No One Will Ever Hurt You Again I Promise-Chapter 56: I will Protect You Against All Odds

"What, are you kidding me? Dude, you accomplished what I couldn’t. Eventually, I realized that I talk more than I put my thoughts into action; I’m a chicken."

"Congratulations! Don’t worry about them being two separate people today. You always appreciated Lugh’s innocent side. I think you made the right choice, and when they wake up, I’m sure they’ll also understand."

"Stop playing movies, you have too much imagination, and you will learn to love Aike without him not being Lugh, and when he becomes that Lugh, we’ll see how it evolves. And then you were already attracted to him without even knowing your story, so for me, it’s a good start. What do you think about it?"

"You have a boyfriend now; that’s all that matters, so stop twiddling your thumb like a fat baby; you’re not one anymore. Ask your father; he will tell you the same thing as me."

"For once, I agree with you, El. You couldn’t keep them both to yourself, either. You had to choose between them. You made a choice that suits you, so stop beating around the bush. Act like someone who isn’t as single as someone around here because of her stubbornness. You have a boyfriend now, son; you need to think about him."

"Is that it, Marc? You’ll not miss an opportunity to pick on me and remind me how stupid and pathetic I am, huh? And since when do you start listening to other people’s conversations at the door? It’s not healthy to behave like this, old man."

"Tch, then, do you also want to talk to me about what is holy or what is not? Tell me it’s a joke. Don’t you think you have way too much nerve for a toddler? I’ll tell you what’s not holy too..." continues Marc, taking a seat in one of the armchairs installed on the terrace not far from El, intending to touch the latter’s sensitive chord. "Well, my friend, it’s to persist in doing stupid things instead of seizing the opportunities offered to you."

"Why are you and Theo still at loggerheads so far, hm? Isn’t that the easiest tax you’ve been burdened with? The things you feel for him, he also feels them for you, even if yours is way more complicated since you have his blood flowing in you."

"But when it comes to your fated mate, it’s not just one side fighting for the other but both, so why don’t you take advantage of this breach to approach him and make him yours instead of chasing him all the time chickening out?" scoffed Marc in a more teasing than serious tone.

Marc knows deep down in his heart that El will find a way to put aside his fear of speaking to Theo properly. But for now, he lets himself be guided by his fear of rejection. He is not used to it.

Bravael got up from his chair with a bang. He glares at Marc, looking at him with a carefree smile; he had succeeded in pissing him off, which counts as a victory for him.

He always has the right words to comment on other people’s affairs, but with his own he cannot find a solution, despite the help he receives from others. It seems he’s being clumsy on purpose regarding Theo. He always does the opposite of what others expect of him. The past week has been both tense and relaxing.

When Aike realized Howie wasn’t kidding, he ran off the roof like a coward, and this time Howie didn’t try to hold him back. He has spent three days avoiding him like the plague, hiding whenever he hears him approaching or when his voice reaches his ear.

Aike is like a radar that detects the presence of the other even before the latter appears. Ayke and Elie realized his almost ridiculous and stupid little game, so they allowed themselves to ask about his suspicious behavior.

He was afraid to tell his brother what happened on the roof; he was scared to hurt him because Howie chose him, although his brother had already said H was only a friend who made him experience his first kiss. Above all, a first kiss he might never forget coming from someone like Howie, who has a perfect mastery of the subject.

After what he witnessed in the locker room, he believed his brother must have changed his mind about how he considered Howie. And he was scared of losing his brother and afraid that his crush would be stolen from him by the dearest person in his life. If that were the case, he couldn’t fight his brother for H’s admiration and attention. So he prefers to avoid the situation as much as he can.

But one thing worried him even more. He had no idea how Ayke felt when he kissed Howie under the spray. With the break in their duo, all the communication between them faded.

Suddenly, he feels he is dropping, letting go, and this kiss they shared was like the one they shared before, that is to say, a drop that meant nothing but lasted an eternity. What if, for his brother, H meant much more than that?

So when they’re home, he tries his best to avoid Ayke by locking himself in his room, as Ayke can no longer scream in his head like before to trick him into letting his guard down or give him a migraine by whining all day long.

He was safe away from his brother as long as he didn’t answer his many calls and the tricks Ayke used so he could open his bedroom door for him. But all this was not enough to keep him out of his reach. Ayke still had the opportunity to question him about his behavior.

