44. Chapter 44
Mano jerked in his hold, eyes flying open. He pushed against Ody’s chest once, trying to break the kiss, but Ody caught his wrists and pinned them to the sand beside his head.
His weight settled over him, holding him down. For a second, Mano kept resisting. Then Ody’s tongue brushed his, and the fight drained out of him.
Somewhere behind the rocks, voices carried across the beach. “Where the hell did they go?” Steve said, looking around, suddenly alarmed.
“Shit, man. Don’t tell me they’re fighting!” Antony jumped to his feet and rushed toward the rocks.
The kiss turned rough, breathless. Then a voice suddenly cut through the night. “Guys!”
In an instant, Ody shoved himself up, fist already pulling back like he was about to punch him. Mano was still breathless from the kiss, staring up into his eyes as Ody straddled his hips, knees planted on either side of him.
Both of them were panting when Steve and Antony finally appeared. “Ah, hell no!” Steve rushed forward, grabbing Ody and pulling him away.
Their eyes never broke contact.
“We sent you guys to work things out and you end up fighting?” Antony said in disbelief.
“What happened this time, Ody?” Steve asked.
Ody didn’t say a word. He just stood there, looking down at Mano lying in the sand.
“Come on, Mano,” Antony said, reaching out a hand to help him up. But Mano smacked it away, jaw tight.
“Let’s go,” Steve muttered, turning to leave with Ody and Antony.
As they walked away, Ody glanced back over his shoulder, his chest tightening. His eyes found Mano, still lying in the sand, breathing heavily.
“What happened?” Anna asked, immediately rising to her feet.
“What do you think? They fought,” Steve said.
“We didn’t fight,” Ody muttered.
“You almost did!”
“Baby, why?” Anna murmured, rubbing his shoulder.
“What about Mano?” Ranya spoke up.
“He stayed back,” Steve answered, and she took off running toward him.
When she reached him, he was still lying there. “Mano?” She bent down, searching his face.
He didn’t answer. He just stared up at the black sky scattered with stars, his thoughts spiraling around the kiss and everything that had been said.
“Are you okay? Did he hit you?” she asked, touching his face with concern.
“Leave me alone,” he rasped, still looking at the sky.
“Babe, what happened? Why…”
“I said leave me alone.” He shut his eyes.
She sighed, giving him one last look before walking away.
A storm of thoughts tormented him. This felt wrong. Ody had a girlfriend, and he was betraying her with everything they had been doing. But then... What was this thing between them? What did it mean? Would it end once summer was over?
It was the first time Mano had felt something like this with anyone.
What if Anna found out? What if someone from their group had seen them? They were both men. This was wrong. It was insane.
He covered his face with his hands. He had to stop it. But could he?
“Are you gonna tell us what the hell’s going on?” Steve asked Ody. “He tried to hit you back at the buffet, and you wouldn’t say why. Since then you guys haven’t spoken, and now you almost punched him. What the fuck is going on?”
Ody’s eyes flicked around the group. Everyone was waiting for an answer. “Guys... just drop it. It’s nothing serious, really.”
“And when will it be serious, baby?” Anna asked. “When someone actually gets hurt?”
“That’s not gonna happen.”
“Dude, just tell us what’s up,” Steve pressed, looking him in the eye.
Ody knew he couldn’t keep dodging the question forever. “Okay, look. We disagree on something.”
“About what?”
“Kash and his group,” Ody said, and only Steve and Anna seemed to understand.
“What do you mean?”
“Uh... Mano thinks we shouldn’t let them off the hook after what they did. But I don’t want to keep this going.”
“Yeah, you’ve told us that before. But honestly, I agree with Mano,” Steve said.
“What?”
“Steve, what are you saying?” Anna asked, frowning.
“I mean, come on.” Steve looked between them in disbelief. “After everything they did to both Ody and Mano, we’re just letting it go?”
“If you remember, bro, we already gave them what they deserved back at that school,” Ody said.
“Yeah, well, it didn’t seem to make a difference. Kash still threatened you afterward.”
Ody let out a slow breath. “He hasn’t done anything since, okay? He stopped bothering me. That’s why there’s no point talking about this anymore.”
“Wait, I’m totally lost. What the hell are you guys even talking about?” Antony asked.
“I’ll explain later,” Steve said.
“Is he still...?” Ody asked quietly.
Ranya nodded. “Yeah. He’s still back there. He asked me to leave him alone.”
