On Monday, Cecil woke up feeling surprisingly well-rested. After the scramble with his brother and the pool incident, he was so tired he practically fell into bed and slept like a rock.

Cecil stared at the ceiling.

Today was the day to confront the truth. No more tricking himself or making excuses for Louis; he would be honest with himself.

Even if it meant losing the only person who had supported him for the past ten years.

But that was okay. He was already twenty-two and old enough to stand on his own. Right?

Cecil closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

It didn’t matter if he was ready or not—he had to be.

***

Standing in front of the familiar office door didn’t bring him the usual excitement.

No, this time it only made Cecil feel anxious and almost nauseous.

He lifted his fist to knock on the door but then let it fall again.

What was he doing dithering in front of Louis’s office? Cecil scolded himself.

Just do it like always.

And so he waltzed into the office as usual, but the scene inside shocked him despite being mentally prepared.

Silas stood with his back to Cecil, his hand held by Louis and pressed against the other’s chest. Louis’s other hand was on Silas’s hip. Almost like a hug.

Surprised by the sight, Cecil forgot what he wanted to say.

At the same time, Silas used Louis’s surprise to break free from his grip and backed away from Louis.

Louis, on the other hand, angry at the interruption and at Cecil’s audacity to appear so soon after the party incident, almost shouted at him. Only Silas’s presence reminded him not to lose control.

After taking a deep breath, Louis asked Cecil through gritted teeth, “What the hell are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you not to come to me for a while?”

Ignoring the ache in his heart, Cecil lifted his chin. “Since when do I have to do what you tell me?”

Louis threw Cecil a furious look, but Cecil did not back down and stared back.

The air was filled with tension, and Silas felt out of place.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Cecil had a different air about him than usual. Not as obedient. Maybe he finally had a moment of clarity. Silas felt it was only right for him to leave the office and make room for the two of them to talk.

He could wait and settle his score with Mr. X later.

Silas rubbed his wrist. That bull had gripped his wrist so hard it still hurt even now.

Just as he was taking a step back to retreat to the door, the other two people in the room noticed.

“Don’t leave!” Two voices ordered at the same time.

Cecil and Louis looked at each other, irritated, and then each turned to stare at Silas.

On one hand, Louis wanted Silas to stay, to show that he had nothing to hide from Cecil and that his relationship with Silas was not out of the ordinary.

Cecil, on the other hand, wanted Silas to stay so he could witness him giving up and know that he had won.

Silas looked at the two in bewilderment and stopped moving. He crossed his arms in front of his chest to signal that he would stay.

Once they stopped staring at Silas, silence enveloped the office once again.

Just as Cecil was gathering his courage to ask Louis if he wanted to give dating him a try, Louis beat him to it.

“So? Why are you here to bother me again? Haven’t you made enough of a mess over the weekend already?”

“Me, make a mess? I—”

“Stop.” Louis sighed and shook his head. Seeing Cecil deny what happened, Louis just couldn’t stand it. “You never stand up for your wrongdoings and always hide behind your family.” The feeling of anger had disappeared, leaving only disappointment.

How could a person be so childish and still not know when to stand up for their wrongdoings?

When he looked at Cecil’s red, angry face and then at Silas, who had been pushed into the water and had every right to be angry, standing in the corner calmly without even a hint of displeasure against Cecil, Louis knew he was tired of it.

“Do you know that Silas could sue you for trying to drown him? But instead of apologizing, you have the nerve to show up again and even ignore him.”

He was tired of it all. He was really tired of dealing with Cecil’s countless unannounced visits and the other’s childishness.

“Cecil, you know what? How about we stop—”

“Be quiet for at least one moment and let me speak, would you?” Cecil interrupted him, anger practically written across his face.

A stunned look appeared on Louis’s face.

“First of all, I never pushed Silas. Only you assumed that and never bothered to ask about the truth. It seems like you only expect the worst of me.”

A bitter laugh escaped Cecil’s mouth. He clenched his fists and finally asked the question.

“Louis, would you consider going out with me?”

A laugh escaped Louis’s mouth before he could stop it. Noticing the shocked looks he was getting, he knew he had messed up. How in the world was he supposed to explain this to Silas?

Louis knew that although Silas looked serious on the surface, he took feelings very seriously and wouldn’t be pleased to see him mocking someone who had just confessed to him. How troublesome.

“Cecil, look, I’m sorry. This wasn’t the right reaction—”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Cecil was shocked as tears began rolling down his cheeks.

Although he was prepared to get rejected and wanted to take it like a man, he couldn’t control himself when he heard the other party laugh at his love. Was that it? Was that the person he had loved dearly for almost ten years?

A laugh. That’s what he got for his feelings.

“Don’t worry, I will never bother you and Silas again.” After wiping away his tears, he turned around and left.

Gradually, as he approached the elevator, his steps became faster and faster until he was running.

His chest was burning, and he felt sick to his stomach. The tears now came even faster, their wetness leaving a burning sensation behind.

The only thought left in Cecil’s mind was to leave, go somewhere where he could escape those feelings.

In the office, only Silas and Louis remained. “I think you should go after him.”

Louis looked surprised at Silas. “Why would I? He has finally given up.” He smiled at Silas and came closer. “Actually—” Louis tried to grab Silas’s hand. “How about we continue where we left off?”

Disgusted, Silas evaded Louis’s hand. Re-adjusting his glasses, he said, “Mr. Nott, I hope you can stop making these inappropriate advances and stop touching me inappropriately. I have no interest in developing a relationship outside of work with you.”

With that, he turned around and left Louis standing alone in his office.

Silas rushed down the hallway, trying to catch up with Cecil. When he thought about the last time he tried to discourage Cecil’s love and the intense reaction it caused, he shuddered at what could happen if he left the other unattended.

His heart ached when he thought back to the hurt look on Cecil’s face when his love was met with a laugh. Cecil didn’t deserve something like this. And Louis would never deserve Cecil.

Once Silas reached the elevator, there was nobody standing in front of it, but the sign indicated that it was heading to the highest floor.

Thinking about a dark possibility, Silas ran to the stairs without thinking twice. He would never allow such a tragedy to happen, not as long as he was there.

Although his lungs ached, especially after he became a little ill after the pool incident, he didn’t stop and climbed the stairs as fast as he could.

They were on the top floor of a 15-floor building; if something happened, no one could save Cecil.

Anxious, he tried to go even faster. Once he saw the door to the roof, his heart skipped a beat.

Just a little more. As soon as he opened the door, he looked around to find Cecil.

When he noticed the other standing near the fence, his heart fell.

“Cecil, don’t do it! Louis is not worth it!” Silas shouted while running toward the other.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he was close enough to grab Cecil and pull him away from the fence. But Silas was running toward Cecil with such speed that they collided and fell to the floor.