Aike fled to the boys’ bathroom, where Howie rarely finds himself. It’s not his habit to pee all the time during the day. In the morning, before going out or indulging in his activities, he strives to meet all the physiological needs his body risks submitting to him during the day. He trained his body to follow a particular schedule.

That’s how Aike knew he was out of reach of Howie, whom he had been bumping into on every corner since he made his request clear, and his brother, who takes an ingenious pleasure in playing the experienced flirt with everything that moves.

He acts as if he needs this break to happen to them, this misfortune to befall them. As Ayke can no longer talk with his brother as before, even when they are at home for two days in a row, he ambushes him when he realizes his brother panics only when Howie is around. During their first break, he waited for him on Thursday morning, hiding in a corner.

He knows the only place Aike won’t run into Howie is the bathroom. So the most reliable way for Aike to get some rest is to take refuge there.

"Oye,muñeco!" hailed his brother, sneaking like a rat towards his refuge. "Where do you think you ran away like that?"

Aike jumped when he heard his brother hail him in Spanish as he was about to open the door that led to the bathroom. He turned around, leaning against the door, his face decomposed.

"What are you doing here?" He snarled at him, trying somehow to keep his calm. His brother is eying him from head to toe, fully aware of his annoyance, but Ayke doesn’t mind at all.

What are you doing? Ayke asks him in an amused tone. Ignoring his brother’s annoyance, he replied nonchalantly, "What, you think you can avoid me a whole week without me being able to find a way to catch you up, little brother? Come on, I am Ayke."

"You don’t mind going somewhere else to make your charm, Ayke; I’m in no mood to put up with your bullshit right now. And I’m in a hurry, don’t you get that?" Aike snapped, running a weary hand through his shoulder-length hair that covered his eyes.

"If you don’t want me to bother you anymore, tell me to my face; don’t hide. Since Monday, you’ve been acting weird, hiding behind your books like they can protect you, walking out of class in the middle of teaching, or changing courses. And why do you run away every time H walks into a room? What’s happening to you? Is it because of us? What happened to us? "

"What are you talking about? I’m not running away; who exactly do you take me for? I’m not a kid. If I have something to discuss, I discuss it, and that’s it. I don’t know why you bring Howie into the little chat." He tries to sound convincing while saying these sentences, but he avoids his brother’s gaze, and it says just the opposite.

"Now, if you’re done, I’d love to go do what I came here for." Still looking elsewhere but at his brother.

"So, that’s what I thought," Ayke thinks while staring at his brother with half-closed eyes, hands slipping into her pockets. "It’s not just me he’s leaking from, and it has nothing to do with our current problem." After his little reflection on the situation he found himself in with his brother, he turned to the other side of the hall, taking advantage of the moment that Aike avoided looking at him.

"Hey, H! Come here, darling, I..." He couldn’t finish his sentence; his brother disappeared without asking for his rest. Ayke clicked his tongue against his palate, shaking his head from side to side. He’d never seen him so fast.

He couldn’t believe his eyes. If someone had told him that his brother could be ridiculous and diligent whenever he wanted, he wouldn’t have believed them.

He sometimes does everything with exaggerated slowness, except when the thing in question is one of his priorities. Also, when he is the one who chooses it, he puts his whole heart into it, but not when he has imposed strains against his will. He will make you regret it.

"What an idiot!" Ayke grumbled, "He didn’t even check if Howie was really there before disappearing behind the door as if the door hadn’t existed."

"But what exactly is happening to him? Was it me who caused this discomfort between them after the cold shower, or was it something else?"

In turn, he pushed the door open to joining his brother in whatever activity he was about to do to stay busy until Howie also threw himself body and soul into his own activities, which took him a lot of time; fortunately, otherwise, it would be difficult to avoid him unless he was not in the mood to play cat and mouse with him.

Ayke walked into the restroom, humming a melody with enthusiasm as he lifted his feet to the beat of the music he was playing in his head. He was in pretty good spirits.

He’s been in a kind of unreal delirium for two or three days. He wants to do lots of things he didn’t dare do for fear of offending his brother’s feelings, although the latter was the first to almost get a blowjob from a girl he doesn’t even like in their poolside game room.

"So, brother! You will tell me, or I must come to get the answer myself in your head. What’s up with you and Howie?"

"What are you playing, Ayke?" Aike yelled out of patience, locked in a cubicle with his feet up so they could not be noticed outside.

