Loving a Bully

Miss You

Christopher Lawrence sat in his car, staring out the window to the concert hall that had people queuing in front, a hall his family used to own until his deceased mother donated it to a non-profit organization before she was, well, deceased.

That was the first time Christopher had been there in over twenty years. The last time had been to watch The Sound of Music when he was barely five years old, or so he was told by his grandparents. He didn’t really remember much of his childhood. Trauma did that to a person, or so he was told again, this time by his useless doctors.

“Aren’t you going out?” he heard an impatient voice ask. “Sir?” the voice added as an afterthought.

Christopher kept his eyes at the hall when he said, “How many times do I have to tell you that you don’t need to call me sir when we’re alone together, Alec?”

“And how many times do I have to tell you that you don’t have time for this?” he heard him grumble irritably. “Sir.”

Christopher’s gaze drifted to the driver’s seat.

Alec Jackman was staring at him on the rear-view mirror, gray eyes looking as impatient and irritable as his voice sounded.

A tall, lean and athletic man with handsome features and light-brown hair, Alec had been Christopher’s friend since middle school. And because of his ability to get a variety of jobs done in a variety of creative way, he became Christopher’s employee, bodyguard and right-hand man since Christopher graduated from college.

Their friendship was why this asshole could talk smack at Christopher and get away with it. Any other person who’d try would find himself on the ground before he could finish uttering a word.

“I have time,” Christopher responded wryly.

Alec made a show of looking at his wristwatch. “Your flight is at 10.”

“The concert will end before 10.”

“You need to get on that flight before 10, boss.”

“And I will,” Christopher looked out the window again, “I will, Alec.”

Fuck knows there would be consequences if he didn’t.

But it had been almost six months since he’d last seen his friends. Sure, there were phone calls in between as Sophia was stubborn about making sure all of them keep in touch. Not to mention Hannah who was always bugging him about going to the blind dates that she had set up even though no one, especially not him, asked her.

It wasn’t their fault that they hadn’t seen each other, it was his. He had hardly no time to spare. And Alec was right. He definitely didn’t have time for this. But it had been far too long since he’d had the pleasure of their company.

Alec’s disapproval still lingered in the air and Christopher felt it.

Sighing, he looked at his right-hand and said, “You know I’m doing this to get Leon off my back. He’s been asking... questions,” he deadpanned.

“You didn’t tell me he was asking questions.”

“Since when did I have to tell you my every phone conversation?”

“Since you f*****g appointed me,” he bit out, at the end of his patience and not the kind of man who had trouble showing it, even to the kind of man Christopher had become. “Sir.”

Christopher grinned. “Like you didn’t request, no, demand for the position?”

“You need someone to guide you.” Alec turned to the front. Christopher could see how white his knuckles have become when Alec tightened his grip around the wheel. “And to make sure you stay alive. Sir.”

God damn it. Alec must be really f*****g pissed because he was pissing Christopher off too with his endless sirs. Now he understood what John felt. John’s bodyguard wouldn’t stop calling him young master either.

“Right, I’m out of here,” he mumbled, shoving the door open and straightening out of the car. “And no. You won’t be coming inside with me.”

“But what if—.”

He closed the door to Alec’s protest.

Then, smoothing his suit jacket as well as schooling his features, he made his way into the concert hall.

John Steele was on his phone when he walked inside the lobby. Seeing him, John’s face lit up and he ended the call quickly.

“Skull!” John grinned widely, throwing an arm around him and clapping a hand on his shoulder. Dark-haired with green eyes, his eyes were positively beaming with delight. “f*****g great to see you, man.”

Skull was the nickname his friends had called him since high school. It had started as a joke that everyone took seriously. Now, even though they were in their mid-twenties, most of his closest friends still called him by the nickname. He’d probably be stuck with it forever but he didn’t really mind.

“If Terry hears you cussing, she’ll have your head again,” he told John.

John looked to the side and winced. “Too late. She already heard me.”

Terry Evans, a black-haired and half-Asian beauty, was making her way over to them with a glower directed at John. “You just can’t control yourself, can you?” she hissed at him.

“The potty jar doesn’t work?” Christopher asked her.

Her annoyed gaze drifted to him and they softened. “No,” she said, wrapping her arms around him to give him a quick hug. “And I’m glad you could make it, Christopher.”

He grinned down at her. “Wouldn’t miss Emmy’s concerto for the world, Terry.”

“Skull!”

His eyes cut to the velvet couches were Leon Gage sat. With black hair and silvery-gray eyes that could clear one look with one glacial stare, he clearly wasn’t in the best moods at the moment. Next to him, napping on his shoulder, was a very pregnant Sophia, his wife. Blonde and blue-eyed, she was one of the best things that ever happened to them, most especially to Leon. And Christopher owed her big for that.

Leon waved him over, saying, “You’ve got something to say to me?”

“Yeah,” Christopher went over then sat on the couch next to Sophia Gideon, now Sophia Gage, “I’m planning to give the baby a pony,” he smirked at Leon. “Can you find a bigger place in Boston that has a stable?”

A muscle jumped on Leon’s cheek. “You are not giving us a pony.”

“It’s not for you, it’s for the baby.”

“You are not going to give her a—.”

“Skull?” Sophia lifted her head from Leon’s shoulder, blinking and narrowing her eyes at him. “Is that you?”

“Hey, beautiful.” Sophia wrapped her arms around his middle and buried her face into his chest. He chuckled. He knew without looking at her face that she was getting teary-eyed. “You still a crier?”

He felt her nod. Felt Terry and John moving close. Felt his friends’ affection for him.

