Don't wait for me

Chapter 5: Bitter

This day was particularly empty. Caesar just wanted to go home and rest since his doctor told him to avoid physical efforts a whole month after one of his epilepsy crisis.

He noticed how blue the sky was, and how luminous everything seemed. He was closing his store when he heard the sound of a motorcycle engine.

He turned around, looked at where the noise came from, and saw Joseph arriving, with a blonde girl clinging to his waist. He parked himself a dozen meters away and the couple got off the motorcycle.

Caesar found himself strangely frozen, silently watching them. He saw Jojo smile at her, caress her hip and whisper in her ear before she blushed and walked in another direction, which was probably the shopping center nearby. He didn't realise until this moment, but he ignored everything about the brunet. Was she his girlfriend since before he met him, was it just for a few weeks, or were they engaged? This thought woke up a bitter feeling in his stomach. Why would he not want Jojo to have a girlfriend, or a wife? How was that his business? He knew it wasn't, but he was unable to control the feeling he could finally identify as jealousy.

Joseph walked towards him joyfully.

Don't show me that same smile you did to her, was Caesar's immediate thought, but he managed to calm himself down and look unbothered.

-You're here later than usual, he remarked.

-Yeah, Suzie wanted to go shopping but she knows I hate it so I let her go alone.

Caesar didn't answer and stared at him with a blank expression.

-Oh, you didn't know, right? We live together now, she was in my class in 9th grade, when I changed school. But, I don't know about you either, are you single?

His throat was tied, but he remained imperturbable, struggling before speaking.

-Well, yeah.

-Must be nice to be free!

At the moment, he was everything but free. Jealousy was squeezing his heart and his positive emotions were out of reach.

-You okay little Caesar?

-Of course, why wouldn't I be? he asked with an awkward smile.

He tried his best to not sound too sarcastic, and fortunately, Joseph took it literally.

-Hey, don't you wanna come at home for dinner? It'd be nice to have you somewhere else than surrounded by watches.

-Sure, just not today.

He didn't like it. His jealousy was out of his control, and made him upset about everything. He wanted to see Joseph more, spent all his time together, and at the same time, he wanted to disappear from his sight. The kind of life Caesar was going through felt incredibly empty, and he couldn't even drink to make it seem funnier.

Arriving at his apartment, he showered and fell on his bed, thinking about what exactly he was feeling. He was aware of it. But it was bad. He didn't have the right to fall for him, however, this is exactly what had happened.

*

A few days later, Jojo came back to invite him to dinner the following night, which was a Saturday. He accepted, knowing he wasn't the only guest.

He was now standing in front of his host's door, nervously waiting for someone to open it. The seconds felt like weeks, as he stared at the number 44 written on the door.

It eventually opened.

Joseph was dressed really casually, but Caesar couldn't help but think about how well built he looked. He noted that he wasn't even surprised to see that fool wearing his scarf inside of his home.