Undress to Impress (Kellic)

Chapter 14

Okay. That’s good.

A few moments later, a second text appears: Be honest with me. Do you think Tony and I would ever make it? Like as a couple?

It catches me a little off-guard—I never knew Jaime thought of Tony that way—but at this point, not much seems to surprise me anymore.

Idk, does he even swing that way? He never was too open about his sexuality, not with me at least.

His reply comes in a couple seconds later: He told me he doesn’t really care. Like he doesn’t label himself, but basically he doesn’t really have a preference. And yeah. Think I’m in love with him.

Well, you’ve come to the wrong person then. I don’t know much about being in love.

I can just hear his dubious laugh in his next text. You kidding me? Have you SEEN the way you look at Kellin? The way you interact with him? You know more than you give yourself credit for. But that’s not really what I’m asking. What I’m asking is, do you think me and Tony would last? Like would it be worth it to take a risk?

I try not to think about what he’s implying, talking about me and Kellin. That depends…what risk are you taking?

This response takes a little longer. Well, should you risk being in a relationship even if there are people out there who don’t want you to be in a relationship?

It sounds kind of weird, the way he’s wording that. Ok is something going on? Because if so then I wanna know. But yeah, of course you should. It’s your relationship and nobody can take that away from you. Lots of people don’t like me and Kellin dating (or maybe they just don’t like Kellin in general…) but look at us, still dating.

Ok. Thank you.

With that, the conversation ends. I notice that he avoids answering my question, about whether or not there’s something going on. I’m not sure what to do about that; should I send him another message, or should I leave it alone and let him figure it out? I know Jaime; he’s an independent person, and he doesn’t like asking for help. He’d rather just solve all his problems by himself. It’s pretty interesting, then, that he asked me for advice regarding Tony. I guess it really means a lot to him. Or maybe this is his way of sending me a subtle SOS message.

Now that I’ve successfully used my overthinking skills to throw myself into a mild panic, I send a quick text to Jaime: Are you ok?

Yeah, why?

He says he’s fine, but I should’ve known better than to think that’d just magically alleviate all my fears. I’m still going to be worried, no matter what. Maybe I thought that he’d confess or something. But I know better than that. He’s a stubborn bastard. He’d never willingly admit it unless it was something really, really bad.

So I guess I can now safely assume that whatever it is, it’s not something really, really bad, or else he would’ve admitted it.

Just wondering, I say in response to his question. I thought maybe there was a problem.

Nah there’s no problem other than how to tell Tony that I’m in love with him, haha.

Can’t really help you with that one. Good luck, my friend.

—

"Jaime, Tony, Alysha, and I are all going to a party tonight. Wanna come?"

I look up from the book I’m reading. “Am I gonna end up being the fifth wheel?”