Chapter 11 — Keeping Secrets
1274 Words
Nathaniel Anderson had made a catastrophic mistake.
Actually multiple catastrophic mistakes.
The first was kissing Asher Reyes.
The second was falling completely in love with him afterward.
And the third—
the very worst mistake—
was forgetting about the bet entirely until Thursday morning.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Nathaniel froze mid-step outside the business building while staring at the messages flooding his phone screen.
Because somehow—
he had genuinely forgotten.
Not ignored.
Not avoided.
Forgotten.
Which honestly felt worse.
His stomach twisted painfully.
A serious issue.
An actual serious issue.
⸻
It started with Jordan.
Of course it did.
Nathaniel’s phone buzzed repeatedly while students crossed campus around him.
He opened the group chat automatically.
Then immediately regretted it.
💚 Jordan
So.
🧡 Dylan
You finally kissed him?
💙 Nathaniel
Maybe.
💚 Jordan
MAYBE???
🧡 Dylan
OH MY GOD.
💚 Jordan
WAIT.
💚 Jordan
DOES THIS MEAN YOU WON THE BET?
Silence.
Real silence.
Nathaniel stared at the screen.
And suddenly—
everything inside him dropped violently.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because for the first time since this entire thing started—
the word bet felt disgusting.
Wrong.
Dangerous.
Nathaniel’s fingers tightened around his phone immediately.
💙 Nathaniel
Don’t call it that.
💚 Jordan
Nathaniel?
🧡 Dylan
Oh no.
💙 Nathaniel
He doesn’t know.
Silence again.
Longer this time.
🧡 Dylan
You have to tell him.
💚 Jordan
Immediately.
💙 Nathaniel
I know.
Nathaniel locked his phone aggressively afterward.
Too late.
The damage had already settled heavily in his chest.
Because suddenly—
the reality of everything crashed into him at once.
The flirting.
The pursuit.
The way Asher slowly trusted him.
None of it had started honestly.
And worst of all—
Asher had no idea.
⸻
Across campus, Asher was equally distracted.
Mostly because he couldn’t stop thinking about Nathaniel kissing him in the rain.
A disaster honestly.
An actual disaster.
Asher sat in the back corner of the library pretending to study while rereading Nathaniel’s messages accidentally.
Three times.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because somehow—
Nathaniel already felt woven into his life now.
Like habit.
Like comfort.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Then his phone buzzed again.
Nathaniel.
Immediately, warmth spread through Asher’s chest before he could stop it.
A serious issue honestly.
💙 Nathaniel
Have you eaten today?
❤️ Asher
You sound obsessed with feeding me.
💙 Nathaniel
Answer the question.
❤️ Asher
Maybe.
💙 Nathaniel
Asher.
❤️ Asher
That sounded emotional.
💙 Nathaniel
You skipped breakfast again didn’t you?
❤️ Asher
Mind your business.
💙 Nathaniel
Impossible.
❤️ Asher
You’re annoying.
💙 Nathaniel
You like me anyway.
Asher stared at the last message longer than necessary.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because Nathaniel sounded completely confident saying things like that lately.
Like he already knew.
And honestly?
That terrified Asher slightly.
Because Nathaniel was right.
⸻
Before Asher could reply, another message appeared suddenly.
This time from Luca.
A disaster.
An actual disaster.
🖤 Luca
Mom says you smiled at your phone during breakfast.
❤️ Asher
That feels invasive.
🖤 Luca
Mateo says rich boy kissed you already.
Asher paused.
Interesting.
❤️ Asher
How would Mateo know that?
🖤 Luca
You walked into the house looking like you forgot how doors worked yesterday.
🤎 Mateo
You also smiled at absolutely nothing for twenty minutes straight.
❤️ Asher
You people are terrifying.
🖤 Luca
Correct.
🤎 Mateo
Do you trust him?
A long pause.
Asher looked at the screen, thumb hovering over the keyboard.
❤️ Asher
Yes.
🖤 Luca
OH MY GOD.
🤎 Mateo
That was way too fast of an answer.
❤️ Asher
Shut up.
🖤 Luca
HE’S IN LOVE.
❤️ Asher
I hate this family.
🤎 Mateo
You adore us actually.