Ayke followed the resonance of his voice silently and went to sit on the corner of the sink, folding his feet under his buttocks. He stops humming his melody and becomes the Ayke his brother needs again.

"Come on, brother. I’m alone; he’s not there. I just wanted to be sure of my intuition." "Since you’re hiding from me and I have no way to talk to you, I started using my brain to figure you out."

"Don’t forget that we’ve been attached to each other for sixteen years, so you can’t fool me, little lad. Get out of here so we can talk. I checked the other cubicles, and there’s no one else here but us. And I blocked the door. Even if they use their pass, they won’t be able to come in if I don’t open it for them. "

"I know, and it wasn’t my intention," Aike replies calmly, behind the closed door of the cabin, which shields him from his brother’s suspicious gaze.

"So why did you do it? You worried me; we’re still brothers as before, so you could tell me everything. Since when do you prefer to keep your worries to yourself instead of sharing them with me? You don’t need me in your life anymore? I don’t matter to you anymore, is that right, Aike? "

"Hey! What are you talking about?" Aike hastened to answer while opening the door. The sadness he read in his brother’s voice when he said his last sentence moved him; he was afraid that the other would feel rejected.

But his surprise and anger rose a notch when he found his brother sitting on the edge of the sink nonchalantly with an amused glint in his eyes. He was waiting for him with a disturbing smile that shocked Aike’s innocence. Disappointed, the latter hastened to close the door, but his brother resumed speaking, preventing him from finishing his action.

"That’s what it’s like when you don’t talk to me. I know something’s wrong, but you refuse to tell me, so talk to me, and I’ll stop being annoying. If you have to make a decision that seems a bit difficult on your own, I’m here. You can count on me as we always did before. "

He touched the seat next to him to invite his brother to join him. Without further hesitation, Aike left the position where he was to join him. He climbed next to his brother on the edge of the sink with some flexibility.

"So, tell me, Aike, what’s tormenting you?" Without even giving him time to sit comfortably, Ayke launched his first question.

Aike looks at him for a moment before opening his mouth to tell him something, but he changes his mind and settles himself to find a comfortable position before starting his story.

"Come on," Ayke tells his brother, who is getting impatient. "You’re doing it on purpose, aren’t you? We are on the loo, I remind you, little brother, so why are you trying to be comfortable? It’s indeed clean, spacious, and richly furnished, but it’s neither your bedroom nor your living room. "

"So if you stop fidgeting a moment and explain what’s been bothering you and why you’re avoiding Howie and hardly speaking to me, huh?"

Aike smiled shyly. He purposely left his brother hanging around because he mocked him by using fake emotions to get him out of the cabin. And heaven only knows that Ayke hates waiting for things to come to him. If necessary, he will get it himself. But there, he can no longer search for information in his brother’s head. He can only wait.

"Okay, I’m sorry," he caved to his brother, "I shouldn’t use my emotions to get you out. I’m sorry for misleading you." Now can you stop so we can talk like two civilized gentlemen? What do you say, bro?"

"There, we speak almost the same language," Aike replies with a little victorious smile. They each know the flaws and qualities of the other. If a stranger cannot even understand what differentiates them, they know how they differ.

Like Ayke, he only cares about his brother’s feelings while his brother considers the emotions of all those around them whom they consider friends.

"Would you mind telling me what’s happening with you and Howie?" Aike asks him without hesitation, looking him straight in the eyes. Ayke smiled when he heard the question his brother asked him.

"Ah, that," he said, running a hand through his hair to reveal half his hidden face while smiling. "Between him and me, there is nothing, but you already know that, right? Why are you asking me?"

"Last Monday, the way you kissed him was nothing friendly, even though you’ve kissed him before, but it was different. What changed? Do you have feelings for him?"

"Hey, but no, what are you talking about, you idiot? It’s the same way I kissed him when we were at his house, except last Monday I was just in control of what I started, but after that, it was the same thing, and this wasn’t for fun, nor did I need to feel his lips on mine. He needed help, and I helped him."

"How did you help him? When you just invaded his space by forcibly grabbing his lips to kiss him, although that’s still how you act around him."

"He was out of control and furious this time, and you rushed headlong to kiss him with a full mouth as if you were taking advantage of the situation."

"And believe me, I had the impression that you wanted to eat him alive," Aike jokes a little, hiding his discomfort in an embarrassing little laugh.

