7. Chapter 7
Ody lowered his gaze and turned his head away. “It’s nothing.” He stepped back into the living room.
“How can you say that? It’s bruising.”
“It’s really not a big deal.”
“Are you kidding me, Ody?” Her voice was calm, but tight. “Who hit you?”
He sighed. There was no point lying to her. “Some guys at college.”
Her eyes widened. “Why?”
“Just forget it.”
“Ody, who hit you? And why?” She followed him to the couch and sat beside him.
He took her hands, gently stroking them. “Baby, relax. It doesn’t even hurt.”
“That’s not the point. Tell me who did it and why.”
He stared ahead, silent.
“Has this happened before?” She searched his face.
“No.” He glanced at her, but she didn’t look convinced. “Baby, no. I’m serious.”
“Then tell me what happened. Did you get into a fight? You never fight with anyone.” Her gaze kept drifting back to the swelling.
“Calm down.” He squeezed her hands. “It’s just one of those guys. You know… the tough types.”
“Have they messed with you before?”
“No.”
“So they just saw you today and decided to hit you?”
“He’s in my class.” Ody shrugged. “It’s nothing. Just forget it.”
Her expression didn’t soften.
“Baby, I’m fine.” He forced a small smile and pulled her into a hug.
She leaned in to kiss him, her fingers brushing the bruise. A sharp sting shot through him, making him flinch.
Mano got dressed to meet Stella, styling his black hair with clay before grabbing his keys.
He pulled up outside her house and texted her to come down.
No response. He checked the time. 8:57 p.m. At 9:05, he warned her he was leaving in five minutes.
At 9:09, the door finally opened. She stepped out, dressed to impress.
“Just made it,” he muttered.
“Hey, babyyy.” Stella flashed him a bright smile as she approached.
“You’re not making me wait like that again. Got it?” Mano said, his tone flat.
“I had to look perfect.” She ran a hand through her hair. “So many people are gonna see us.”
Mano frowned. “From where?”
“The stories I’m posting, obviously.”
His expression darkened. “You’re posting that you’re with me?” Disgust flickered across his face.
“Yeah.” She shrugged, completely unfazed.
Mano let out a slow breath. “You want me to kill you now or throw you off the bike while I’m driving?”
“How else will my ex move on?”
“He still follows you?”
“Yeah.” She pulled out her phone. “Wanna see?”
He turned the key in the ignition. “Get on,” he said, voice low and edged with warning.
He was wearing a black short-sleeve shirt that showed off the tattoos on his arms, khaki cargo pants, his usual cross necklace, and black shoes.
“You look good today,” she said, her smile slow and calculated.
“I said get on.”
She climbed on and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Don’t touch me.” He pushed her hands away.
“I have to or I’ll fall.”
“Then fall.”
“Don’t be mean. I was about to…” She leaned in and whispered in his ear.
He turned halfway toward her. “How desperate do you think I am? Poor thing.”
“Don’t call me that.” Her tone sharpened instantly.
“I’ll call you whatever I want.”
“I have plenty of your nudes. Don’t make me use them.”
He spun around so fast the bike jolted beneath them. “Don’t you dare threaten me again.”
“Then don’t make me threaten you. Just drive.” She wrapped her arms around him again.
He faced forward and started the engine.
They arrived at a bar and he walked in first. She had clearly expected him to open the door for her.
“Good evening. Just the two of you?” the hostess asked.
“Yeah,” he replied.
She led them to a corner table against the wall. “Is this okay?”
“Do you have something more central?” Stella asked.
“We’re fine here,” Mano said, then turned to Stella. “Sit.”
The hostess smiled politely and walked away.
“We’re all the way in the corner. No one can even see us,” Stella complained.
“Like you know all of Athens.”
“A lot of people I know come here. Someone’s bound to see us.”
He leaned back, resting his arm along the couch.
“What do you want to drink?” she asked.
“Coffee.”
“Coffee? We came for drinks. Why won’t you have alcohol?”
“Maybe because I’m driving?” he shot back.
