"It was a gift from Iago," Othello said and continued walking. Othello didn't have a plan for handling Iago, but he was certain he would make him pay.
"Des, tell me what's wrong,"Bianca asked softly, brushing his hair from his face.
Des was sitting on the sofa with a blanket draped over his shoulder and his phone, his hand redialing Othello's number every five minutes and sending a text in between. All went unanswered. Sometime during the day, his mother had returned home and hadn't left his side, only to answer the door when Bianca showed up.
It was as if she knew he needed her. Des looked away from his cellphone when there was a knock at his front door. Ava got up from his side and went to answer it. Des's heart thundered in his chest, hoping that it would be Othello coming back.
"Desmond, you have a guest," his mother said, returning with Gratiano behind him.
"Gray, what are you doing here?" Des asked, his voice hoarse from crying.
Gray didn't answer but looked at his mother and Bianca. "Ladies, could you give us the apartment? I need to talk to Des about something."
When Gray said that, Des knew something had happened that involved his lover, and Gray had to arrest him. It was the only way he could explain why Othello hadn't come to see him after talking with Iago.
"Why do we have to leave?" Bianca argued, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Do you know why he's in this state?" his mother asked worryingly.
"I think I might know, but what I have to say is for Des's ears only," Gratiano responded.
"Very well," Ava said. "If it will pull him out of this funk, we will enjoy a cup of something warm at the nearby cafe. I realize I know nothing of my son's friends."
"I don't..."
"Bianca, please, not right now," Gratiano said tiredly, cutting her off before she could go on a rant.
"Fine," she huffed and left with his mother.
"Did you arrest him?" Des growled.
"No," Gratiano said and sat beside him. "But you won't be seeing him for a while."
"How do you know that?" Des asked.
"Because I was with him a couple of hours ago."
"Why were you with him? Did something happen?" Des gasped in horror. "Don't tell me he killed Iago for lying about the kiss."
"What are you talking about?" Gratiano asked.
Des sighed and wrapped himself in his blanket, looking at his phone screen. "Cassio kissed me, and Iago caught it on video,” Des explained everything that went down, not leaving out the argument between him and Othello.
"I love him so much. Why didn't he believe me?" Des cried, dropping his head on Gray's shoulder.
"It's complicated, Des," Gray said, getting Des's attention, and he lifted his head to look at his friend.
"How do you know that?"
Gray stood and took off his overcoat, then walked to the kitchen. He opened the freezer, rooted around the back, pulled out a bottle of vodka, and grabbed two glasses off the open shelf. Gray returned to the living room and put the items on the coffee table before sitting back down.
"What I'm about to tell you must stay between us," Gray said, pouring them both a shot and handing it to him.
"Does it require getting me drunk?" Des asked, taking the glass. "You know what happens when I get drunk off my ass?"
"I'm hoping for it." Gray smiled, clinking their glasses. "Here's to living your truth," he said, taking his drink in one go.
Des followed right behind him, then put his glass down for more. "Did you know Othello attended the same college we did? He was years ahead of us, mind you."
