You Can't Choose (BoyxBoy)

Chapter Seventeen

"It's nothing..." he tried again, looking down at Collier who returned the glance with a disbelieving expression. Jake sighed. "What are you doing tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night?" Cole asked surprised and Jake nodded, clearly avoiding his eyes. "Umm, I'm not sure, why?"

"Come on," Jake coaxed, his hand reaching out to lightly rest on Collier's arm to steer him in the direction of the stairs. "Our shift is up. No reason to stay longer than we have to".

"Says the man who gets here early every day," Cole pointed out, and thankfully, Jake did smile at this.

Collier wasn't done bothering him about if he was okay or not, but he decided it was safe to wait until they were completely out of the store for the day, just incase Petra decided to listen in and Jake didn't feel comfortable telling her. Perhaps, Jake didn't feel comfortable telling him either, but Cole hadn't really gotten that impression. Sure, Jake had said that nothing was wrong more than once, but each time he had looked like he desperately wanted to tell him something.

As they walked down the stairs, Cole remained silent, focusing on his footing, and Jake's arm, which was still resting lightly upon his own.

"You're done for the day?" Petra asked when they reached the landing on the first floor. Surprisingly, she was standing in front of an easel, but it was turned away from them, so Collier's curiosity of what a drunk woman's painting looks like would have to be answered another time.

"It's four o'clock," Jake said and Petra nodded at them before looking back at her painting.

"I'll see you both tomorrow". It was a dismissal, and they both understood that and began to move towards the front entrance without another word to her.

"So," Cole said as soon as they were outside. Jake parked in the the small lot behind the building, so they made their way around the building together, "why'd you ask what I was doing tomorrow night?"

"Because I was wondering if you wanted to do something". Collier slowed to a stop on the sidewalk and Jake continued for a moment without him before turning to face him.

"Well what kind of something?"

"Get dinner with me". Oh.

"Are you...?" Collier trailed off incase he was wrong, but he didn't think he was. "Are you asking me out? Like, on a date?"

"Well, I'm trying," Jake said with a little laugh and Cole blinked in surprise. "Is that alright?"

Was it? Cole didn't know if he wanted to go out with him or not. He liked Jake, sure, but did he like Jake? And what about Henry. The boy kept insisting that everything they did meant nothing, but for some reason, Collier felt as if that had all changed. The way they acted toward one another was becoming more and more comfortable. They were having fun and getting along.

And what if... What if everything actually meant something? Cole wasn't sure he wanted that, but he knew he needed time to think about whether or not going out on a date with Jake would be worth ending everything between him and Henry. Would be worth ruining the chance he may had at a relationship with Henry Stone.

"Give me your phone," Collier demanded, holding his hand out flat between them. Jake looked down at his paint stained skin for a moment before reaching into the pocket of his jeans and pulling out his cell phone, which he placed on Cole's palm. "May I?" Jake nodded.

Collier unlocked his phone, glancing up at Jake when he realized he hadn't set a passcode, and then looking back down to put his number in the contacts. "Text me later tonight, and I'll let you know if I can go or not". Jake nodded and accepted his phone when it was handed back to him. "And, I'll let you know if we'll be going on a date, or if we'll be going out as friends, if that's okay".