Leave Me Alone, Big Brothers! [BL]-Chapter 167: A False Accusation

That night in the racing car.

The air at the illegal street racing circuit was thick with the smell of fuel and burnt rubber. Zane stood near the starting line, his hands trembling slightly as he adjusted his racing gloves. His face was gaunt, and the dark circles under his eyes made him look like he hadn’t slept in days.

"Zane, back off," his friend, a tall mechanic, said firmly. "Look at your face, man. You’re a mess. Anyway, after last time, they don’t want you on the track."

Zane looked at his friend, his eyes bloodshot and desperate. "No, I don’t care. If they don’t let me race, I will burn this place to the ground. I need to move."

"Seriously, Zane. You can sit and watch. Have a drink. But you are not getting behind that wheel," the man insisted, placing a heavy hand on Zane’s shoulder.

Zane shoved the hand away. "I didn’t come here to be a spectator. I need to race."

"No," the man said, his voice dropping an octave. "You don’t look good. Sit down or go home."

Zane turned away, his teeth clenched so hard his jaw ached. He scanned the crowd, his gaze landing on a familiar sight.

Lucas.

The young man was leaning against his custom sport coupe, laughing as he kissed a girl. He looked relaxed, cheerful, and bright.

Zane didn’t like Lucas. He didn’t like any of the Salazar brothers. But he was out of options. He started walking toward the young man.

Lucas looked up as Zane approached. He didn’t stop smiling, but his eyes sharpened. He glanced around Zane, searching the crowd.

"Oh, Nathan didn’t come with you? That’s strange. Usually, you two are like glue. Wherever one goes, the other follows."

"Can we talk?" Zane asked, ignoring the bait.

Lucas noticed the desperation in Zane’s tone. He patted the girl on the shoulder, whispered something in her ear to send her away, and then turned his full attention to Zane. He smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What is it?"

"You know you owe me your life," Zane said, his voice low. "I need your help now."

Lucas let out a short, dry chuckle. He hated being reminded of his weakness. He looked at Zane, noting the hollow cheeks and the stressed posture.

"How much?"

Zane let out a frustrated sigh. "I don’t need your fucking money!"

"Then what? If it’s not money, what could a Leinster possibly want from a Salazar?"

Zane hesitated. His pride was screaming at him to turn around and walk away. He had never asked for help like this, especially not from someone he considered an enemy. But the image of Nathan’s cold, distant eyes at school was burning in his mind.

"I know you don’t know me well," Zane started, looking at the ground. "But you are my last hope. Nathan won’t speak to me. He blocked me."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "And why is that my problem? Nathan is a brat. He gets angry at everyone."

"He thinks I’m a playboy," Zane said. He looked up, meeting Lucas’s eyes. "He thinks I have lovers everywhere. I need you to tell him the truth. Tell him that I don’t have anyone else. Just him."

Lucas threw his head back and laughed. "But you are a playboy! Your lovers are everywhere, motherfucker."

"What? I don’t even have a boyfriend! I’ve never had a relationship!" Zane shouted.

Lucas stopped laughing and squinted at him. "Wait. You mean... you and Nathan actually have a relationship? Like, a real one?"

Zane sighed, exhausted. "Yes. We were together. But now he’s angry. He thinks I’m a playboy."

Lucas leaned back against his car. "I can’t help you with that. Your ’lovers’ really are everywhere. Look." Lucas pointed toward a group of guys near the pit. "That boy, that boy over there, and that guy by the silver Porsche. I’ve seen you with all of them."

"What the fuck are you talking about? They are all my friends! We fix cars together!"

"What? You kissed them!" Lucas insisted.

"Seriously? Did you actually see me kiss them?" Zane challenged.

Lucas went silent. He searched his memory. He had seen people flirting with Zane. But had he actually seen a kiss? No. He had just assumed because that’s what people would have done in Zane’s position.

"I don’t know," Lucas muttered. "I can’t make a false defense for you. I don’t know you well enough to swear on your character."

Zane threw his hands up in the air. "Fine. Forget it." He turned on his heel and walked away, his heart feeling like a lead weight in his chest.

Lucas watched him go, clicking his tongue. He felt a strange pang of guilt. He had warned Nathan about Zane being a playboy. And it would be a real disaster if Nathan broke up with Zane because of his accusations.

He looked toward the pit and spotted Dylan. He knew Dylan was one of the people who constantly talked about Zane. Lucas gestured for a friend to bring the blond boy over.

Dylan walked up, looking curious. "What’s up?"

