A Touch Of Sin [BxB]

8.

Unintentionally, I'm a few minutes late to lunch. As I wander in, I see Ed awkwardly standing off to the side, his eyes roaming the room for me.

"Sorry," I say as I walk up to him. I see him physically sigh with relief, thinking I had stood him up. "Got held up. Where do you want to sit?"

He shrugs. "Anywhere."

"Over there looks good," I point out an unused table off in the corner. "When I'm not sitting with the guys, Kat usually joins me."

"That's cool," he says and I hope it is and that he doesn't think this is some date-thing. I haven't come out to him or anything. I'm not sure if he suspects or whether he thinks I'm just nice. Or both.

Grant gives me a WTF look as I walk past and I mouth 'later' to him. Jake stares at me. If looks could kill, I'd collapse on this floor. I glare back at him just as hard as I pass.

I drop my lunch onto the table and sit across from Ed, who looks flustered.

"I do really appreciate what you did for me this morning," he says.

"No trouble at all."

"What if they come for you?"

I shrug. "Let them."

"Wish I had your confidence."

I give him a brief smile before taking a bite of my salad roll.

"I'm over it, if I'm honest," I exhale. "You hear about it all the time. People bullying other people. People becoming depressed, anxious, suicidal. We don't have to live like this. It's just not right."

Ed's eyes are on mine as he nods. "Yeah. I agree. I wish people wouldn't put others down. And I wish more people had the courage to stand up to people."

"It took me a good while to get the courage and it's still hard. I used to be picked on. I think everyone does at some point." I chew for a few moments. "Sometimes it makes you stronger. Sometimes it just breaks you."

I can see it in his eyes. He's almost broken.

"There's always people around, Ed," I continue, my voice lowering. "You're never as alone as you think. Okay?"

He chews his lip. "Yeah. Okay."

I can see the gratefulness on his face. I smile at him.

We're not alone long, before Katryn makes her way over. She collapses heavily beside me, sending half her books flying across the table, knocking of Ed's water which luckily has a lid on it.

"Oops," she grins sheepishly as she rights it. "My bad."

"Always know how to make an entrance, don't you?" I roll my eyes.

"I like to go for the dramatics. Hi Ed," she smiles.

"Hey," he smiles shyly.

"Jack and Guy are pricks," Kat says with a shake of her head. I haven't even told her about earlier today, but she must have heard from the gossip grapevine.

"Yup," agrees Ed. "I thought Jake was really going to go for me but I was surprised that he didn't. I remember him from a few years ago. He was such an ass." I feel Kat's eyes on the side of my head as I nod and eat silently. "I think he only didn't because of you, Cal."

I stop chewing.

"You know, because your sister is with his brother and all."

I clear my throat and see Kat smile out of the corner of my eye. "Yeah. Probably."