CRYSTAL HEART (MaleXMale)

Chapter 24

RUSSEL HENDRICKS

"Hey, did you get hurt?" Maxim's voice sound faraway.

"Oops sorry. I am not hurt." I shook my head staring at the shattered glass. Why do I feel uneasy?

"Sir, please forgive me." A waitress quickly say her sorry.

"Never mind and please include the compensation fee into my bill." I dismissed the waitress.

"Did you have a cold war with him again?" Maxim careful probing me.

"No... but he is kind of changing way too much from his usual self." I frowned. The strangeness I detected from him was not just a feeling.

"Changing?"

"Yes, in the way I don't like it."

"Have you confronted him? You know keeping close with Rachel is not a good idea too. She is a two faces woman. No one can predict what she would do next." Maxim remind me.

"I have promised Nate to take care his sister's wellbeing."

"And, you have hurt someone else to protect the one that not even related to yourself. Please wake up from the past, Russel. Rachel is a grown up adult by now. She is not under your responsibility." I knew it but promise still a promise.

"But..."

"But what? I do not know either you ever notice that your feeling have shifted. You heart slowly leans towards a new man in your life. You began to see him as a man not just replacement."

"Replacement? What the hell you're talking about?"

"I already knew about Nate has donated his heart to save Eric and that was a reason why you married him."

"How?"

"I have my own way to dig up the information, Russel. And, because I detected a mutual feeling in there, I stopped myself from chasing you." Maxim's eyes turned dull for a second.

"...." My mouth open and close but no word coming out.

"You don't need to elaborate it if you still unsure about your own heart. However, do not let another party waiting too long until his heart goes numb. And, Eric is quite scary once he throws his tantrum." He chuckled. A little jealousy arouses in my heart upon hearing his word.

"Eric won't expecting anything high..."

"Up to you, bro. Just don't run crying to me when he disappeared." I shrugged my shoulder hearing his ridicule assumption.

We parted when reached each other room. I took out the phone and dialled Eric but get no answer. Therefore, I called home and Jamie picks the call.

"Mr. Eric not at home, Sir. He informed will be staying overnight at his parent's house." Jamie told me.

"Oh, okay. If he coming back, please ask him to return the call soon." I leave a message.

On the next day, around noon I get the call from Eric, his voice a little hoarse and lifeless. There also many pauses in between his reply. As if he has no mood to speak with me. Don't tell me he was taking alcohol.

Unfortunately, I cannot rushing back as I please since I was involved in a big project. And, afford to lose this project over personal matters. Maybe I am over worrying for nothing. To pacify the feeling, every day I would check him over the call. His tone back to normal but the unwillingness hint still in his replied.

What is going on? Did Rachel disturb him? No, Rachel has acknowledged our relation. She has become slightly mature lately. So, what exactly bothers him? When I checked with other people, they always gave a positive answer about Eric.