Ody lowered his gaze, feeling responsible for everything that was happening.
Half an hour passed. The tension slowly faded as the group settled onto the loungers, wrapping themselves in blankets against the cool night air.
Anna curled up in Ody’s arms, just like the other two couples.
Then Mano finally approached.
“Baby?” Ranya searched his face.
He didn’t answer. He grabbed a blanket and lay down with his back to them.
Quiet conversations drifted between the group for a while, but eventually the voices faded. One by one, they closed their eyes, dozing under the moonlight as the waves rolled steadily onto the shore.
Ody carefully turned his back to Anna, who was sleeping beside him, and unlocked his phone. For a moment he hesitated. Then he opened his messages and reread the text Kash had sent. How’s the trip? I miss you... Can’t wait to do more things to you when you get back...
Anger flared in his chest as he typed. What if Anna saw this? Are you trying to fuck everything up? Don’t text me again. He sent the message, then exited the chat and opened his conversation with Mano. Are you okay? He hit send while glancing at Mano’s back a few meters away.
Mano was lying under the blanket. Ody couldn’t tell if he was asleep. A moment later, it was marked as seen. Please talk to me…
Mano swallowed hard and typed a reply. No I’m not
Ody’s stomach tightened when the message came. Why?
The typing bubble appeared, then disappeared. A moment later, Mano replied. Because this doesn’t feel right
Ody stared at the screen. You mean... behind Anna’s back?
Seen
I don’t feel right either, trust me. I feel awful for doing this to her… I wish I could make it easier
It was seen again. A moment passed, and then Mano replied. You can
How?
Leave me alone
When Ody read the reply, his stomach clenched. His pulse spiked, throat suddenly dry. No. He didn’t want that. He couldn’t do that. His fingers hovered over the screen. Before he could type a reply, another notification popped up.
Mano: This can’t happen again
You don’t mean that…
I do
Then why did you kiss me back?
The message was seen, but Mano didn’t reply. Ody stared at the screen, his chest tightening. Then, he typed again. From the moment I saw you getting off that bike, something about you pulled me in. I didn’t understand it then. Now I do
Mano sat with his legs pulled up to his chest, staring at the last message on his screen. Why did he feel so strange? What was this feeling? He had never felt anything like it before. Slowly, he typed. If someone sees us...
Ody’s breath caught. His eyes locked on the screen. Us. His fingers moved before he could think twice. We’ll be careful. We’ll meet in secret
Mano stared at the text. And Anna?
Ody closed his eyes, clenching his jaw. He felt Anna shift in her sleep, her body pressing against his back. Guilt twisted in his stomach. He swallowed and typed. I know... I just need time
The message was seen. Ody waited, but nothing else appeared. He locked his phone and stayed there, watching Mano’s curled-up figure under the blanket a few meters away.
Sleep didn’t come. He stayed there for a long time, listening to the waves and watching the slow rise and fall of Mano’s breathing. Eventually the night grew colder. Beside him, Anna shifted in her sleep. “Mmm…” she murmured as she opened her eyes.
Night still covered the beach. The only sound was the steady crash of waves against the shore.
“Baby?” she whispered, pressing a soft kiss to Ody’s forehead.
One by one, the others stirred awake. Someone checked the time. “It’s 3 a.m.”
“Alright, guys, let’s head back to the hotel.”
“Best sleep ever.”
“Good thing we brought blankets,” Steve chuckled. “Otherwise we’d be frozen.”
“Babe... wake up,” Ranya said, gently nudging Mano. He barely reacted.
The group gathered their things and headed toward the cars. Ody glanced at Mano, who was still half-asleep. For a moment, he wished he could scoop him into his arms and carry him to the car, letting him sleep all the way back to the hotel.
“Come on, man. Move it,” Steve said, noticing Ody standing there.
“Yeah…” Ody muttered, walking toward the car. He tossed their bags inside and glanced back at the beach.
Mano was approaching with Ranya, looking exhausted and barely awake. “Do you want to lie down in the back with me?” she asked him.
Mano shrugged, too tired to argue.
“Anna, do you mind sitting in the front?”
“Not at all.” She slipped into the passenger seat while Ody walked around the car and got into the driver’s seat.
He glanced in the rearview mirror just as Ranya climbed into the back. Mano followed and rested his head on her lap. The sight tightened something painfully in Ody’s chest.
“Ready to go?” Anna asked.
