Chapter 54 (reuploaded)

"Man, I know you kept to yourself since we left school, but you really know how to surprise us. I mean, Joshua fucking Lore! And you didn't answer anyone's questions."

Henry laughed, shrugging at the comment. Now that the pair had decided that they would try and enjoy themselves despite the earlier spectacle, they had split to talk to the people they knew. Right now, Henry was with a group of people he had gone to high school too.

"Max is right, we hear nothing other than our parents complimenting you at work, and then suddenly you are on national news, announcing your engagement. It was insane."

"Well, heh, it just kind of happened. I didn't even know I preferred keeping private until then."

"Private is an understatement. Even Caleb didn't know."

The group quickly fell silent, one of the girls shoving the speaker of the ignorant comment. Henry had already figured it out, but this did confirm that everyone knew that his ex-best friend didn't approve. But even if it hurt his heart hearing even the mention of him, Henry did not let it show.

"You guys don't have to tip toe around it."

"But still, no one had to bring it up either."

"Yeah. Who knows what's going through the dick's head, anyway? If he just thought about it, he'd realise it isn't that big a deal."

Someone else nodded along. "It's only a matter of time before he gets his head straight and apologises."

Henry felt irritated. While he did not dislike the people he went to school with, he did not like how they would be so quick to put down others for someone else acknowledgement. It was the main reason he had not kept in contact with most of them more than needed. The young man knew for sure that at least half of this group would sing a different tune had they been in front of Caleb as opposed to him. He had seen it enough times already. This was also why he wanted to study abroad. It is not to say that he did not meet the same issue while in university, but the levels could not even be compared; it only showed that the issue was inherently an issue in Country A's culture, especially among those in the upper class.

Biting back a snap, Henry simply shook his head and said calmly, "Me and Caleb have already cut ties. It's best to not talk about it with either of us again. Plus, I don't want to hear people chat shit about him, he had his own reasons." He was not sure what reasons they were, but he was sure they existed. Caleb would not have betrayed like that for nothing.

The 22-year-old was not aware of just how much influence rang through his words. With those three sentences, he had not only stopped the chatter among his old friends at the event, but also any blatant mention of it for the unforeseeable future. Of course, there would be those who would talk about it now and then, but what Henry had said would stop anyone from bringing the subject up in the open again.

As the conversation turned to some safer small talk, Henry only half listened, looking over at Joshua. After the talk Samuel had given them, Joshua had quickly cleaned himself up and gone back to the party as if nothing had happened, talking to different business associates and family friends his usual, breath-taking smile. But despite the fact that Joshua looked like he was unaffected, Henry was starting to recognise that was not the case. While there was nothing physically different, he could tell that Joshua was forcing himself to act so normal.

So much for having fun.

The young man tried to ignore it for some time, but after a few minutes he found himself excusing himself from the group and walking over to Joshua.

The group he was just with all found themselves stopping after Henry was a certain distance away, all of them staring in his direction.

Unbeknownst to the man himself, the group had quickly realised the youngest Reyes was stealing glances at his fiancé for some time. Some were even secretly keeping count of how long it took him to finally go over.

"I guess they're just more lowkey than people gave them credit for," one of the young ladies commented, them all quietly agreeing. The only thing anyone from school had found strange about the situation was the fact that Henry came off as quite shy, it was the complete opposite of the lively boy they had gone to school with. But after seeing some of the more subtle behaviour between them, they had come to the conclusion that it was not that Henry had changed but that he was not accustomed to acting outwardly like a couple.

People had expected dogfood being thrown in their faces with the media's influence, but it was not that simple. Rather than being obvious and in your face about their relationship, it was more like you were not aware of how much sweetness you were consuming until your teeth were already ridden with cavities. It was more subtleties than public displays of affection.

So, as this group watched Henry walk up behind his fiancé, whisper in the other's ear and then flash a smile at the other people before walking away with Joshua, all they could do was try and calm their quickened heartbeats. And seeing Joshua relax there being no sign he had been tensed to begin with, it really did take everything in them not to outwardly swoon at the picturesque relationship.

The ex-classmates were not the only ones to notice the small interaction and it was not long until the dynamic of the couple was understood by the quick-witted socialites.

And so, it was no surprise that everyone was watching as Henry and Joshua 'snuck away' from the party to gorge on a few canapés while complaining about people. It would be even less surprising when articles in regards to the adorable couple started circling the net even before dinner had been served.