When Love Gets in the Way

Chapter Fifty-three

James

It's clear that poor Luca is unwell. He's pale and more tired looking then usual. I think he has a fever or something but he's too stubborn to believe me.

I wrap one of my arms around him despite the fact he's unwell and pull him close to me. He looks surprised at first but then smiles and rests his head against my arm. He closes his eyes as I slowly rub his arm with my hand trying to take all of his pain away.

I kiss the top of his warm head and sigh. Luca looks so small right now. His personality normal bigs him up and makes him seem larger then he is but right now there's none of that. He's small and skinny like he hasn't eaten enough for the past few years. He looks to delicate and beautiful yet he's so strong and violent when he needs to be.

He's lived a completely different life to what I have and yet we're both here now together. We care for each other and really like each other.

Maybe even love each other?

Luca sniffs and then groans making it clear that he's sick. He has a high temperature and needs rest but I doubt he'll get any. Does he even sleep?

Luca always looks so run down and tried so it's no wonder he's unwell. We were all out in that weather (granted he wasn't wearing a coat) and yet he's the only one to get sick. His body has probably been worked to the limit poor boy.

He always jokes about his life being hard but I think that it generally might be. He works all of the time like he depends on the money and he stays out until it's late just so he can spend some time with his friends. At the end of the day, we're all still young and he deserves to live the way he wants right now instead of working until he became unwell.

"Luca.."

He doesn't answer.

I glance down at him and can't suppress my smile when I see that he's asleep.

This reminds me of the time I found him asleep outside of my house the day after he broke in. He looks so peaceful and sweet that my heart can't help but flutter in my chest.

I brush a strand of hair out of his pail face and then smile at him. I want to stay like this forever. I want to hold him until the end of time and then I want to continue holding him even when the world tells us to stop.

"I knew you were lying."

I look up to see Darren Western standing in front of me with his phone camera pointed in this direction. My heart starts to hammer in my chest as I hear the electronic sound of a photo being taken.

"You have not right to take that photo." I tell him. I move Luca so that he's laying on the bench and the stand so I can look directly at Darren.

"Is your boyfriend okay with your lies?" He asks. I glance back at Luca and then stare at Darren for a few seconds, feeling weak and inferior compared to him. He could ruin my whole life with a few taps of a button and I don't know how to stop him.

"He's not my boyfriend." I say, my own words making me feeling sick to my stomach.

"What? Are you ashamed? Don't worry James, I think anyone would be." He tells me as he looks past me at Luca. I don't turn around though because I know that I'll break if I see Luca at his smallest and weakest. Right now he can't defend himself so I'll have to do it for him.

I just don't know how.

"What's your problem with Luca?" I ask a sudden surge of rage and vengeance fueling me to fight for my boyfriend.

"Nothing really. I just never expected the great James to be in love with a boy." He says with a smirk.

"There is nothing wrong with same sex relationships and there is nothing wrong with Luca. He might not be the most affluent person around but I think he's extraordinary." I say earnestly. Darren only starts to laugh though which fuels me with rage. He thinks that he's such a big man just because he's got those pictures.

I hate him so much!

"Fine, post the pictures and tell everyone. At least even if the school do turn on me, the people I love will still love me in return." I snap.

Most of the time I'm surprised at Luca's violence and view it as unnecessary but right now I finally understand him. What I would give to be able to knock out Darren Western's front teeth right now.

"I will post the picture and you can watch your popularity slip away." He says and it's clear that he's trying to get under me skin.

"Fine by me." I say calmly and he frowns but doesn't say anything else. He turns away from me and walks off clearly annoyed by the fact he can no longer get to me.

Let him tell the world. Let everyone hate me. At lease I know that Becky and Luca will still love me and they're the only important people in my life.

I turn around to sit back down and gasp in surprise when I see Luca sitting up awake. He stares at me for a few seconds before he stands and wraps his arms around me.

"Luca?" I say confused by his sudden embrace.

"Ya so lovely." He says and I smile. I guess he heard my conversation with Darren Western.

"No one gets to say anything against you Luca. Our relationship is none of the world's concern." I tell him and he smiles.

He stops hugging me and we smile at each other. I lean in to kiss him but he puts his hand up between our lips.

"I'm ill remember." He says and I nod moving my head away. We stand in silence for a few seconds before he smiles a little more.

"I love you James." He says quietly.

"I love you too Luca." I tell him meaning every word.