It had been a good idea to come and see them again.

But then he felt Leon’s hot glare.

And looking at Leon’s expression, Christopher knew this night wasn’t going to end without his friends grilling him.

Fuck.

He saw how Leon’s mouth got tight over Sophia’s shoulders. He grinned at him and watched as his friend’s mouth got tighter.

Sharp, shrewd, and street smart. That was Leon Gage.

His life had been marred by tragedy, a tragedy he had finally overcome with Sophia, his girlfriend since high school, now wife. And so the tragedy ended in true storybook form but that didn’t mean Leon was done being sharp, shrewd, street smart and most of all, protective. The kind of protective that was pissing Leon off because he knew Christopher was hiding something from them and the kind of protective that had Christopher staying away from them for six months.

Sophia was excitedly telling them about how they’ve redecorated a room in their house in Boston and turned it into a nursery. John and Terry were hanging on to her every word, John especially. Christopher knew how bad he wanted to get married to Terry. But Terry still wouldn’t accept his proposal for some reason.

Sitting on the velvet couches, catching up and talking about how their lives had become, Christopher found comfort in that, like he’d been given reprieve. His life, for the most part, had no room for comfort anymore. And Alec knew that. That was why he relented and gave Christopher these few hours of relief.

“You painted the room pink?” John was asking Sophia.

“Peach,” Sophia corrected.

John looked at his girlfriend. “Aren’t they the same?”

Terry shook her head. “No, honey. They’re not.” Then she looked at Leon in disbelief. “You let her paint the room pink?”

Sophia sighed in exasperation. “Peach.”

Leon squeezed his wife’s shoulder gently. “Happy wife, happy life.”

Christopher and John exchanged glances.

Then they burst out into loud laughter, making everyone in the lobby look at them.

“Alright,” Leon began in a soft mutter that hinted violence if they didn’t stop laughing, “Enough talk about us. What about you tell us what you’ve been doing, Skull—?”

He couldn’t finish his question because Rohan had finally arrived and Christopher didn’t waste the opportunity to evade his interrogation.

"Rohan," He stood up, throwing his arms around their friend. "What took you so long?"

Rohan clapped his back and said, "My meeting with the investors took too long. I let Jack wrap it up."

John chuckled when he heard and also stood to give Rohan a quick hug. "I bet he was happy. He hasn't changed at all since high school, has he? He's still a lazy as fu—," he faltered at the glare Terry gave him, "fudgesickles."

Rolling her eyes, Terry gave Rohan a kiss on the cheek. "It's been awhile, Rohan."

"You still haven't said yes?" Rohan asked her, lifting his brows.

"Only because he still needs to mature," was her answer. The glare that John gave her made Christopher laugh.

"She's already planning to divorce me before we could even tie the knot," John grumbled.

Terry sent him a sweet smile. "If we tie the knot."

Rohan immediately turned away from the couple, knowing they were going to argue again, and went to Leon and Sophia. Amused, Christopher stayed next to the couple and listened to them argue.

“Set the date,” John said, glowering at Terry.

Terry crossed her arms and glowered back. “Don’t be childish.”

“We’re getting old.”

“We’re twenty-six. We are not old.”

“Leon and Sophia are twenty-six but they’re already married and have a baby on the way.”

Terry looked like she wanted to throttle him and Christopher thought it was time to intervene.

“They don’t own a multi-billion company,” he told John. “Companies, rather,” he amended with a grin.

“Still—.”

Christopher patted his shoulder. “Give her some time,” he whispered. “At least she finally moved in with you. Right?”

But John didn’t look reassured. He stared at Terry, who was now staring at Sophia, Leon and Rohan. Christopher’s eyes went to them too.

"You checked in fine, right?" Rohan asked Leon, giving him a one-armed hug.

"Yeah, we did," Leon replied.

"You could have just lived with us."

"The hotel's nearer to the hospital."

Sophia rolled her eyes. "He's such a worrywart. I'm still far along."

"They're naming the baby after me," Christopher told Rohan.

Terry sighed. "For the last time, Skull. They were only joking when they said they were naming her Femur."

That made Christopher grin.

And, as he looked at his friends, his grin became bigger, seeing how far they have become.

Happy for them too.

Leon was currently working in the investigative agency that his father owned in Boston. Their business, already successful under his father's guidance, grew even more successful, eventually becoming security to the stars and to prominent businessmen from different companies in the country. His wife, Sophia, was taking a break from teaching since it was the baby’s last trimester. But mostly because Leon nagged and nagged her to rest until she finally caved.

John too worked in his father's company as the vice-president of their R&D. It wouldn't be long when he'd take over his father as president of Steele Pharmaceuticals, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the country, but John wasn't in a hurry. He preferred to take his time learning about their business. And because he preferred having more free time to spend on dates with Terry when she wasn't busy. Because Terry also had a company to run with her father, the CEO of the Shimizu-Evans group and with her brother.

Rohan had also been successful in starting his own software company that dealt with cyber security and software solutions. He was living with Emmy, his girlfriend who had just recovered from a terrible blood disease that almost took her life, in a house near Christopher’s. Emmy was holding a solo piano concerto in this concert hall and they all came to support her. They were proud and happy that she had kicked death’s ass and happier for Rohan.

Christopher, Leon, John and Rohan had been friends since middle school. Their friendship was strong, their bonds never broken no matter how much they argued and fought. A friendship unlike any other, built out of respect and love, they would always have each other’s’ backs no matter what.

Christopher considered Leon, Rohan and John his brothers.

But sometimes, there were times he wished they didn’t treat him as such.