"Oh?" Ayke wondered, "So that’s what you saw? You saw me take advantage of H’s weakness to kiss him. Oh boy, I thought you knew me better than that. I acted in his interest; I felt he could strangle us all if I didn’t do something. And all I could think of was kissing him because I knew that might calm him. He calmed me the first time I kissed him. I made a choice, and it was a good decision. He actually returned to normal. "

"I had never seen him so agitated; he’s been here five or six years, even when he was acting like a genuine lunatic sometimes, but he’s never been so out of control or disruptive, and that was somehow our fault."

"Ah well, I see, so you remember when he arrived in Wood Hill too?" Aike retorts as if he only heard that part of his brother’s statement. "I remember him too. He was a quiet, hard-working kid who didn’t eat or drink to such an extent that others said he couldn’t afford such food."

"He didn’t speak even when they jostled him on purpose to knock him down; he just sometimes looked around worriedly, like he was afraid someone would come up next to him and take him away. I always wanted to talk to him, but it was forbidden to mingle with them. "

"You listen too much to what you’re told to do or not to do. You watched over me when we were kids until I understood that we must do it mutually. It’s time you learned to say no and make your own choices. " Ayke resumed.

"You always obey our mother; no matter what she says to you, just avoid I find myself between her. Instead of trying to play on other people’s nerves to annoy them using the means you often use, such as making them wait, you need to learn to express what you want with exact words so that you are no longer forced to do things you don’t want. "

"And the kiss I shared with your pretty heart, he didn’t return it to me. I realized you ran away because you couldn’t bear to see him kiss me. That’s right, isn’t it?"

"No, it wasn’t that. I don’t know what came over me, but I didn’t want to stay. Maybe it’s because I’ve never seen him like this before or... to be honest, I don’t know, I really don’t know. " Aike hastened to reply to his brother while stuttering a little.

But deep down inside, he’s smiling like crazy. "He hasn’t returned the kiss," that’s what’s playing on a loop in his head. " He didn’t kiss her back. "

"Hmm, do you think you can fool me, Aike? Do you need me to remind you again what kind of bond we shared? "Ayke turned to his brother to ask him in a soft tone.

" I’m not stupid, and sorry if my behavior made you feel uncomfortable, bro. That wasn’t my intention."

"If I had asked you, you wouldn’t have done it, and now we’re sure you love him." There’s no getting out of there. I’ve never seen you possessive of anything, and everything you have is mine, but with him, it’s different. The first time I kissed him, you had a panic attack, and the day before, you ran away instead of witnessing my carelessness. What do you want to do with him? Have you talked to each other since? "

Aike stiffened a little at his brother’s question, reluctant to tell him what exactly happened with Howie on the roof and why he was avoiding him. His brother perceived the tension and the reluctance that took hold of him. He stared at him for a moment before speaking again.

"What now? When did you talk to each other? I haven’t seen you two together since you left without asking for your rest. Oh yeah, really, you didn’t attend our physics class, and Howie, too, didn’t come to class. Aike, have you talked to each other?"

"Yes, I ran into him a little bit, and we talked... he told me... shit!"

"Come on, keep going; don’t stop. What happened? Did he do something to you? When we left the locker room, he was pretty normal."

"Ay, stop dramatizing. If H had done something to someone, you would have been his first victim since it was you who rushed to throw yourself around his neck carelessly. "

"But no, don’t worry. And I feel that no matter what state he is in, he won’t hurt us, but sometimes I’m scared for others, and Howie can be violent when he wants. I’ve seen him screw up Hugg’s wrists without even touching him. "

"I mentioned his name a few minutes ago, and you ran away like you had the devil on your tail." So what did he do to make you spend the last few days hiding in the toilet? What exactly is going on?"

"Nothing too complicated, really, but that, in a way, is the most complicated thing I find myself dealing with now." It never happened to you to want something with all your heart, but once the possibility of having it presented itself to you, you were afraid to take it despite your manifest desire to possess it."

Ayke starts thinking about his brother’s question. For him, it’s almost easy to answer, but he should have already given him an answer without showing the urge to think twice about the question. For him, it’s a settled question. He would have chosen to seize the opportunity presented to him without wasting time, but something prevents him from saying it like this to his brother because he, too, feels like he’s been caught in the crossfire these past few days.