“Oh. Right.” She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t think you’d be one of those guys who refuse just because they’re driving.”
“And what kind of guy did you expect? The one who drinks and crashes?”
“I just thought you wouldn’t care. I didn’t know you were such a good guy.” She leaned against him playfully.
“I’m not.” He pushed her away. “Especially not with girls like you. You bring out the worst in me.”
“Sure. That’s why you’re not drinking. Not because you have to drive me home.” She arched a brow.
“I have to drive myself home. I don’t give a shit about you.”
Her jaw tightened. She faced forward and opened the menu. “You really shouldn’t make enemies so easily,” she murmured.
“What?”
“Nothing,” she said, flipping the pages.
When their drinks arrived, Stella took a picture and posted it to her story.
His phone buzzed. Of course she had tagged him.
“Your ex better get over you quick.”
She shot him a sideways look just as another notification appeared on his phone.
Sophia: Seriously? With that bitch?
“Who’s that?” Stella asked.
“None of your business.”
As the evening dragged on, more texts poured in. Each one made his jaw tighten.
“Oh my God, Stella!” Two girls approached, both openly staring at Mano.
“Hi!” They greeted her with quick cheek kisses while he stayed focused on his phone.
“He’s gorgeous,” one of the girls breathed.
Stella tilted her head smugly.
“Mano?” she nudged him, reminding him of their earlier agreement.
He looked up slowly, bored.
“These are my friends,” she said.
He gave them a flat stare.
“So… are you guys, like, together?” one of them asked with a wide grin.
“Yeah.” Stella slid closer to him. “I’m his girlfriend. Don’t be shy, babe.”
He shot her a sideways glance but said nothing.
“Wow. The others need to hear about this.”
“Just check my story,” Stella said.
The girl opened the photo and squealed. “You’re a queen!”
“We’ll let you two lovebirds enjoy your night. Bye… Mano.” They walked away, both giving him lingering looks.
He barely acknowledged them.
“I told you to be more affectionate.”
“If I’m not good enough, find someone else.”
More acquaintances drifted in throughout the night, each interaction feeding Stella’s ego. By the end of it, she was glowing. Mano just wanted to leave.
The next morning, Ody forced himself to go to class. He paused in front of the mirror before leaving, staring at the bruise beneath his eye. It had darkened overnight.
At the parking lot, a motorcycle nearly cut him off.
“Hey!” the rider shouted.
Ody hit the brakes. Black helmet. Black Yamaha.
“Go ahead,” Ody gestured, letting him take the closer spot. He parked farther away.
As Ody stepped out of his car, Mano approached. “Watch where you’re going next time. You’re the one always talking about accidents.”
“Didn’t see you. Sorry.” Ody tried to walk past, but Mano caught his arm.
“What is that?”
Ody turned his face away. “I have class. Let go.” He pulled back.
Mano yanked him harder. The bruise came into view. Purple. Swollen. His expression darkened. “Who did this to you?”
Ody looked straight at him. “Who do you think? The guy you threw coffee on.”
Mano’s eyes locked onto his.
“After your little stunt, he took it out on me.”
“And you just let him beat you?” Mano snapped.
“It was three of them!” Ody shouted.
Mano went still. Three? They set him up because of me?
“Now you understand why I don’t fight back?” Ody continued, anger rising. “Before you got involved, I was just the guy with a stained shirt!” He turned and walked away.
Mano stood there, frozen.
Outside the lab, Kash and his friends were waiting. Seeing them, Ody quickened his pace.
“Nice souvenir,” one of them mocked and they all laughed.
Kash stepped closer. “Remember what I told you. Keep your mouth shut and nothing happens.” He patted Ody’s back and walked inside.
“Hey, bro!” Steve called out, then noticed the bruise. “What the hell? What happened to you?”
“Nothing. Just an accident.”
“What kind of accident?” Chris asked. “You trip into someone’s fist?”
“Guys, drop it.”
“Tell us who did it. I’ll handle it,” Steve insisted.
“Stop. Seriously.”
