I love you (no homo)

Part Three

After leaving the restaurant, Brett still felt steamed-up. Most of all, he was furious. He hated people who cheated in relationships. And Mark, that hideous bug, that mangy cockroach... He didn't deserve Eddy's affection. If Eddy was going to have a boyfriend, it should be someone who was... Oh. Who was Brett, his mother, to have these thoughts?

But Brett also had some satisfaction with what had happened. He could have hit him and no one can say it wasn't justified, right? And that guy would be finally out of Eddy's life, or so he hoped. He won't have to look at Mark's stupid face anymore.

And then he realized again what a useless friend he was. He shouldn't be happy about it. There was no triumph. And Eddy... What if Eddy breaks down over this? Brett will feel twice as bad. Or what if he forgives him? What if it'll turn out that Brett somehow misunderstood something here? Eddy and Mark would get back together like a normal, happy couple... He wouldn't stand it, and it had nothing to do with his supposed homophobia anymore. If he didn't like Mark before, now he totally hated him. Shit, again he was coming back to himself and his own feelings...

He wondered if Mark would be quicker than him and contact Eddy. He'd tell him lies. Or maybe he'd even admit to what had happened.

What if Eddy wouldn't believe Brett? No. Why would he lie? Well, Brett knew why, to get rid of Mark once and for all, but he hoped Eddy wouldn't think that.

***

Eddy was sitting on the floor, hugging his knees and leaning against the bed frame. He didn't cry, didn't get angry, didn't accuse him of lying or ask for proof. Only a deepening apathy was visible on his face.

Brett felt damn guilty that he dared to enjoy this at all. Still, he couldn't help but ask.

"So... What will you do?"

His friend was silent for a moment before speaking.

"I don't know. I'll sleep on it and decide tomorrow. Don't have the strength to think about it."

His phone rang, and they both flinched slightly. Eddy picked it up from the nightstand it was lying on and stared blankly at the display.

"Is it...?" Brett hesitated. What took the man so long? Was he busy apologizing to his other boyfriend?

"Yes."

"Are you going to pick up?"

"No."

He put the phone down, having previously silenced it.

They didn't say anything until finally Brett sighed deeply and sat next to his friend. He reached out and pulled him closer, then wrapped the other arm around him, both locked around Eddy, who didn't react to the gesture but did nothing to push him away.

There were thousands of thoughts going through Brett's head right now about Mark and their entire relationship, but from his own experience and years of knowing Eddy, he knew it wasn't a good idea to just start a lecture. So he said nothing.

Eddy finally, after a while, laid his head on Brett's shoulder.

"Couldn't he just break up with me first if he wanted to date other people?" he mumbled.

"I don't know. Some people just like to have open options, I suppose."

Eddy didn't answer for a while, but when he did, he sounded more confident.

"I kind of expected this. I mean, not this specifically. I just knew we'd break up sooner or later. We didn't get along very well... Sometimes I even wondered why he noticed me in the first place, but now it's clear. I was just one of many and that's why..."

"Hey!" he interrupted him. "Even fuckboys like him have standards, they don't date the first random dude!"

Eddy snorted, and Brett felt his collarbone tickle from his breath and it caused him to feel a pleasant shiver.

"Actually, I thought I will be sadder when we break up," he continued, ignoring him. "But... But I feel nothing. And I guess this 'nothing' is what's making me feel so depressed."

Brett just nodded. He couldn't say he understood what it was like, but he tried to.

His friend lifted his head and straightened, so Brett removed the arm that was clasping his front. Eddy sighed.

"Thanks anyway for telling me and for sitting here with me trying to comfort me. You're very selfless, you know that?" he commented, then got up and stretched.

Brett didn't know how to react to that remark. He didn't really think of himself that way.

"You would have done the same," he said, but his friend didn't answer, instead he picked up his violin case.

"I think I'll practice," he said. "Would it bother you? Because I can go to the corridor or look for a free practice room, maybe by some miracle they are not all occupied and..."

"No, it's alright." Brett got up too. "I wanted to go out anyway, I have to go to the store."

He lied because he thought Eddy wanted to be alone right now.

He left the room with a new resolve. Next time, he'll accept Eddy's boyfriend, whoever he will be. Well, as long as he doesn't cheat on him. The bar wasn't very high.

For some time, everything was as before between Brett and Eddy. Until Eddy found himself yet another boyfriend.