It had been a wonderful day - I felt as if I was really reconnecting with Jake, and we were breaking down some of those old barriers that had come between us. It was still too early to expect complete forgiveness from him, of course, but it was gratifying to me that he could see that I was a changed man - not the same pigheaded kid that made some bad decisions in the past.

We were enjoying the meal, chatting away, and the atmosphere was relaxed and convivial. Jake seemed to be in a good mood, joking around with Dara and talking and smiling with me.

But then, in an instant, he changed. It was like a switch being flicked from off to on. One moment he was relaxed and informal, the next he sat up straight, eyes narrowed, intensely focused on something over toward the entrance. He moved his chair a little closer to Dara, and the significance of that wasn’t lost on me.

I tracked his gaze, and my heart sank.

It was Dan, Adam and Frank. Three old friends...part of the group, though I’d never liked Frank all that much. Jake was still watching them, intense hatred carved into his handsome features. He knew these guys, or he had known them, back at school. There was history there.

I stood and went to him, leaning to murmur in his ear.

“I’ll deal with them,” I told him. “Please don’t cause a scene. Not here.”

“I won’t if they don’t give me a reason to,” he replied. “Just keep them outta my way.”

I hurried over to them, smiling as I greeted them. They looked at me with red-rimmed eyes, and my heart sank. They’d already been drinking.

“Guys,” I said, “good to see you. Here, follow me - I’ve got a table ready just back here.”

Frank laughed, a bitter sort of laugh that didn’t contain much mirth. “Keepin’ us outta the way, Andreas? Why’s that? You ashamed of your buddies?”

I frowned at him. “No, why would I be? I figured you’d want a bigger table, relax a little, y’know?”

“Whatever,” Dan said, slurring his words and swaying a little as he stood. “Just get us some food and a few beers, yeah?”

I took the three of them to a booth in the back corner of the restaurant, just hoping they wouldn’t cause too much trouble. The place was busy that evening with families and kids - the last thing I needed was a big scene.

“We heard about your new boyfriend,” Adam sneered. “Ain’t you gonna introduce us?”

So, Clifton’s been talking about me, huh? “Maybe later,” I said. “Let’s eat first. You guys look hungry.”

I beckoned a waitress over, and signalled for three pizzas and some beers. My three friends settled into the booth - once upon a time I would have joined them, cracked open a beer, chatted about old times.

But things had changed now...ever since Theo. There was a tension whenever they came into my place, and I felt it in the air tonight. You could have cut it with a knife. I didn’t think these three had come here just for the good food and my company. They’d come to cause trouble. But I knew I could talk them down. I’d always been able to before.

Frank was looking around the restaurant, glaring at the other tables. “I don’t like sitting back here in a dark corner, Andreas,” he slurred. “Feels like you’re ashamed of us - your oldest friends. Why are you tryin’ to keep us hidden away, huh?”

He staggered to his feet and pointed to an empty table near the front of house - a table surrounded by full ones, with families eating.

“Like I said,” I told him, voice even, “I ain’t trying to hide you guys. But you’ve all had a few, right, and once things get a little quieter we can move over there and-”

Frank’s hand came smashing down on the table, and he leaned in close to me, bloodshot eyes narrowing. The stale booze on his breath assaulted my nose.

“Don’t take me for a fool, Andreas,” he growled. “What the fuck has happened to you, man? Once upon a time, you woulda closed this entire place for us. Woulda rolled out the damn red carpet, woulda got drunk with us.”

“Times change, Frank,” I replied. The situation was on a knife edge, and I needed to be careful about the way I handled this. Frank could be a mean drunk - I’d seen it plenty of times.

“Naw, the only thing that’s changed is you,” he said. “First you betray Theo, now you think you’re too good for the rest of us.”

Ice cold anger ran through me at his words, and it was my turn to stand up in his face. “Theo betrayed himself,” I said coldly. “He didn’t need any help with that. You know he was guilty - and I know I did the right thing.”

“You’re a fuckin’ rat,” Dan spat. “You betrayed us. All of us.”

