CHAPTER 93: SMOKES AND MIRRORS

Chapter NINETY-THREE

**OLIVER WEST**

That was Heath’s voice, but I had never heard him sound distressed as he did now.

"You’ve been hiding from me. You weren’t at your house, and you didn’t come to school either. Do you have any idea how worried I was? You weren’t even answering my calls, don’t give me that bullshit of staying away from you!"

I remained rooted in my spot as I recognized Claude’s voice, followed by their uneven footsteps as they entered further into the room.

What the hell?

I probably shouldn’t listen to their arguments but I found myself pressing my ear against the bathroom door, my heart hammering as I tried to process what their fight was about.

"Don’t be worried about me. You have no right." Heath’s voice was shaky, it lacked his usual confidence and swag which I’d come to know.

"NO RIGHT? I’m your fucking best friend. Since that night, you’ve been avoiding me! If it was just sex like you said, then why are you behaving this way?" Claude’s voice exploded.

I froze further in my spot, I didn’t have to see his expression to know he was furious.

I palmed my mouth to hold back a shocked gasp at the revelation, I recalled that morning after the party.

HEATH AND CLAUDE REALLY HAD SEX? My mind reeled, but Heath was in a secret relationship with Matt??

I probably shouldn’t be listening, but I couldn’t just block out my hearing abilities.

HELL NO!

I was fully invested now.

"It was a mistake! We were both wasted, Claude. I could barely stand up, and you—"

"Don’t you dare call it a mistake again!" Claude’s voice turned vicious.

"That’s what it was! I was so drunk I don’t even remember half of it. Neither of us knew what we were doing! It was one night. One mistake. So stop pestering me!" Heath shot back.

A second went by in silence while my ears remained pressed against the door. Another second ticked past, and I thought it was over, but I was wrong. Claude’s voice came again, it was lower now, but I caught each word.

"I remember every second, everything about it, it’s all I’ve been thinking about..."

"Stop! Just stop!" Heath’s voice broke completely. "We were drunk off our asses at that party. I thought you were helping me to bed because I couldn’t walk straight. I never meant—"

"You kissed me back." Claude accused.

"I was barely conscious! I thought... I don’t know what I thought. Everything was spinning and I was so out of it!"

"You wanted it, you told me you did!"

"I was drunk! So were you! We both made a stupid, drunken mistake!"

They were both shouting now, and I could hear something crash, like someone had thrown something against the wall.

"STOP CALLING IT THAT!" Claude’s voice hissed. "Even if you want us to forget about what happened, can’t we at least still be friends? I hate it that you keep avoiding me, you don’t even have a girlfriend anymore, what’s so bad if we get together?"

He sounded frustrated and worried rather than angry now.

There was something broken in his voice, like he was begging for something he knew he couldn’t have.

"Because I... I already have a boyfriend! I love him so much. If he finds out what I did with you..." Heath was crying now, the words coming out between broken sobs.

"I don’t believe you, who is he?" Claude’s voice had dropped in a way that sent chills down my spine. There was something dangerous in his tone, something that made my skin crawl with fear for Heath. Maybe because at this moment, he sounded so much like Kieran.

Kieran.

Why wasn’t he coming back? Was I going to be trapped here forever while these two spilt out everything I had no business hearing?!!

Well, not to say that I wasn’t enjoying this free entertainment, but I also felt bad for whatever happened to Heath. I knew him better than I did Claude and Vince, we couldn’t be considered good friends, but we weren’t strangers either.

"Why does it matter who he is? I’m telling you I’m in a relationship, and yes, it’s a guy." Heath sounded more panicked now.

I couldn’t help myself, I cracked the bathroom door open just enough to peek out.

Heath was pinned against the wall by Claude, whose body language screamed dominance. Claude’s face was twisted with something ugly - jealousy and possession mixed with barely controlled rage.

"It’s my business to know who you date, I’m your best friend! Don’t tell me it’s that nerd I’ve seen you hang around with. He looks sleazy."Claude scoffed.

"Don’t insult him!"Heath fired back, struggling against Claude’s grip. I could see tears streaming down his face as he fought against the hands holding him prisoner.

"Then don’t keep ignoring me," Claude warned, his voice dropping to something dangerous that was all too familiar to me, I could almost hear Kieran’s voice in his.

"You can’t tell me what to do!" Heath was still glaring at him.

"Oh, I can. I’m sure you don’t want your boyfriend to know you’re a cheat." I saw Claude’s cold smile and the fear that seeped into Heath’s voice as he whispered strongly.

"You won’t tell him."

"Who knows?" Claude shrugged, stepping back, he released his grip on Heath and walked out of the room.

I watched in shock as Heath buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs. His whole body was trembling like a leaf in a storm.

I stood frozen in the bathroom doorway, not sure how to escape without being discovered.

My phone chose this exact stupid moment to ring.

The sound cut through the silence like a gunshot.

Both Heath and I jerked at the noise. My phone screen displayed "My universe" surrounded by heart emojis, mocking the gravity of the situation.

Heath’s tear-stained face went white as he saw me standing there.

Guilt spread a flush to heat the back of my neck. "I didn’t mean to hear! I swear, I d-didn’t mean to listen!" I stammered, even though it sounded so inadequate.

My heart was hammering so hard I thought it might burst. Heath studied me for a long moment, his face stained red with something that looked like embarrassment.

Then, unexpectedly, he let out a shaky laugh that sounded more like a sob.

"Wanna smoke?"