Chapter Eleven

On Sunday morning Jake was about heading to the gym when he got a call from Owen.

" Good morning babe" he greeted.

" Good morning.....what are you up to" Owen asked.

"I'm about heading to the gym"

"Should I come join you ?"

"Sure....but aren't you preparing for a test"

"I'm done reading.....Will you be okay with that?" Owen asked.

"Yeah...why'd you ask?"

"Never mind"

The moment Owen bursts through the door, Jake pounces on him with his lips. He pins him to the wall, lips locked and his hand snakes its way along Owens waist. He was tugging at Owens gym shorts and feeling his ass.........

"We have to go to the gym" Owen said as tiny moans escaped his lips.

"Ditch the gym. I'd prefer to work on your body"

"Come on Jake...let's go when we're back we'll do it"

"Okay fine" Jake reluctantly said.

On the hallway to the elevator, Jake tried to hold hands with Owen who easily brushed it off in guise of pressing his phone. The gym was at the ground floor of the building.

They excercised in awkward silence and Gina came over to Jake.

"Hey Jake" Gina greeted.

"Hi...."Jake struggled to remember her name all the while glancing at Owen.

"I'm Gina...can't believe you forgot me "

Owen kept staring at them and Jakes eyes met his. He couldn't read Owens thought as he masked his expression.

"I've been too busy" Jake said.

"Yeah.....I can see that..." she said touching his muscled arm.

Owen was getting really uncomfortable right now. He couldn't even chase the vixen away cause Jake wasn't out yet.

" You said you'd call....but I never saw anything "

"I will try"

Gina turned and saw Owen.

"Okay....hi..you look familiar.."

Owen moved on to the bench press snubbing her.

Gina left and Jake went to assist Owen. He exercised with it for a while and once the weight was lifted off him he left the gym. Jake followed him up to his condo.

"Are you mad at me" Jake asked after opening the door.

"I'm not"

"Why wouldn't you let me hold your hand in the hallway"

"I didn't want you to the uncomfortable okay...cause of the fact that you're not out yet"

"But no one was there"

" that's the issue Jake. If we do stuff like that in private I'll get accustomed to it and would want us to do it publicly"

"I'm sorry...."

"And why were you flirting with that girl?"Owen asked.

"I wasn't "

"You were.... you seemed so comfortable.... it made me feel like you want people to see you with a girl and you'd be with me only when they are not watching.... I'm pissed...I don't like that" Owen stated.

" I'm sorry for making you feel that way.....I thought it would be rude to ignore her...don't be mad"

"Why shouldn't i be"

"Cause I'm sorry "

"And.."

"Cause I really like you..."

"Okay"

Jake kissed him and they hit the wall again. Hearing Jake say he liked him had comforted him and they banged on the wall. They moved into the bedroom and continued.

Jake had mixed feelings about this stuff with Owen, it would be hard to break up with him now. He had said he liked him and he really did mean it but he wasn't sure if he could make him happy. He wasn't planning to come out and he was sure that would bring problems for them in the future.

"I'm heading to the supermarket to get some comfort food and snacks...what do you like ?". Jake asked.

"Yoghurt... unsweetened one...and some chips"

" ok...I'll be back"

Jake left and Owen got out of bed and got a shirt he saw on Jake's dresser. It was a plain white button shirt. He put it in with his boxer briefs and went to the lay on the sofa with his phone in hand.

Jake arrived, he had stock on lots of mint choco ice cream his favorite and yogurts for Owen and some other stuffs.

He entered and saw Owen on his sofa wearing his shirt with the top buttons unhooked.His long legs were outlined on the sofa and Jake spotted a small anchor tattoo on his left thigh. His eyes travelled up to Owens chest from the small opening and he drooled and gulped. He stared at Owens hair framing his face as he stared intently at his phone. Owen was invoking feelings in him he never knew he had, this guy would be the death of him his heart registered.

"Oh.....you're back " Owen looked up. "Let me help you offload" Owen said spotting the two large bags Jake held. He dropped his phone and rushed to assist him.

Jake just stared at him in silence, Owen took one of the bags and headed to the fridge. Jake followed and dropped his on the counter, turned Owen over and kissed him for a long time.

"What do you do that for ?"

"I love you" escaped from Jake's lips. Owen was shocked to hear that but he was glad. Jake didn't know when he said that out. The confession just flew out of his mouth straight from his heart without his mind processing it.

"I love you too" Owen pecked his cheek.

They both offloaded the stuff he got into the fridge.

"You like mint choco?"

"Yeah....it's really refreshing"

"I don't like it but my sister really does"

"It's the best flavor ever babe.... your sister sure has fine taste"

He laughed.

"She'd love to meet you"

"I'll come by one of these days" he said and arranged Owens hair and stared at him.

"Do you know you're the prettiest guy I've ever seen" he said and hugged Owen from behind as he offloaded the stuff he bought.

"No....tell me about it"

"You are"

"You too....in every room you're the only person I see"

"Cool"

"Do you have dinner plans.... I have to leave after"

"Let's eat out then I'll drop you off when we're done"

"Ok I'll head home and get changed"

****

Owen got home and dressed in denim jeans and was confused on what shirt to wear. His sister was lounging in the parlor with her laptop.

"Amelia..." he called her attention " which shirt should I wear" he held a black and peach colored T-shirt.

"Are you going on a date?...can I tag along?"