“Good morning, everyone,” the professor said, ending the conversation.
Two hours later, they stepped outside.
“And now tell us who did that to you,” Chris said.
Then Ody saw the crowd. Mano was in the center of it, on top of Kash, fists flying, blood streaking his mouth while the other two struggled to drag him off.
A professor burst forward. “Hey, stop!”
They were pulled apart, Mano breathing hard, eyes blazing as his gaze found Ody.
“My office. Now,” the professor snapped.
Mano turned and walked away without looking back, though Ody still felt the weight of his stare.
“Glad I never liked that guy,” Steve muttered. “Rude and violent.”
But Ody knew the truth. Mano had done it because of him. He had said Ody was on his own… So why did he step in?
“Let’s go,” Steve said.
Ody hesitated, his eyes drifting toward the hallway where Mano had disappeared. “Actually… I think I’ll stay for a bit.”
Steve frowned. “Don’t tell me you’re waiting for him.”
“I just want to know why he did it.”
Steve sighed, clearly annoyed, but didn’t argue further. He and Chris headed off.
Ody remained where he was for a moment before walking toward the professor’s office. He waited outside. Minutes later, the door opened and Mano stepped out with no bruises, no marks.
Their eyes met. “Why?” Ody asked.
“Why what?”
“Why did you hit them? I thought I was on my own.”
“I didn’t know all three of them would jump you when I said that.” His gaze flicked to the bruise. “And you said it yourself. If I hadn’t gotten involved, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“And what do you think happens now?” Ody’s voice rose. “You think they’ll leave me alone after this?”
“They know what to do now.”
Ody let out a breath, shaking his head. “They didn’t care about coffee. They wanted a reason. Now you’ve given them one.”
“I didn’t know it was three of them. That’s on me. It won’t happen again.” Mano held his gaze.
Ody’s eyes flickered. “How are you going to stop it? You gonna follow me around twenty-four seven?”
“If I have to, yes.”
Their eyes held for a long moment.
“Come with me.” Ody turned and headed toward the parking lot.
Mano followed him. “What is it?” he asked when they reached the car.
“Get in,” Ody said, climbing into the driver’s seat.
Mano hesitated, then reluctantly got in the passenger side.
“I’m just trying to understand why you got yourself into so much trouble to defend me,” Ody said.
“Trouble? Please.” He scoffed. “Even that professor earlier thought he could scold me.”
“Not long ago you were questioning why I brought you to campus or why I got you meds. And now I see you out there, beating up the guys who messed with me.”
“Fine. You want the truth?” Mano turned to him. “It’s because I used to be in your shoes. That’s why I called you weak. A victim. If you don’t do something, people walk over you. That’s why I dumped that coffee back on him. Because when I was in your place…” He paused, looked forward, and exhaled.
His voice softened. “When I was in your place, I didn’t have anyone. I took it. All of it. Just like you. Until one day, I snapped, and everything flipped.”
Ody listened closely.
“It’s like I’m seeing myself in you,” Mano said. His honey eyes met Ody’s green. “The younger me from a few years ago. And I want to help him now because no one helped me then. I don’t want you going through what I did.”
Those words stunned Ody. For the first time, he saw something raw in Mano, something no one else noticed.
Mano glanced down and spotted a crumpled piece of paper on the floor. He picked it up and unfolded it. Hope that got through your head. Go back to being a good little student or you know what’s coming.
“They threatened you?” Mano snapped, spinning around, eyes blazing.
Ody realized what he was holding. He tried to grab the note, but Mano pulled it away. His lips trembled with anger.
Ody suddenly found himself more worried about Mano than himself.
Mano flung the car door open and stormed out, gripping the note.
“Mano!” Ody rushed after him. He pressed a hand to his chest to stop him. “Calm down. There’s nothing more you can do.”
“Believe me,” Mano said, shoving past him, “I can do a lot more.”
“Stop it!” Ody stepped in front of him again. “They beat me up and left that note on my car.” He swallowed. “After what you did today… I don’t know what they’ll do next.”