🖤 Luca
So when do we meet him?
❤️ Asher
Never.
🤎 Mateo
That sounds serious.
❤️ Asher
Can all of you stop psychoanalyzing me for five minutes?
🖤 Luca
No.
🤎 Mateo
Absolutely not.
Asher blinked once.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because Mateo almost never answered that calmly.
Usually there were warnings.
Threats.
Interrogations.
But this time—
just okay.
And somehow that affected Asher more than expected.
⸻
Meanwhile, Nathaniel was spiraling spiritually.
Because he genuinely did not know how to tell Asher the truth without ruining everything.
Jordan and Dylan found him thirty minutes later sitting alone outside the law building staring blankly at coffee he hadn’t touched.
Jordan immediately looked concerned.
A rare event honestly.
Jordan: “You look horrible.”
Nathaniel laughed quietly.
Humorlessly.
Nathaniel: “I might be a terrible person.”
Dylan sat beside him immediately.
More serious now too.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Dylan: “You have to tell him.”
Nathaniel rubbed both hands across his face slowly.
Exhausted.
Overwhelmed.
Nathaniel: “I know.”
Because he did know.
That was the worst part.
Nathaniel understood exactly what would happen once Asher learned the truth.
The trust would disappear instantly.
And honestly?
Nathaniel deserved that.
⸻
Nathaniel looked down toward his phone again.
Asher’s contact still open.
A soft smile in the picture Jordan secretly took of him last week outside the athletic building.
Nathaniel’s chest tightened painfully.
Because somehow—
this had become the most important relationship in his life before he even realized it was happening.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
⸻
Later that afternoon, Nathaniel found Asher outside the library sitting beneath the same tree he always used while studying.
The sight alone made something soften painfully inside Nathaniel’s chest.
Asher looked up immediately the second Nathaniel approached.
And smiled.
Small.
Real.
Automatic.
Nathaniel nearly broke emotionally right there.
Because that smile existed because Asher trusted him.
A serious problem.
An actual serious problem.
⸻
Asher noticed immediately that something felt wrong.
Nathaniel usually looked confident around him now.
Relaxed.
Today he looked tense.
Distracted.
Careful in the worst possible way.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Asher: “What happened?”
Nathaniel blinked once.
Caught slightly off guard.
Nathaniel: “Nothing.”
Asher stared at him flatly.
The disbelief was painful.
Asher: “You look emotional.”
Nathaniel laughed softly.
Again.
But this time it sounded tired.
Asher’s chest tightened unexpectedly.
Because suddenly—
he hated seeing Nathaniel unhappy.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
⸻
Nathaniel sat beside him quietly.
Too quietly.
Asher immediately noticed.
Normally Nathaniel filled silences easily.
Now he looked like he was thinking too hard.
A terrible sign honestly.
Asher: “Nathaniel.”
Nathaniel finally looked toward him properly.
And suddenly Asher’s stomach dropped slightly.
Because guilt sat visibly in Nathaniel’s expression.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
⸻
For one terrifying second, Nathaniel almost told him everything.
The bet.
The beginning.
The truth.
The words sat painfully in his throat.
Then Asher shifted slightly closer beside him naturally.
Instinctively.
Like sitting near Nathaniel had already become comfortable.
And suddenly—
Nathaniel couldn’t do it.
Coward.
Absolute coward.
The realization made him hate himself instantly.
⸻
Asher’s phone buzzed softly beside him.
Luca again.
Of course.
Asher checked it automatically.
🖤 Luca
How’s rich boy?
❤️ Asher
Weird today.
🖤 Luca
Weird suspicious or weird emotional?
❤️ Asher
Emotional.
🤎 Mateo
Pay attention to that.
Silence.
❤️ Asher
What does that mean?
🤎 Mateo
People act strange when they’re hiding things.
Asher froze slightly.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because somehow—
that message landed heavier than it should have.
Slowly, Asher looked sideways toward Nathaniel.
Who still looked distracted.
Tense.
Guilty.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
And for the first time since falling for Nathaniel Anderson—
something cold twisted quietly in Asher’s chest, the terrifying realization settling in that maybe the person he trusted most was hiding something capable of destroying him.
- Writer