"I have a date with my boyfriend and no you can't tag along"

"Then wear the peach shirt"

"Thanks I'll wear the black"

"When is he coming over though"

"Very soon.... you'll really like him"

" he's the guy on your phone's screen right"

"Yeah"

"He's beautiful"

"Yeah...he's the best..."

****

They had dinner and Jake was driving Owen home.

"How was your coming out experience like?" Jake inquired.

"Ok. I came out in high school and my dad supported me and all. At school guys started bullying me when I joined the modeling club. They felt modeling was for only girls and when they found out I was gay as being in a club with girls it turned physical. My dad kept on seeing these bruises on my body and would question me about it but I'd say I got it from soccer. When I reached my limit and told my dad he was mad furious and marched to the school threatening to take legal actions if the schools didn't address the matter and they quickly did by suspending the boys with strong warnings of expulsion if they ever did such. That was the first time I saw my chill dad enraged. Some other people called me a whistleblower and wouldn't talk to me but In high school no one needs that much people to like them. I was still in the model group and there were people who loved me, and supported me for who I was and it felt just right...People do look at me when I walk with a guy and whisper but I just don't care cause it's my life and not theirs..." he said and asked Jake how his was.

"I've never actually been out though but I was caught with my boyfriend in my room with lips locked when I was in high school. That day hell broke loose with my mom screaming and father shouting and he actually hit me on the face and was ready to throw me out of the house but my mom rather he locked me up in my room and had me grounded for weeks. They got my boyfriend expelled from school cause you know my dad was into politics and my family had some influence in the school. I never saw him Dean again and I was taken to places to drive out the evil spirit of gayism attacking my poor soul but it was a part of me and I just hid till I left for college...At college I just didn't feel like being open about it so I hid it... did it on low key"

"That's huge, I'm so sorry nobody supported you...what about your brother"

"We never had a good relationship for starters so that made him avoid me further like a plague... I was depressed for a while...felt like what I was doing was really wrong"

"They shouldn't have made you feel that way" Owen comforted.

"It's in the past though"

"What about the boyfriend of yours...you never heard from him"

"No...I never did. If ever I do I'll really apologize for what my family did" Jake said and Owen leaned on him in comfort.

*****

"Oh my boy I'm so glad you could make it" Gilbert's mom said when Kevin arrived at her party. It was just a birthday dinner for her family and close friends.

"Happy birthday..... mum" Owen wished her and handed her the gift he brought.

She'd insisted he called her mum rather than ma. He remembered how for the past three years he'd come over to Gilbert's house to hangout and she treated him as one of her kids.

"Mom he won't talk to me anymore" Gilbert whined to his mother.

"What did you do?" His mom questioned him.

"I didn't do anything"

"I have something to say after the party" Kevin said to Gilbert.

Kevin chatted with Gilbert's sisters and later on went to Gilbert's room.

" I'm gay" Kevin revealed.

"What!...why did you not tell me.....but that doesn't explain why you're not talking to me"

"I've loved you for these three years, ever since the first day I met you...it was my unrequited love but now that you're dating I'm not comfortable with it so I'm keeping my distance"

"But it's not fair. why come into my life, stay for three years then leave without giving me a chance"

"I'm sorry.....please stop calling and texting...be happy with her"

"What if I broke up with her"

"What...."

"We could go back to how we were"

"No...it's better this way...I'll come over once in a while to say hi to mum and the girls"

Kevin said and stormed off when he saw Zoey at the door of the room. Gilbert felt hurt, he never knew Kevin felt this way about him. All these years he'd been oblivious about Kevin's feelings. When Zoey came over, he was uninterested in what she had to say as he stared at Kevin walking away. He'd gotten so used to having Kevin around that these past few weeks had been strange to him and now Kevin wanted nothing to do with him. It made him realize something....something he never knew...where his minded never for once wandered off to....he loved him.

*****

Kevin got home and lay in bed, sadly staring at the ceiling and occasionally tears escaped his eyes. He was hurting. He later got out of bed and got dressed in gym clothes then headed to the gym.

At the gym he could hear Julian chatting with some guys though he couldn't see him as some bulky guys blocked his view. He started the thread mill and just jogged for a while with his mind thinking about the happy moments with Gilbert when Julian came over.

"Hi Kevin... how are you today"

"I'm fine...can you sport me on weights"

"Sure...Owen isn't here today?"

"No...we don't usually come together"

"Yeah"

Kevin turned off the machine and went to the weights section. Nobody was there when they got there. Julian assisted him as carefully as possible and when he was done and beads crowned Kevin's face, he wiped it off with Kevin's towel.

"Are you still in a relationship?"

"No...I'm single now "

"What happened?"

"I'd rather not talk about it"

"Okay....soooo.."

"I'll date you"

"Thank you...I'll make you happy"

"Okay "

"When you're done I'll drive you home"

"I'm done"

"Do you care for dinner"

"No...I'm too tired to eat"

"Okay...let's go".

Julian held Kevin's hand and squeezed it in assurance. Kevin gave a little smile 'I'm really sorry Julian...I'll use you to get over my feelings for Gilbert and maybe I'll learn to love you' he thought. Julian drove him home in his motorbike and left after seeing him get into the house.

Kevin got into bed exhausted and a call from Gilbert's mom came through.

"Hello mom"

"Hey...where did you go off to without telling me".

"Sorry mom something came up and I had to leave urgently"

"Okay...it's pretty late now...I'll call you tomorrow" She said and ended the call.