to him 'bout this?"

"How could I? He's always on that damn phone of his." Dec moved away from Ant's hold and leaned against the passenger door. "I just don't understand...we're each other's soulmate...how could he betray us like that?" Dec thought out loud, not really directing to anyone else. He stared blankly out his car window, sniffling once in awhile, clearly deep in thought.

Not knowing what to do, Ant let his friend be for the rest of the car ride. Best friend or not, I'm gonna kill Stephen. No one hurts Dec like this and gets away with it, Ant angrily thought as he stared out his window.