"Yeah, it happened to me once, but I don’t think you have to kill yourself by asking questions repeatedly about it. It would be nice to be able to choose without weighing the pros and cons. Sometimes you have to know how to be selfish too and make a choice that concerns you, a choice just for your pleasure. "

"And if later there are severe consequences because of this choice, at least you will have learned something instead of avoiding it and letting someone else or other circumstances influence your choice." So, I advise you to think of yourself for this time and make a choice that suits you without considering others or me. "

After reflection, he said to himself that it is more prudent to answer his brother less vaguely, to encourage him to open up to the new things that are happening in his life, and that he enjoys a little of what he really wants instead of having fear all the time thinking about others.

"But I don’t want to put people aside and act without thinking about the consequences. I’m afraid of the impact that could have on our lives or those dear to us. " Aike answers...

"The only person you should care this much about is here with you. And she tells you to go for it, forget and act, so stop acting like a saint; you’re not one. "

"Hmm, I know, I never wanted to be one either, and it’s way too much work. I don’t have the shoulders to take on such a role."

"That’s right," Ayke replies, cupping his brother’s face in his hands. "Now I’m starting to hear my brother talking. So what is this choice? Stop beating around the bush. I can’t take this game anymore."

Aike smiled at his brother’s impatience, "At least I caught your attention as much as possible; you didn’t even have time to make a derogatory joke. You listened to me. "

Ayke burst out laughing. "You see, now I’m not the only crafty one in the family; you’re starting to act like me. You must know how to take advantage of the moments that come your way. Well, this choice, this thing between you and Howie, what is it? Because I’m not going to spend another minute stuck here with you. "

"Okay, okay, I’ll tell you...."

"Hey, what are you doing inside?" a voice shouted from the other side of the door. "I need to use the toilet, and you, no matter who you are, or whatever you’re having fun playing, or if you want to fuck, so find a less crowded area around the school to help yourself, but free toilet for others to use."

And without further ado, others, curious to know why the door was blocked, joined the voice. Then, in a second lapse, it was no longer one but a dozen voices excited to know the people who were closed inside.

Unable to take it any longer, Ayke jumped off the sink where he was perched and headed for the door. He opened it, putting on his most despicable and haughty air to face them.

"I’m busy, so you better go shit somewhere else, in your lockers, bags, or even your shoes. Put your filthy brain and wild imagination to work for a good cause for once. I commandeered the toilet all day; did I make myself understood?" he asks the small crowd gathered in front of the door, which has calmed down as if by magic.

They were stunned to see one of the twins appear in the doorway; they hadn’t expected the person inside to have the courage to open the door. But not only did the latter open it, but he also didn’t let them in, and he didn’t give a damn about what they had in their vermin heads.

No one dared to make derogatory comments, seeing how he presented himself in front of them. They indeed follow the gossip that Hugg and Todd have created, but they have never been able to appear in front of them to utter slanderous words to their face.

Not a single word passed their lips as if they had been sewn together by an invisible hand.

The twins never interacted with them other than in the small group they frequented and the time they rushed to separate El and Theo. With a synchronized nod, they replied that they understood what he said. Without waiting, he closed the door and returned to his brother, who had not moved from his place.

"Why didn’t you come down from there?" he asks, seeing him still sitting in the same place as before.

"Well, that," replies his amused brother, "well, it was useless since I knew you wouldn’t let them in. They started making way too much noise, and it pissed you off. When you’re in a bad mood or when you’re pressured to do something, you do the exact opposite of what’s expected of you. That’s why I didn’t move."

Then they look at each other for a moment, chuckling as lovers do. Ayke went to stand in front of his brother. He placed his elbows on his bent legs without taking his eyes off him.

"So sweetie, where were we?" he asks the other in a light breath. Aike blinked twice like he wanted to wake up from a bad dream. For a moment, he thought it was Howie talking to him; his brother acted exactly like the other one; the words he used, the tone, and the gait, everything was as Howie would have done.

They certainly have similarities, he says, except that the other is surprisingly tall and endowed with great, breathtaking beauty. It’s not because they’re not beautiful; Howie exceeds any standard of beauty in every way.

"Hey, Yke, can two people with the same qualities and flaws make a good pair?" Who knows? Maybe or maybe not... He ended up answering his own question.

"Hey, are you spacing out here? I’m here to talk to you, and you go away in your thoughts somewhere far from me, where I don’t even have access to. " Ayke complains with a pout.

