Fear gripped them like a vice as they turned their heads and saw Stuart standing there by the door and casting a cold glance. That was all they needed to know that Stuart had overheard their conversation. Including what they did to Kevin.
With heavy steps, Stuart went to Berry and gently pulled him up. Since Berry was wearing a casual short-sleeved top, the bright red mark on his elbow could be seen. It was especially noticeable because Berry had fair skin.
Stuart's gaze turned tender and he looked at Berry apologetically. He felt a heaviness in his heart knowing that the same thing was done to Kevin without him knowing for heaven knows how long.
While he was outside and was done speaking to Marie on the phone, a message from an unknown number was sent to him. It was a photo of Kevin and proof of what his friends had done to his boyfriend.
Apart from that photo, there was no other message. Start found himself staring at the screen for so long he didn't even realise that he had two legs that needed rest. The bright red mark on Kevin's pale skin fuelled him with so much anger that he wanted to kill someone.
At first, he was sad and felt guilty because he couldn't protect his boyfriend when he was being bullied by his friends but then, he got angry, knowing that those shameless bastards were living peacefully after what they did to Kevin.
That was when he went back into the room and he happened to hear them talking about what they had done to Kevin and what they were going to do to Berry. This further enraged him, even more when he saw that Harry was about to pour his drink on Berry.
At that moment, he decided that he was going to teach them the lesson of their lives. He couldn't do it while Kevin was with him and suffering silently and that made him more regretful and angrier than ever.
Looking at the red bruise on Berry's elbow, he couldn't help but imagine how much pain Kevin was in all that time he refused to say anything when he was bullied by his so-called friends.
Kevin was very delicate and a little bug bite would leave him crying for days, partly because of the pain and partly because of the unwelcomed colour on his skin. So he could only wonder how much fear these three had instilled in him for him to stay quiet for so long.
"Does it hurt?" Stuart's words came out in a choked voice like he was about to cry. His shoulders shook slightly as he awaited Berry's answer which he got when Berry nodded.
The tears he managed to hold fell from his eyes, leaving burning sensations on his face. If Berry could agree that this was painful, then what more Kevin?
Stuart saw red. He turned to Gary, his burning eyes fixed on Gary's form, wishing that he could punch out the remaining life in Gary. He was going to do just that but Berry stopped him by grabbing his wrist.
As much as Berry was happy to see that Stuart was angry and was willing to fight for him, even though deep down, he knew it was for Kevin, he didn't want Stuart's knuckles to be stained with the blood of disgusting people like his so-called friends.
"It doesn't hurt so much. I can bear it". Berry said calmly, hoping that Stuart would listen to him but his hope was dashed.
What he didn't know, or what he did know but didn't want to think about is that Stuart was not fitting for him but for Kevin. Stuart wanted to see red bruises all over these guys just like the marks they left on Kevin.
But he knew that hitting them would be pointless, fulfilling, but not worth it. He would just end up in jail for committing murder. So instead, he took his phone and called the police immediately.
Harry, Garry, and Larry paled when they heard Stuart speaking to the police. They couldn't believe their ears nor could they believe their eyes. To them, they were only trying to help yet Stuart was going to put them in prison.
"You are being unreasonable Stuart. This is not right". Larry said, his voice trembling as well as his shoulders. He was the scion of his family, going to jail would not look good on him.
"Yes Stuart. You can't do this". Harry said
"We were only trying to help…" Gary was speaking when an angry fist met his jaw, knocking him out instantly. The sight shook the other two and any other form of protest got stuck in their throats.
Berry was awed by the sight and his lips parted in surprise. For someone who had only seen the gentleman in Stuart, and had only witnessed his flustered side, this was shocking.
He looked at Stuart who was still breathing hard from anger and he developed a newfound respect for him. Seeing him fight for his ex-boyfriend just made Berry even greedier than he was before. There was no way he was going to let Stuart pass him. He was going to keep this man for himself.
"Go on, keep talking", Stuart said as he wiped the little blood that stained his knuckles. He was sure that he had broken some of Gary's teeth and that left him with a huge sense of accomplishment. He would have punched Larry first but Gary was unfortunate to be so close to him.
The two men took steps backwards like they were trying to escape from a vengeful beast. This was also the first time they were seeing Stuart so angry and they did not know how to react. They didn't dare say a word and stood there quietly and obediently waiting for the police to arrive.
Berry smirked.