Sorry for the delay in posting this Chapter – real life has been very busy recently. I am not too happy with this Chapter but decided to post it, anyway!
This Chapter is dedicated to all my lovely friends on the WFCTGIO thread. We've had a terrible 48 hours worrying about Chryed's future and this Chapter isn't going to help, but the support we all give each other is second to none. Goodnight and I love you all! xx
Chapter 14
'Sorry Christian. Very sorry to hear about your situation but it's too late for Syed and me. I have a new boyfriend now, Jamie – you spoke to him when you rang. I can't do anything for Syed now.'
And with that, Sam turned his phone off and met the piercing eyes of Jamie, his new boyfriend, who was looking at him, puzzled.
'What was that all about?' he asked.
'That was the guy Syed went back to, Christian. He's got some illness which means he'll probably die soon. He wants me to have Syed back, to look after him, when he's on his own! He doesn't think he'll cope, apparently.
'What? Bloody cheek. How can he ask you that when it was thanks to him that Syed left you? Just forget it. Let them get on with it.'
'Mmmm, yes. That's what I told him. Obviously, I'm sorry he's ill, but to ask me to look after Syed….' his voice trailed off.
Sam picked up a magazine that was lying on the table in front of him but quickly put it down, unable to concentrate. He was trying to picture how Syed must be feeling now, now that he'd had this bad news about Christian. Sam had known that Christian was very ill, but he'd had no idea how ill and now it looked as though Syed would be left alone, and fairly soon at that.
Although Syed had dumped him for Christian, Sam knew that he would have done the same in his situation and, devastated though he had been, his love for Syed and respect for his caring nature, meant that he'd reluctantly forgiven him. He'd met Jamie a couple of weeks after Syed had left and, although they were in a relationship of sorts, it didn't compare to the depth of feeling he'd had before, for Syed.
Without really thinking he pulled out his phone and within seconds had sent Syed a text:
Christian has spoken to me. I'm here if you need me, Sx
'What are you doing?' Jamie's voice came from behind him. 'Who were you texting?'
Sam decided to be truthful. He liked Jamie but not enough to be lie to him to protect their relationship.
'Syed.'
'Give me your phone!' Jamie wrenched the phone from Sam's hand and flicked to Sent messages.
'Oh. So you are here when he needs you are you? Great! Where does that leave me when your precious Syed walks through that door all tear-stained and gorgeous when the man he left you for dies? I guess my stuff will be slung out on the street, along with me, while daaarling Syed gets to stay here.' Jamie's words came tumbling out angrily. He couldn't believe that Sam had contacted Syed, after all that had happened.
Sam looked at Jamie and didn't have the energy to argue back. He knew that he would have Syed back in a heartbeat, if he needed him, despite everything. Jamie was just passing through his life, briefly. He almost didn't care that he was angry – all his thoughts were centred on Syed.
'Do what you want,' sighed Sam wearily. 'I don't know what's going to happen and I don't know what I want to happen. You do whatever you want.' And he picked up the magazine again and stared at it, unseeing.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
As Syed lay snuggled up to Christian on the sofa with the dinner getting colder by the second, his phone bleeped as a text came through. He glanced at it:
Christian has spoken to me. I'm here if you need me, Sx
He had to read it twice to check he wasn't imagining it. A text from Sam saying Christian had spoken to him! What had he said to him and why was he meddling in his life? Christian stirred and smiled as he always did when he was lying in Syed's arms. Even when asleep he seemed to know that he was being protected, and loved, by Syed.
'Christian! Wake up! What the hell have you been saying to Sam?'
Christian opened one eye a little and sleepily stared at him. What was Syed talking about? How did he know that he'd spoken to Sam?
'Don't know what you're talking about,' he grinned, and promptly closed his eye again.
'Well try to think. You've obviously been in touch with Sam. He's texted me and said he's there if I need him.'
'Good! I hoped he would be.' Christian snuggled down onto Syed's chest.
'WAKE UP! I want to know what you said and why you thought you had the right to contact him. ' Syed almost shouted at Christian.
Christian was wide awake now and looking at the angry face of his darling Sy. He tried to hug him but Syed pushed him away and stood up. 'Well…what have you done?'