“Yeah…” he said, starting the engine.
The whole drive back, one thought wouldn’t leave him. He wanted Mano beside him instead, his head heavy in his lap while he ran his fingers through that black hair until he fell asleep.
The road was nearly empty at that hour, the soft hum of the engine and the distant sound of the sea the only things breaking the quiet.
When they finally reached the hotel, everyone climbed out slowly, still half-asleep. They muttered quick goodnights before heading toward their rooms.
Ranya changed into her short pajamas and slipped under the sheets. Mano shifted closer and wrapped his arms around her, resting his head against her chest. “M-Mano?” she stammered, startled. “Are you okay?”
She couldn’t believe it. Mano Jones was hugging her. The same Mano who barely let her kiss him, who wouldn’t even hold her hand when they went for a walk.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, but he didn’t answer. She gently ran her fingers through his hair until his breathing slowed. Soon he was asleep.
The fifth day in Serifos dawned bright and warm. Everyone gathered at the buffet for breakfast. Between Ody and Mano hung a strange tension, heavy with everything that had passed between them the night before.
After breakfast, no one felt like leaving the hotel. The girls headed to the spa, eager for their chocolate therapy session and facial treatments, while Steve and Antony decided to spend the morning by the pool. Ody and Mano, however, stayed in their rooms.
Ody lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He tried to relax, but his mind wouldn’t settle. It kept drifting back to the beach. To the kiss. To the messages they had exchanged in the middle of the night.
With a frustrated sigh, he sat up. His gaze fell on the chair in the corner where his clothes from the previous night were folded. The gray pants he had worn to the restaurant were draped neatly over the back.
He remembered Mano mentioning at breakfast that he hadn’t brought many pairs. An idea formed in his mind. It was a weak excuse, and he knew it. But it was enough.
He grabbed the pants, slipped them into a plastic bag, and headed out into the hallway. A moment later, he knocked on Mano’s door. Footsteps came from inside before the door finally opened. Mano stood there, and for a moment neither of them said a word.
“Can I come in?” Ody asked.
Mano hesitated, then stepped aside. “Why are you here?” he asked as he moved toward the bed.
Ody walked in. “I wanted to see you.”
Mano’s eyes dropped to the plastic bag in his hand. “What’s that?”
“You said you didn’t bring many pairs of pants,” Ody said. “So I thought I’d lend you mine for tonight.”
“Which ones?” Mano asked as he sat on the edge of the bed.
“The ones I wore when we went to the restaurant.”
Mano’s mind jumped back to that night in the restaurant bathroom, to the moment Ody had pushed himself off the sink with that smug grin and said, “two-zero.”
“You wore that white shirt that day,” Ody said as he pulled the pants from the plastic bag. “These would look really good with it.”
Mano glanced down at them, instantly thinking of Ody’s outfit that night.
“Although,” Ody added, lifting his gaze to meet his, “they might be a little tight on you.”
“Why?”
“You’re more muscular than me. They’ll cling to you.”
Mano blinked hard at that.
“Why don’t you try them on?” A faint smile curved Ody’s lips.
“Okay… later.”
“Now.” He pushed the pants into Mano’s hands. “I want to see how they fit.”
Mano took them, swallowing hard before pushing himself off the bed. He was heading toward the bathroom when Ody’s voice stopped him. “Take the shirt too, so we can see the full outfit.”
Mano hesitated, then grabbed the white shirt from the closet and disappeared into the bathroom.
Outside, Ody paced the room like he couldn’t sit still. A moment later the door opened, and Mano stepped out.
The white shirt clung tightly to his body, outlining the muscles across his chest, arms and stomach.
Ody’s eyes dragged slowly over him.
“You were right,” Mano admitted. “It’s a little tight in the back.”
“Where in the back?” Ody said a little too fast. “Turn around.”
Mano’s eyes widened.
“Come on,” Ody added with a teasing smile. “Don’t be shy.”
Slowly, Mano turned his back to him. Ody’s gaze dropped straight to his ass. His breath caught. “Holy shit…”
Mano turned back, startled. “What—”
He never finished the sentence. Ody lunged forward and grabbed him, both hands landing on his ass.
“What are you doing?” Mano stared at him, shock and embarrassment flashing across his face.
Ody’s eyes darkened as they roamed over him. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
Mano’s heart slammed against his ribs.
But he wasn’t sure he wanted Ody to stop.