Aike pinched his right cheek. "Don’t make your baby; it doesn’t suit you too much, brother. You are way too bold and cunning for this role. "

"Say, Ayke, do you think two people with the same personality can be together? Look at us. Despite all the possible similarities between us, our characters are different. Do you think two people with no connection like us can support each other and live together in any relationship?"

"I don’t think so," the other answers without hesitation. "This will create problems of dominance and different kinds. Two alpha predators cannot rule the same territory. They will kill each other to satisfy their dominance. It is a law of nature."

"On the other hand, two people who have the same tastes, desires, and needs can collaborate. But who knows? Maybe they will manage to compromise since human relations work like this. We are not savages after all. "

"Hmm, I see, so there are no concrete rules," Aike replies distractedly, thinking of something else. His brother watches him sink into his thoughts little by little before bringing him back to reality with a light smack on his forehead.

He jumped and came back to himself with a groan of dissatisfaction. He wasn’t irate; on the contrary, it reminded him that he still had him as the pain in the ass. He brought his hand to his forehead, which he caressed frantically, glaring at his brother.

"Don’t look at me like that; it’s your fault; I’m here with you, but you allowed yourself to escape without my permission. What were you thinking? "

"If I remember correctly, I can escape where I want and when I want without your permission or anyone else’s, right?" Aike replies sulkily.

His brother smiled and pinched his cheek; "when I think you used to watch over me when we were kids. It’s really unbelievable how much you’ve changed. You’re a real baby; you only know how to wear a straight cold face when we have to keep our masks on. But when it’s just the two of us alone, far from the others sigh, your mood keeps changing as the seconds of a watch, and above all, you’re very childish."

"It’s not true, Aike replies, the only childish person here is you. You always do things to embarrass me. If it were up to you, we wouldn’t survive that long."

Ayke laughed outright, a happy, joyous, crystalline laugh. "Don’t you think you’re starting to think way too high of yourself, baby?" he asks him while laughing.

"That’s right, laugh all you want, playboy, but I might not be your baby anymore if this continues?"

"What do you mean?" Asks his brother, stopping laughing abruptly, "you want to be someone else’s baby?"

"No, but you make fun of me all the time," answering Aike in a sulky way, "and then there’s this thing that bothers me too."

"You know I’m always like this with you. I won’t allow anyone to steal my baby brother from me; you will always be mine. So tell me what’s bothering you."

"It’s Howie..."

"Hm, hm, what did he do to you? I swear on this woman’s head that we have as a mother, if he dared to exceed your limits even if he is my friend, I will make him regret having laid his eyes on you."

"Ah! Stop it. You and I know too well you wouldn’t have done anything to him, So drop the acting, buddy; it’s embarrassing."

A small embarrassing laugh crossed Ayke’s lips. He moved away from his brother, taking a serious look, all smiles disappearing from his face and eyes. He takes a few steps under the concerned gaze of his brother, who wonders if he said something wrong.

"You know, Ayke starts in a deep and dramatic voice, for your safety and happiness, there is nothing I won’t do, and I have a lot of things to thank you for. So when I tell you I’ll make Howie or anybody else pay if something happens to you through their fault, it’s really not a joke. I will, Aike."

By voicing his concerns and care, Ayke had given his back to his brother; certainly, Aike could not see his face nor feel what was going through him. But he can assure that his brother was not joking, as he did before when he pushed him to open the cabin door that separated them.

He was sincere, and his sincerity can be seen in the way his voice kept shaking throughout his little speech, the fists he clenched, and the muscles in his back tensing. His whole body spoke with him and for him.

Aike got down from the sink and went to stand behind his brother. He leaned against his brother’s muscular back, and the latter relaxed at his touch.

"You won’t have to kill anyone, he asked me something else that scared me when I thought of you, so I ran away without giving him an answer. It’s for this reason I was avoiding you both."

"I’m afraid of hurting you and him too, and I was running away because I was scared that he would stare at me with his empty icy stare devoid of emotion that sent shivers down my spine. So every time he’s around, I run away from him."

"What did he ask you that scared you so damn much?" Aike asks him in a firm voice, turning to face his brother, whose eyes are filled with unshed tears.

"He asked me to be his boyfriend, and I didn’t answer..." he said in a breath, letting his tears run down his cheeks.