14. Chapter 14
Ody moved to the stove while Mano stood frozen, watching him. “I’ll take it off in a minute and then we can eat, okay?” He glanced at him. “Sit down, don’t just stand there.” He gestured toward the table. Mano pulled out a chair and sat. “Do you want something to drink?”
“No.” He looked a little lost as Ody cut the omelet in half and divided it onto two plates.
“Here you go. I used eight eggs, so there’s plenty of protein. Since you go to the gym, you’ve got to eat protein, right?” Ody sat across from him.
Mano slowly raised his fork, staring at the omelet.
Ody watched him. “Please tell me you eat eggs.”
“Yeah, I like them.” He looked at him.
“Ah, good then.” Ody smiled, took a bite, then noticed Mano still hadn’t moved. “You’re not hungry?”
“You’re…” Mano’s voice was quiet, his gaze lowered.
Ody stopped chewing. The pause made him tense.
“…too good to me.” Mano looked up again.
Ody chuckled. “I’m like that with everyone.” He kept eating. “Come on, eat before it gets cold.”
Mano took his first bite.
“Do you have class today?” Ody asked.
“Yeah. I’m not going.”
“Why?”
“Because I can’t.” He held his gaze, and Ody grew serious. “You?”
“I have one in two hours.”
“I’ll eat and then leave.” Mano took another mouthful.
“You don’t need to go. You can stay as long as you want. I’ll be back by midday.”
“You’re telling me to stay here while you’re gone?” Mano asked.
“Yeah. Why?” Ody frowned.
“Because… I’m a stranger. You trust me?”
“Why wouldn’t I? What could you do?”
Mano couldn’t tell if he was joking or if he was actually that naive. “You’re too innocent for this world. So innocent that you’re almost cu—” Mano bit the word off, heat creeping up his neck, embarrassed by what he’d almost said.
“Almost what?” Ody asked, noticing the pink in Mano’s cheeks. He knew exactly what that word was.
“Either way, I can’t stay.” Mano blinked fast. The embarrassment still lingered.
He couldn’t bring himself to meet Ody’s eyes.
“I’ll head home before you leave for class.
” He finished his food in small, distracted bites, took a painkiller, and pushed himself up from the chair with a stiffness that had nothing to do with his injuries.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Ody asked by the door.
“I’m fine. I’ll get home fast with a cab.”
“I can drive you.”
“You’ve already done enough.”
“You got beat up because of me.” Ody’s voice dropped, heavier now.
Their gazes held for a long moment.
“Well, I’m off.” Mano opened the door and stepped into the hallway. He pressed the elevator button, then turned back. Ody was still standing there. “Um… Thank you for everything.”
A small smile appeared on Ody’s lips. “Don’t mention it. Get some rest.”
The elevator arrived. Mano gave him one final nod and stepped inside. He could walk, but slowly, ribs and back aching, lip still split. He got into the taxi Ody had called and had barely given his address when his phone lit up.
Stella: Good morning... Are you feeling any better?
He sighed and typed back, A bit yeah
Another message popped up. Do you still want to meet up?
I’m not in shape to go out. Still hurts. Better to stay in, he replied.
Stella: Do you want me to come over?
He rubbed his forehead. She meant well, but he didn’t want her seeing him like this. Nah I’m not exactly a pleasant sight
Stella: I feel bad thinking of you like this... It’s my fault my ex hit you
His jaw tightened. Let’s not go over this again. Talk later bye. He locked his phone, leaned back into the seat, and closed his eyes, wishing the day would end already.
He got home and went straight to the couch, wincing with every movement.
When it was time for Ody’s class, he got into his car and headed to the university. He was on his way to the cafeteria for a coffee when he ran into his friends.
“Hey. Morning, man,” Steve greeted him.
“Morning. What’s up?”
“We got our coffees and we’re ready for two hours of Philips,” Chris said, and Ody went to order his own.
They reached the hallway outside their classroom, where students from their department were gathered, including Kash, Brandon and Pablo.
A sly smile spread across Kash’s lips as he watched Ody. Word had already gotten to him about what happened to the guy who dared to mess with them. Ody knew exactly why Kash was smiling and quickly looked away.
“Was he looking at you kinda weird, or is it just me?” Steve asked once they passed.
“Who?” Ody played dumb.
“That guy who’s always screwing around in class.”
“Kash?” Chris guessed.
“Yeah, him.”
“He wasn’t looking at me,” Ody replied casually.
“He was,” Steve insisted.
“I didn’t notice.”
Two hours later, they stepped into the courtyard.
“Basketball today?” Steve asked.
“I’m not sure if I’ll come. I’ll let you know later.”
“Why, man? Now that Elias is back, we’re eight again.”