Christian reached out to him, asking him to sit by him again, but Syed ignored his entreaties.
'I got his number from your phone and rang him earlier. I asked him to look after you when I…when I…..'
He didn't finish what he'd been going to say because Syed shouted, 'You rang him to ask him to look after me! Who said I need looking after? Who gave you the right to look at my phone?' He stood in front of Christian, fists clenched, brown eyes flashing and pain written across his face.
Christian had never seen Syed so angry. He was pacing up and down the flat now. How dare Christian interfere like this? He felt bad enough that he'd hurt Sam and now Christian was asking him to have him back, effectively. He couldn't bring himself to think of the future without Christian and here he was, organising his life for him.
'This is what I think of your interference…,' he said digging his phone from out of his jeans pocket and he rang Sam's number while Christian watched, aghast.
'Hi, it's me. I got your text. Just to let you know that I will never need looking after by anyone, let alone by you!' he barked into the phone. 'Leave me alone will you?' and he switched his phone off and threw it at Christian.
'Now will you believe me? Stop interfering in my life!' and he grabbed his jacket and left the flat slamming the door behind him.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Sam heard the phone click as Syed turned it off after delivering the tirade telling him to leave him alone.
'Now what?' asked Jamie.
'I've just been told, by Syed, that he will never need any help from me. I've never heard him like that before. He is really struggling to cope.'
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
With Syed gone, Christian lay on the sofa staring at the ceiling, regretting bitterly ever ringing Sam. He hadn't thought through the consequences of his call – never thought for a moment that Sam would contact Syed. Thinking about it, Christian realised that of course that would have been an obvious thing for Sam to have done. He would be missing Syed and Christian's call would have raised his hopes, hopes that their relationship could be rekindled.
Christian rolled onto his side, groaned and closed his eyes trying to imagine how Syed's life would continue without him around. Syed was full of bravado at the moment but was struggling to cope with the thought that Christian might not be with him for much longer. Christian grabbed one of the cushions on the sofa and hugged it aggressively, wishing it was Syed. Where was he? He'd been gone for a while now. Christian took out his mobile and rang Syed's number before realising that he'd thrown the phone at him before he'd stormed out. He couldn't even go to look for him – even the smallest amount of effort involved in walking round the flat left him breathless. He had to wait – wait until Syed had cooled down and come back of his own volition.
Christian flicked on the TV and, after an hour, realised he'd stared at the screen with no idea about what he'd been watching. Still no sign of Syed – now he was getting worried! He imagined that Syed would stomp out in a huff and be back in a few minutes - but he'd been gone well over two hours.
Christian felt helpless once more. He couldn't phone or text him and he couldn't go out searching. His mind started to run wild – what if he'd decided to go to see Sam? Not for the first time that day he bitterly regretted making the call.
'Jane, it's me – you haven't come across Syed around the Square, have you?' Christian briefly explained what had happened.
'Do you want me to come over?' enquired Jane, worried about her brother. He could do without this amount of stress at the moment, and the tone of his voice indicated to her that that was what he was feeling with Syed gone missing.
'Yes – that would be great. I'm so worried about Sy – he's been gone for a long time now and I've no way of reaching him.' There was a definite wobble in his voice!
Within minutes, Jane was letting herself into the flat where she found a very pale, worried-looking Christian sitting hunched on the sofa. She sat down next to him and put her arms around him. He rested his head on her shoulder and she could tell that he wasn't far from tears.
'Tell me again what's happened,' she asked gently, and then listened while Christian told her about the call to Sam, and Syed's reaction.
'I'm worried that he may have gone to see him,' said Christian. 'I can't think of any other explanation.'
Jane thought for a moment. 'Give me your phone,' she demanded. 'What's Sam's number?'
Christian looked horror-struck. 'Don't phone him – please!' and he made a grab for the phone. But Jane was too quick and was soon dialling the number she'd found in the memory. Sam answered. Jane briefly explained that Syed was missing and asked whether Sam had seen him.
There was a pause, then Sam said, 'Yes I have. He's here with me now.'
To be continued….