Chapter 26

"Will you be okay if they start dating?"

That question made Kiefer's brow raise. "Why wouldn't I be?" He replied and chuckled as he slightly pushed Jaden away.

"Hmm. Okay," Jaden shrugged as he looked at Kiefer's face and smiled a little. "Sorry about that. I won't push you anymore," he continued and patted the alpha's shoulder before going back to his seat.

While he walked away, he couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle softly upon remembering the look Kiefer had on his face.

A defensive look with a fake smile on his face. His eyes were trembling as if he was trying to hide that he was lying. Kiefer did not look okay with it at all.

'He didn't have to look that hurt. At this point, it's useless to deny it. Why won't he just admit it?' He thought as he pulled his chair and sat.

Kiefer kept remembering what Jaden asked him earlier, but more than that, he kept remembering the feeling he felt when he heard that question.

It was a very uncomfortable feeling that made his stomach churn like he wanted to throw up right there and then.

Kiefer didn't want to have suspicions about what he felt towards Jacob. All along, he thought he was only looking at him as a brother-like friend whom he wanted to take care of.

But now, upon getting asked that question earlier, it made him question himself if that was only what Jacob was to him.

It was obvious enough to tell that he was being jealous of Leo and Elijah but he always brushed it off as thinking that the jealousy he was feeling was the fear of losing his best friend to someone else. But after hearing what Jaden asked him, he began to doubt himself.

He wasn't so sure anymore.

He glanced at Jacob's direction and felt his heart skip a beat—maybe it was because he was startled that he was also looking at him or maybe it was because he had confirmed his suspicions.

'Do I really like him that way?' He thought as he looked away and felt his face turn hot.

He put his elbow on top of his desk and rested his chin on his palm while covering his mouth.

'Man, I wish I didn't realize that.'

Kiefer couldn't concentrate on class the entire day. The only thing that was on his mind was the realization he had earlier.

'God, I can't stop thinking about him,' the alpha thought as he rested his head on his desk and looked at Jacob who was on the other side of the room.

'I bet he doesn't know I feel this way about him,' he thought and let out a sigh as he averted his eyes and looked down.

"Mr. Evans, no sleeping in my class," their teacher said upon noticing that Kiefer was in a napping position.

"Yes, sir," Kiefer quickly sat up properly and acted like he didn't rest his head on his desk.

His classmates then laughed after seeing him suddenly start taking notes right after sitting up straight.

The day went by quickly and Jacob went home first. Kiefer expected him to do that but he was still a little hurt regardless.

That day, Kiefer went home alone, refusing to hang out with his other friends as well.

He wasn't in the mood to do anything else but contemplate what he truly felt for Jacob.

He went straight to his room and started changing his clothes. After changing into a new set of clothes, Jacob crossed his mind once again after not thinking about him for a minute.

'Do I really like him?' He thought, still a little in denial about his feelings. He looked to his right and saw his photo with Jacob during their middle school graduation.

"He's so fucking cute," he mumbled to himself and sighed as he lowered his head, admitting his defeat.

"Fine. I like him. I really do like him. What can I do about that? I can't just gaslight myself into thinking that I don't," he said to himself and slumped to his bed.

"Ugh! I bet he's gonna be so disgusted if he finds out about this," he groaned as he covered his face with a pillow.

'I even told him we were like brothers. What kind of brother gets jealous at the thought of his brother having a boyfriend?' Kiefer thought and groaned once again.

'Just how slow am I to realize that I like him this late? No. When did this even start? When did I start liking him?' He thought as he removed the pillow from his face.

He grabbed his phone and went through the photos on his phone only to see that most of the photos he had were of Jacob.

"Ha... Haha... I must be really stupid," he mumbled to himself as he scrolled further only to see more of Jacob's photos and some of him and his other friends.

He thought it was crazy that he had that many photos of Jacob. He's had his phone since his middle school graduation. The fact that he had accumulated that many photos only made him think that he must have liked him way longer than he could have possibly thought.

It even came to him that maybe he liked him in middle school or maybe even before middle school.

Kiefer sat up and leaned his back against the wall. He then tapped on one of Jacob's photos that he had taken two years ago.

He stared at Jacob's face which looked younger than he does now. He still had the same facial features but he still had his baby fat on his face.

His face looked a little rounder and his cheeks looked very soft, while the Jacob now had a slimmer face.

Kiefer put his phone on his bed and covered his face with his palms as he felt his face heat up.

"My god... I really do like him. Why did I realize this just now?"