"Hey, you’re Zane’s boyfriend, right?" Lucas asked directly.

Dylan glanced toward his current date, a guy named Mario who was sitting in a nearby car. He looked back at Lucas and hesitated. "Well... why do you want to know?"

"Because you’re the one telling everyone you two are together," Lucas said. "I just want to know if it’s actually true."

"Well... yes," Dylan said, but his voice was weak.

"Or do you just sleep with every guy around and use Zane’s name to look cool?" Lucas asked, his voice turning cold.

Dylan let out a sharp breath. "It’s not your business."

"Listen," Lucas said, leaning in. "You know I don’t really like you. And I don’t really like Zane. But I want the truth. If you tell me the truth right now, I will give you a VIP pass to the Paradise Club for a full year. Free entry, full service."

Dylan’s eyes widened. Paradise Club was the most elite spot in the city. Even with money, the waiting list for a membership was years long.

"Only me?" Dylan asked.

Lucas chuckled. "You bastard. Okay, I’ll give you two passes. You can bring whoever you want."

Dylan’s handsome face lit up. He looked toward Zane, who was sitting alone on a crate in the distance, looking miserable. Dylan’s expression shifted to something more somber.

"Tell me," Lucas urged.

"Well," Dylan started, his voice soft. "I love Zane. I truly love him. We were best friends for a long time. But he started pulling away the moment I confessed my feelings. He told me he wasn’t interested in a relationship."

"And?"

"I was desperate," Dylan admitted, looking at his shoes. "I thought if I told everyone we were together, he would realize that he actually loved me. It backfired. We fought. But I stayed by his side, hoping he’d change his mind. He told me he’d ’think about us’ after graduation. I held onto that hope. Then I made a mistake and started dating Mario to make Zane jealous. It didn’t work."

Lucas stared at him. "So... you are not his boyfriend?"

"No," Dylan whispered. "He’s never let me touch him like that."

"Do you know how many boyfriends he’s had?"

"As far as I know... none," Dylan said. "He only cares about his grades to show off to his father, and his cars. He’s actually a total loser when it comes to people."

Lucas looked across the track at Zane. He felt a sudden, heavy sense of realization. He had made a serious mistake. He had judged Zane based on assumptions, and he had filled Nathan’s head with the wrong information.

Well, he did not care. But he seemed to care right now.

Back at the mansion, Nathan was sitting at his desk, staring at a blank page in his notebook. His phone buzzed. It was a message from Lucas.

You want to come to the racing circuit? I’ll pick you up in ten.

Nathan didn’t want to go anywhere. He wanted to sleep. But Lucas mentioned Zane. He replied with a simple Okay.

When they arrived at the track, Nathan saw Zane immediately. He also saw Dylan standing nearby. Nathan’s stomach twisted. He wanted to turn around and go home.

"I’m leaving," Nathan said, opening the car door.

Lucas grabbed his arm. "Wait. No." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Lucas gestured for Dylan to come over. Nathan looked confused and angry. "What is this, Lucas? I don’t want to see him."

"Tell him the truth about Zane," Lucas commanded Dylan.

Nathan looked at Dylan, his eyes cold. "I don’t want to know anything. I’ve seen enough."

Dylan looked at Nathan with a mixture of hurt and jealousy. He knew he would never have Zane’s heart, especially seeing how much Zane was falling apart over this boy.

"I can tell you that we don’t have a relationship," Dylan said, looking away. "Zane and I... we were never a couple. Whatever you want to do with him, I don’t care anymore."

Nathan felt like the ground was shifting beneath him. "What? I don’t care. You can have him. I have no relationship with him."

"Whatever," Dylan said flatly. "But we’ve never had a relationship. That’s all I have to say." He turned and walked away toward his own car.

Nathan stood there, stunned. He looked at Lucas.

Lucas cleared his throat, looking unusually awkward.

"Well... it seems I made some serious accusations. I realized I made a mistake. He’s not a playboy. But I still hope you don’t date him. I can find you a much better guy."

Nathan stared at Lucas. "Did you lie to me?"

Lucas coughed, looking panicked. "No! I didn’t lie! I just... I didn’t know him well. I made an assumption based on what people were saying."

Nathan shook his head, a feeling of immense guilt washing over him.

He looked toward the starting line. Zane was already in his car, the engine roaring. The car was vibrating with power, and Zane was gripping the steering wheel.

"Zane?!" Nathan shouted, but his voice was lost in the roar of the engines.

Zane wasn’t just racing. He was driving like crazy. Nathan started running toward the track, his heart pounding in his ears.