“I’ll text you. Bye.” They split up and Ody walked toward the parking lot.
He spotted his car in the distance. The moment he approached, three figures came into view. Kash sat on the hood while the other two leaned against the sides, blocking his way.
Ody swallowed hard and kept walking. Kash’s faint smile was almost mocking.
“What do you want?” he asked, stopping at a safe distance.
“What, no good morning?” Kash grinned, but Ody’s face stayed cold. “How’s the little tough guy? Better?”
Ody’s jaw clenched. “After what you did to him, you should know.”
“Oh, come on. We went easy on him. Did you see him, or did he call you?”
Ody stared, offering nothing.
“Wait, hold on.” Kash tilted his head. “Don’t tell me you’re the one who picked him up.” He laughed at his own guess.
“Why?” Ody’s voice carried both anger and hurt. “Why did you have to beat him like that?”
“He started it. When he made me bleed in the yard.”
“He only did it because you jumped me in the restroom.” His tone grew harsher.
“See? So you’re the reason he got such a beating.”
A flicker of guilt crossed Ody’s face. Kash caught it, a slow smirk tugging at his lips. “Yeah. You think so too. I can see it.”
Students were approaching, so the three quickly moved off the car and pretended they were just chatting.
“Didn’t see him today. He didn’t come?”
“You think he could?” Ody said through clenched teeth.
“Damn.” Kash laughed. “We messed him up that bad?” He fist-bumped his friends.
Ody stared in disbelief. “You guys aren’t even human.” He shook his head. “And the girl? Did you have to hit her too?”
Kash’s smile vanished. “Stella’s none of your business. She was my girl. I’ll do whatever I want with her.”
“You know that if she files a report, you’re done.”
Kash stepped closer, voice suddenly low. “A what?”
Ody held his ground.
“You sure you wanna go there?” he said, not breaking eye contact.
Behind him, Ody saw the other two crouch near his tires, knives out. “No!” He shoved Kash aside and tried to stop them, but Kash yanked him back, pulling them close.
“If you don’t, keep quiet. Got it?”
Ody’s gaze dropped to Brandon and Pablo.
“Here. To me.” He grabbed Ody’s face and forced his gaze forward. “We were good this whole time, Stavrinos. Things went bad when he got involved. Wanna go back to square one?”
“And if I don’t?” Ody asked, his gaze hard.
Kash smirked. He leaned in and whispered, “If you don’t, we’ll find your little friend again and do worse.” He watched Ody’s anger spark. “But you’re not like that, are you? You’re a good guy. You wouldn’t let your friend suffer because of us.”
He stepped back, and his friends tucked the knives away. “Think about it.” Kash gave a slow, deliberate smile, then walked off.
Ody shut his eyes and let out a long breath before getting into his car. With his hands on the steering wheel, he lowered his head, trying to steady himself. What was he supposed to do? If he resisted, they would go after Mano.
What he didn’t know was that they had told Mano the exact same thing. If Mano tried to defend him, they would hurt Ody.
When he got home, he lay on the couch and messaged him. How are you?
Mano: I’m fine
Did you eat? Take another painkiller?
Yeah
Good
Mano stared at the screen, one thought circling in his mind. He couldn’t hold back the question. Were they there?
Who?
You know who. Were they there? Did they hurt you?
Ody swallowed hard. Kash’s voice replayed in his mind. He couldn’t put Mano in danger again. He already felt responsible for enough. No they didn’t come
Really?
Yeah they weren’t in the classroom
Don’t lie to me
Ody paused, surprised Mano suspected something, but he refused to drag him into this again. They didn’t come. Seriously
Mano exhaled, unsure if he believed him. He just hoped Ody was telling the truth. He wouldn’t be able to step in if they bullied him again. Not after Kash threatened to hurt Ody even worse.
Odysseus: I’ll be playing basketball with the guys later. Call me if you need anything
Mano reread the message slowly, hardly able to believe someone cared that much. Thirteen years had passed since anyone cared about his well-being. He had forgotten what that felt like.
He stood up carefully, went to his room, took his violin from its case, and returned to the living room. Practicing let his mind drift from the past few days.
Meanwhile, Ody was at the basketball court with the guys. During a break, he noticed two missed calls from Anna and called her back.
“Hi, baby.”
“Where are you?” she asked.
“Playing basketball. You?”
“At home. Are we going out tonight?”
“Yeah. I’ll go home, take a quick shower, and then we can head out.”
“How about we grab some drinks?”
“Sounds good. I’ll pick you up around nine.”
“Perfect, babe. I’ll be waiting.”
“Alright, see you then. Kisses.”
“Are we getting back to it?” one of the guys called, ball in hand.
“Yeah, let’s go.” They regrouped and kept playing.
