32 Taking him home

The song soon ended, as did their movements, and the air turned silent. However, the remnants of their dance still hung in the air around them, leaving their feet buzzing and humming in silent excitement. Their fingers remained interlocked, and their eyes maintained contact. The tension around them was palpable to all who saw them, and like a silent agreement formed between them, they leaned closer until their foreheads touched.

That small contact brought smiles of contentment to their faces, and they felt tingles spread throughout their bodies from their foreheads. Suddenly, Berry was pulled back with such force that he crashed into the person's body. With evident anger, he turned around, prepared to throw his fist into the person's face. However, when he saw that it was his close friend, Aspen, the anger in his expression disappeared, and a small smile carved on his face, appearing happy to see Aspen. But Aspen didn't seem to share the same thought.

Berry frowned when he saw the frown on Aspen's face. He knew that Aspen was serious most of the time, and when he frowned, it meant something significant. He half-turned to Stuart, who stood there with a mixed expression of confusion. He flashed Stuart an apologetic smile before turning around and pulling Aspen away with him, far from Stuart.

From where he stood, Stuart watched them converse seriously. He remembered seeing Aspen at Amelia's wedding, and he also recalled that he was Berry's friend. However, he found Aspen's actions rude and annoying. Things were just about to get better, but Aspen showed up and ruined it!

He looked up in relief when he saw Berry coming back to him with hurried footsteps. Initially, he thought that Aspen was going to take Berry away with him. When Berry reached Stuart, he asked for his phone, but Stuart, who had no memory of where he kept them, could not provide it. Aspen, who had arrived out of nowhere, gave Berry his phone.

Again, Berry walked away from them, dialing a number urgently. They both watched him speak on the phone for a while, and he came back and tossed the phone to Aspen, who caught it with ease.

"I am taking him home," Aspen said firmly, leaving no room for arguments. Stuart merely glanced at Berry, who was running his fingers through his messy hair with sheer frustration lacing his expression. He turned to Aspen with pleading eyes and asked softly, "Can't I stay a little longer? One hour is enough... no, just thirty minutes. I only need thirty minutes!" He pleaded.

The pitiful expression Berry wore would make anyone relent, not to mention his doe eyes that seemed about to drop tears. But Aspen was adamant. "You have played enough for one day. It's time to rest."

To Stuart, he sounded like a father reminding his child of the importance of sleep and rest. Before he could utter a word to support Berry, Aspen had already taken Berry's hand and was walking away with him.

Instinctively, he grabbed Berry's other hand and pulled him to himself, and because Aspen's grip was gentle, Berry was pulled away with ease. A maddening expression appeared on Aspen's face as he glared at Stuart. Although he didn't say a word, his face and clenched fist told everyone that he was ready to throw punches, with Stuart as his target.

Stuart dragged Berry behind him and shielded him from Aspen while glaring at him the entire time. Now Stuart also looked like he was ready to throw punches. "I don't know why you're doing this, but you can't just take him away, especially when he doesn't want to leave," Stuart remarked angrily, trying his best to hide his displeasure.

Aspen wanted to lash out at him, but one look at Berry and he gave up. With a helpless sigh, he said, "you have two minutes," before leaving them alone.

"Who does he think he is?" Stuart huffed, wishing he could go after Aspen and give him a good beating.

Berry suddenly hugged him from behind, leaving Stuart momentarily frozen. He could hear and feel the short pants coming from Berry because his head was nestling on his shoulder. After a short while, Berry pulled away and came to stand in front of Stuart, a pleasant smile dancing at the corner of his lips. The ocean wind ruffled his hair, making it look fluffier, with some strands falling over his forehead.

Stuart was starstruck just watching the man in front of him, an electrifying feeling rising in his chest and spreading warmth to all parts of his body as Berry lazily pushed the stray strands of hair away from his face. He could no longer deny that he was attracted to the man in front of him. Berry Yates was gorgeous, and his demeanor screamed beauty and commanded attention. He was everything one would want in a person: handsome, pleasant, with a nice figure, and most of all, he was a chef, which already got him approval from a foodie like Stuart.

"So... I'll be leaving now," Berry said, oblivious to the thoughts running through Stuart's mind. Stuart managed to regain control of his thoughts, and he nodded his understanding. "Drive safely, and make sure to call me when you get home," he said.

Berry snickered, the long-lost mischief springing back to life in his clear, dark eyes. "First of all, he is the one driving," he pointed to Aspen, "and second, worrying like that is unnecessary. You sound like my boyfriend or something."

"Let me be your boyfriend if that's the only way I can worry about your safety."

Berry stiffened as he let those words sink in. He knew that he should not be thinking about it so much, but his stubborn mind gave him no choice but to do just that.