He staggered out of the booth and took a menacing step towards me, and I braced myself, knowing that it was too late...things had gotten too out of hand.

But then something unexpected happened. Dan stopped in his tracks. I looked to my left, and I saw Jake standing there, arms folded across his chest. He looked mean - really goddamn mean.

“You gentleman got a problem?” he said, matter of fact.

“As a matter of fact we have,” Frank said, swaggering towards him. “With your boyfriend here. I suggest you stay out of our way - ain’t got nothing to do with you.”

Jake bristled at his words, and I put a restraining hand on his arm.

“Jake, I can deal with them,” I said. “Please, let me handle this.”

“Yeah,” Adam leered. “Go and sit back down. Your boyfriend says he doesn’t need your help.”

Instead, Jake took a step forward. He didn’t even display an ounce of fear. He was outnumbered three to one, and these were big, mean drunks.

“How about I ask you three to leave, right now, before someone gets hurt?” he asked menacingly. “Go quiet, go quick, and we can all just get on with our evening.”

For a second the three of them were stunned into silence...and then Frank started laughing incredulously.

“Would you take a look at this guy?” he said to his friends. But then his expression changed to anger in a split second. “Who the hell do you think you are, buddy? Nobody tells me what to do and where to go.”

He took a step closer to Jake, bringing his arms up into a boxer’s stance, but before they even got there Jake had stepped forward and knocked him flat on his ass. I was stunned at the speed and fluidity he displayed for such a big guy.

“Stay down there,” he said to Frank. “You get up, it’s not gonna go well for you.”

Frank looked dazed, and now it was Dan’s turn to take a step forward. Jake squared up to him immediately, and Dan seemed to wilt back away like a dying flower.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Jake scowled. “Get the hell out, and don’t come back. Help your friend up off his ass while you’re on your way out.”

Dan and Adam pulled Frank to his feet and dragged him towards the exit, while hurling foul insults at Jake and I. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins, and every eye in the place was fixed upon on me.

“Sorry folks,” I said, my heart beating a mile a minute, “those gentlemen had had a little too much to drink. We’ve sent them on their way - please, don’t let their behavior affect your meal.”

The murmur of conversation started up again, and I slumped down into the booth. Jake sat opposite me, concern in his blue eyes.

“You OK?” he asked me.

“Yeah,” I grimaced. “But I could’ve handled them. You didn’t need to step in like that. I know how to deal with them when they get like that.”

Jake scoffed at me. “You expect me to stand by while they disrespected you like that? Hell no. Those assholes got what they deserved, and hopefully they’ll think twice before coming back.”

I looked at him, feeling hopeless. “But those are...or were, my friends.”

Jake just snorted with derision. “Some friends. Seemed like belligerent, drunk assholes to me. Just like they were back in school. Some people never change.” He leaned over the table, close to me, and took my hands in his. “Look, Andreas. Enough of this crap. You need to pick a side. You need to make your decision, and you need to make it right here, right now.”

He met my eyes, and refused to break contact. “You can choose yourself, your family - choose what’s right. Or you can choose those scum, who care more about a convicted rapist than you. They’d prefer he still be out on the streets, assaulting innocent woman and girls. Are those the kinda people you wanna be associating with? The kinda people you wanna be standing up for? Loyalty is a good thing...I know that, and I respect that. But it needs to be earned. It can’t be unconditional. You don’t owe those assholes a single damn thing.”

His hands held mine firm, and his eyes bored deep into mine, like he could read my soul, read my thoughts. The intensity in them made me want to squirm away, but I resisted the urge.

I owed this to Mila, his little sister. I owed it to him. And I owed it to myself.

His surety, his passion, made me see things in a new light. He was right. I didn’t owe my old friends anything. If anyone else came into my restaurant and behaved as they just did, I would have kicked them out and told them never to come back.

So why did they get a free pass? Because we used to be friends?

Jake was still holding my hands, still waiting for a reaction from me. When he spoke, his voice was raw with emotion.

“Make your choice, Andreas.”