Later that evening, Ody drove home, showered, and got ready. He styled his brown hair, grabbed his keys, and headed out to pick Anna up.
A few minutes later, she stepped out of her building, well-dressed for the night. She opened the passenger door, they exchanged a quick kiss, and she buckled in. They drove toward the city center, parked, and began walking hand in hand through the streets.
“It did bother me a little that you got upset when I talked about Mano like that,” she admitted.
“Baby, I wasn’t upset. I just don’t like judging people. You know that,” he said, his voice soft as they walked under the city lights.
“I was just worried about you. If he’s getting into fights, he could drag you into trouble too.”
Oh Anna... if only you knew he got into that fight because of me...
“I won’t get into any trouble. Stop worrying.” He squeezed her hand.
They entered a bar and sat at a round table, the candlelight flickering between them. Across from him, Anna tucked her hair behind her ear, her soft brown doe eyes watching him.
“Good evening, what can I get for you?” the waitress asked.
“A glass of red wine, please,” Anna said.
“And a beer for me,” Ody added, giving the brand. The waitress thanked them and walked off.
“So, how’s uni going? When do your finals start?” Anna asked.
“In two weeks.”
“When should we book for Serifos?”
“Did you talk to Christina?” Ody asked.
“She’s working until mid-June, so we can go after that.”
“Perfect.” Ody nodded. “Let’s book for late June. What about Antony?”
“They’re a package deal.” Anna smiled. “I’ll tell them to book the tickets and hotel soon, or we won’t find anything.”
“How long are we staying? About a week?”
“A week is good for me.” She shrugged. “I can’t afford longer. Let’s check with the others too.”
“You talk to Christina, let Antony know, and we’ll see.”
“Are you gonna tell the guys?” she asked.
“Chris is the last man standing, and Steve just started seeing someone after a million years,” Ody joked.
“Ody, you’re terrible,” she laughed, nudging him.
“I’ll ask them, but I can already hear Chris.
” He lowered his voice, mimicking him. “Come on, dude, it’ll just be couples.
What am I supposed to do there, be the third wheel?
” Anna laughed. “Steve might bring Danae so they can get closer. I’ll ask and let you know.
” For a moment, his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
After finishing their drinks, they walked for a bit, and by midnight he drove her home.
“Goodnight, beautiful.” He smiled at her.
“Goodnight, baby.” She wrapped her hand behind his neck, pulled him in for a kiss, and stepped out.
Ody returned home and sat on the couch, scrolling through his contacts. He tapped the number and after a few rings, Mano answered.
“Yeah?”
“Uh... hey.”
“Who’s this?”
“Seriously?” Ody muttered, just as the call cut. “Did he just hang up on me?” He stared at his phone, then called again.
“What the fuck do you want?” Mano snapped the second he picked up.
“Mano, it’s me. Ody.”
“Ody?” Mano’s voice softened, a little confused now.
“Really? You still haven’t saved my number?”
“Uh... no. When you called, I was all beat up and didn’t bother. Sorry.”
His honesty made Ody chuckle. “First off, how are you feeling?”
“Better. I think I can make it to class tomorrow. I can’t afford to miss more.”
“Good. Glad to hear it.”
“Did you need something?” Mano asked.
Ody took a breath. “Yeah, actually. I wanted to mention something. Just keep it in mind for later.”
“Mention what?”
“We’re going on vacation this summer with some friends. Do you want to come?”
“Some friends?”
“Yeah. Actually… it’ll be me and Anna, another couple, and I’ll invite Steve too.”
Mano leaned back, frowning. “And what does that have to do with me?”
“Well… you’re a friend.”
“Didn’t you just say couples? I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“You date so many girls, you can bring someone. We’re only going for a week.”
“Where to?”
“Serifos.”
Mano rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, look… I’m not really into that kind of thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Friends, groups, vacations all together. It’s not my style.”
“Why not? We’ll have a great time.”
“You will. I won’t,” Mano said, firm and unbudging.
“Why are you being so negative?”
“I don’t do well in crowds. I don’t like being around too many people.” Mano’s tone didn’t waver.
Ody’s mind drifted to the first day they met. “I’ll let you think about it. I’ll ask you again when we book.”
“It won’t change anything.”
“I’ll still ask. See you at campus tomorrow.”
When the call ended, Mano stayed there for a moment, phone still in his hand. His chest felt strange, tight in a way he didn’t want to think about. He opened his contacts, typed Ody’s name in Greek and saved the number.
He wasn’t the type to join group trips. He wasn’t into beaches, couples, or pretending he fit anywhere. He knew he wouldn’t go.
But lying in bed that night, staring at the ceiling in the dark, he realized something that unsettled him far more than the beating he had taken. Even if he had no intention of going, he would think about that invitation all night.