-Mark's POV-
"More complicated?" I asked as I paced back and forth in front of Hunter's condo. "What do you me? Jack, what's going on?"
The phone was almost uncomfortably close to my ear as I heard him breathing in and out.
"Did something happen?" I asked, my chest feeling suddenly tight. "Jack?"
"He's come to some decision," Jack said, his voice strained on the other end. "About being in love. He left about five minutes ago. I'm not sure where he's headed."
"Being in love?" I repeated, and I looked around almost dreading to see Hunter's car pull into the parking lot. "Did he tell you who he was in love with?"
"No," Jack replied, his tone almost apologetic. "I never was able to get the conversation to head that way. He's...struggling about his feelings. Said that he's in love, but doesn't think that he has a right to be. He wanted to talk to me about how to get over being in love with someone."
There was a almost erie silence between us for a few moments, and other than the wind around me I couldn't hear anything else.
"What did you tell him?"
"That..you can, but that it's really hard. I'm worried about him, Mark. He wasn't acting like himself at all. He was almost in tears and I could tell that he was struggling to keep himself together."
My mind was racing at this. I had only seen Hunter act like that one other time, and it was right after I had told him that we couldn't date. In the back of my mind I could see the both of us, about eight years younger, our baby faces reflecting the light of the television set in the living room we shared. The way his smile melted away when I told him that it wouldn't work out.
"Mark, are you still there?"
In a flash I was back in bright sunlight and holding the phone next to my ear, Jack so painfully far away, but I was longing to hold him.
"This isn't the first time he has acted this way, is it?"
I took a deep breath, and exhaled.
"No, it's not." I replied. "When I get home, we need to talk. Were you able to get a hold of Wade?"
"Yeah, he's calling at about 8pm."
I heard a car door slam, and saw Felix stepping out of a taxi. He looked incredibly disheveled, but his smile was radiant. I felt my heart twist in my chest when I saw him carrying red roses in his hands. He turned to face me as the taxi drove off, his face full of confusion, but still headed towards me anyway.
"Felix just got here," I said to Jack over the phone. "I'll hopefully be back with him in a bit. I'll keep you posted."
"Ok. I love you."
"I love you too."
Felix reached me in the next minute or two, his blue eyes narrowed in annoyance.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I came to try to talk you out of telling Hunter about your feelings," I replied, trying my best to keep the conversation as casual as I could. "I think that you're making a mistake, Felix."
His face immediately began to turn red as he glared at me.
"I'm able to make my own decisions," Felix began, his anger very clear though I was impressed by him keeping himself from yelling. "I love him and I can't wait for our dinner tomorrow to -"
"Dinner?" I asked, my brain reeling by this information. "What dinner?"
He gave a deep sigh, apparently irritated with himself about letting this information slip out.
"Hunter invited me here tomorrow night for dinner," he continued. "He texted me that he really needed to talk to me about something important. I tried to get him to just tell me over the phone, or in text, but he refused. Said that it was something he needed me to know in...person."
I felt my heart beating fast again as I looked at him closely in the eyes. Felix's pulled away from my gaze and looked down at the roses in his right hand, as if thinking something over in his mind. Then after another moment, he looked back at me, his eyes brimming with sudden tears.
"He's going to break up with me, isn't he?"
I sighed and took a step towards him. He didn't move away.
"Mark," he said, his face very serious. "If you know something about what he's doing, I think that I have a right to -"
"Yes, I think that he is," I said quickly. "He and I talked last night about a lot of things, and he thinks that he isn't being fair to you, because he has feelings for someone else."
Felix glanced hack down at his right hand again, and I could see his slender fingers tighten around the stems of the roses.
"I knew that already," he said, so quiet that I barely heard him.
"What?" I replied, much louder than I meant. "You...knew about it?"
Felix took a deep breath as he looked back up at me.
"I had an idea that something was going on. He's been really distracted lately, and he told me that he's had a lot on his mind. Plus, the way that he looks at you when he doesn't realize that I'm watching. It's obvious that he still has feelings for you."
The pained look in his eyes was almost too much to bare.
So, it is me. At least, Felix thinks that it is too.
"I'm not interested in -"
"I know you're not," Felix said simply. "You and Jack are about as close to perfect for each other as possible. It's kind of sickening how great you both are together."
I smiled, in spite of myself at this.
Then Felix dropped the roses and rushed forward. He hugged me so tightly that I felt like my lungs were going to explode. I reached up and wrapped my arms around him and hugged him back. I could feel him as he was struggling not to cry, but he was losing the battle.
"I'm sorry, Fe," I said quietly as he cried. "If we could do anything to help, you know that we would."
With these words, Felix suddenly pulled away, looking at me as intently as I had ever seen him look at me before.
"What's wrong?" I asked, as I felt my heart beating fast, yet again.
"I think that there is a way that you and Jack can help," he replied, his blue eyes, slightly desperate. "Let's head back to your house and I'll explain."