Guilty of Love

Mike let go of Win's arm only when they reached the far corner of the building, away from the noise, away from King.

"What the hell was that?" Mike hissed, spinning to face him. Did you just talk to him like that? In public?

Win's jaw clenched. His chest heaved, breath sharp. Do you see what I saw?

But he tried to explain it wasn't flirting. That's not what it was.

Win looked away, ashamed but too proud to admit it.

Mike stepped closer. You humiliated him, Win. You accused him of throwing himself at someone when all he did was lose his balance. You called him cheap. You called him sick again.

He doesn't listen, Win muttered. He keeps doing these things. Like he's trying to test me.

Test you? Mike echoed. What, by existing? By smiling at someone who's not you?

He's supposed to be under my care.

No. He's not a patient. He's a human being. He's King, Mike cut in sharply. You're not his warden. You're supposed to care about him. And if you do, you don't get to use that care as an excuse to control him or punish him when he doesn't act how you want.

Win ran a hand through his hair. He makes me feel like I'm losing control.

Then maybe that's your problem, not his, Mike said, his voice softer but still pointed. You're in love with him, Win. But you're acting like that love is a burden. Like you're ashamed of it.

Win didn't reply.

Mike's gaze sharpened. Do you know what he looked like when you said those things?

Win turned away.

Like a kid being told he was broken. Like everything inside him cracked wide open. You broke him, Win.

A long silence hung in the air between them.

I was angry, Win said finally, seeing him with James… it felt like he wasn't mine anymore.

"He's not yours," Mike said gently. He's his person. And maybe if you stopped trying to cage him, he'd choose to stay.

Win's shoulders slumped. The anger drained, leaving only guilt in its place.

Mike placed a hand on his shoulder. You can still fix this. But you need to start seeing him as more than someone you're trying to protect. He needs love not a prison.

Win nodded faintly.

Then, like the weight of everything finally hit him, his voice cracked. I don't want to lose him.

Mike gave him a long, measured look.

"Then stop being the reason he runs."

Back to King's.

King stood alone near the curb, arms folded tightly across his chest as if he could physically hold himself together. The ache in his chest had bloomed into something sharp, something cold, something loud. The streets were buzzing, but he heard nothing. Just the echo of Win's voice.

"Cheap. Sick. I can't stand someone with standards as low as yours."

The words clung to him like smoke, impossible to wash off.

Then, a car pulled up.

The moment Charlotte stepped out, King didn't wait.

He didn't force a smile.

He didn't try to talk.

He just stood there, frozen.

Charlotte took one look at him and she understood everything.

"Oh, baby…" she whispered.

King's throat closed. His legs moved before his brain caught up.

And then he was in her arms, no words, no hesitation, his face buried in her shoulder as everything he'd been holding in came crashing out at once.

His body shook with the weight of everything he couldn't say.

Charlotte held him tightly, arms firm and sure. Hey… It's okay she murmured, her voice steady even as her chest clenched watching him like this.

King sobbed harder, clutching the back of her jacket like it was the only thing tethering him to the ground.

She didn't ask what happened.

Instead, she pressed a hand to the back of his head, gentle fingers stroking through his hair like a mother calming a child. "I've got you," she whispered.

His tears soaked through the fabric of her blouse.

Charlotte rocked him slowly, shielding him from the world with nothing but her arms and her quiet strength.

"You didn't deserve that," she whispered, words soft but edged with steel. No matter what happened, you didn't deserve to be spoken to like that.

King pulled back slightly, face damp, eyes swollen and red.

"I didn't do anything," he choked out, voice trembling. I swear… I just tripped, and he never even gave me a chance to explain.

Charlotte cupped his face, brushing the tears from his cheeks with her thumbs. I know. And even if you had, it wouldn't give him the right to say those things.

He looked down, ashamed. He said I was cheap. I flirt with everyone.

She didn't flinch. Then he doesn't see you clearly or he's too scared of how much he does. Either way, that's on him, not you.

He nodded, lips trembling.

Charlotte pulled him into another hug. Let's go home.

She opened the passenger door and guided him in gently, like every movement mattered. Like he might shatter if she rushed.

Once inside, King leaned his head against the window, eyes glazed. But at least he was breathing easier.

Charlotte started the car.

And as they pulled away from the bar, away from the noise, the lights, the pain, she reached over, took his hand, and held it in hers the entire drive home.

No more words.

Just quiet understanding.

The kind that didn't need explanation.

The bar's air had turned heavier, denser, though the music still played, and the crowd still moved like nothing had happened.

But Win stood frozen just outside the restroom hallway, gaze darting back and forth like his mind was chasing a million thoughts at once.

Then he moved.

He turned the corner, half-expecting to find King still there, still angry, maybe crying,

But there was nothing.

No sign of King.

He checked the hallway, and the rear exit even peeked back inside the bar.

Still nothing.

"Where the hell did he go…" Win muttered under his breath.

Footsteps behind him.

Mike.

"Yo," he said, phone in hand. Your boy's not answering your texts either?

Win didn't respond. His jaw clenched as he stared down at his screen, the last unread message still left unsent.

Mike took one look at him and smirked. "Maybe he followed James home."

Win's head snapped toward him, eyes cold and sharp. "Never."

Mike raised both hands in mock surrender. Relax, I'm just saying. The guy looked comfortable around James tonight.

He wouldn't do that. Win's voice dropped to a low certainty. He's not like that.

Mike raised a brow. "Oh? Do you trust him that much?"

Win didn't even blink. "Yes."

Mike studied him for a beat, then crossed his arms. Funny. If you trust him so much, why the hell do you treat him like a leash that might snap any second?

Win looked away.

Charlotte probably came to pick him up, he added after a moment, almost to himself. Her house isn't far. He wouldn't go with James.

Mike gave a short laugh, not mocking just tired. So you do know him. And yet you let your jealousy come in swinging, throwing punches before he even had a chance to speak.

I saw the way they—

Mike cut in, voice firmer now. No. You saw what you wanted to see. You saw someone you felt something for, talking to someone else, and your first reaction was to cut him down.

Win opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Mike stepped closer. Let me ask you something, and I want you to be honest. Was he flirting or were you just scared someone might give him the attention you've been too proud to give him?

That hit deep.

Win's lips pressed into a thin line, and his chest rose with a slow, sharp inhale.

I warned him about drinking, but he drank anyway.

Mike stared at him. He drank half a glass. Not even enough to make him dizzy. What you did wasn't about the drink. It was about control. About fear.

Win turned his eyes to the street. The empty sidewalk. There is no sign of King anywhere.

Mike softened his voice. He's been through hell, Win. You don't get to be another storm in his life.

Silence stretched between them. For once, Win didn't have a rebuttal.

Finally, he looked at Mike and said, quieter, I just didn't want him to think James was an option.

Mike arched a brow. Then maybe next time, don't shove him into someone else's arms with your own damn hands.

Win's jaw tightened again but this time, not in anger.

In regret.

He checked his phone again.

Still nothing.

A beat passed. Then Mike added, You could go to Charlotte's. If she picked him up, that's probably where he is.

Win was already reaching for his keys