What do you mean?

My eyes widen, and I stare a Jack with a blank look on my face.

I don't know why he's behaving like this. He always does this every time I bring someone new around. I just really never tried to understand why before.

But jeez, what are enemies for if you have friends like this?

I look at Brandon to see that he's looking at me with all kinds of questions on his face.

None that I really wanna answer. So I look away.

The hand around my neck tightens slightly, I know he's trying to get my attention so I turn to look at him.

He asks quietly, "So who's Chase?"

I shake my head slowly "Chase is my employer."

"I take it Chase isn't his last name?" he asks

I shake my head slowly again.

"There's nothing between me and Chase, except a professional relationship." I say. Jack scoffs in the background. I turn and glare at him. "Can I see you in the kitchen Jack?" I grit out. He smirks "Sure, whatever." I get up and after telling the others we'll be right back, we head to the kitchen. As soon as we're through the doors I whirl around to face Jack quiet yelling "What are you doing??" "Why does it seem like you're trying to start trouble?!"

He smirks and shakes his head "I just thought he should know what he's up against. Don't you think that's fair?"

I look at him sharply "That's for me to decide, Jack! We've only known each other a couple of weeks! Can we get time to build a relationship if that's what we decide to do??"

"Why are you behaving like an ass?!"

He looks contrite as he says "Okay, okay, I get it. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been meddling in your business. I think I just got jealous."

As he finishes saying this Brandon walks in the kitchen. He says "I'm gonna get going now. I'll call you or text you. Whatever." He gives me an unreadable look, and shakes his head. "I'll see myself out."

"Bran-."

He holds his hand up to stop me from speaking, and shakes his head and walks out. I trail after him, watching him walk out the door. I turn angrily to Jack as soon as the door shuts "Look what you've done! Why couldn't you just be my friend, and be happy for me?!"

"You always do this, every time I bring someone new around you have to ruin it somehow! Why?! Why must you?!" I cry out, tears beginning to run down my face.

It gets eerily quiet after I finish yelling out my question. Then I hear footsteps as Lily and Melissa make their way into the kitchen. They look between me and Jack before Melissa asks "What's really going on Jack? You were kinda being an ass" "I told you you shouldn't mention Chase, but you did anyway. Why?"

Jack just stares at Melissa blinking quickly like he's trying to blink back tears.

His voice is muffled as he says "Because he seemed like the easiest to get rid of. Too many times I have to watch you get with other men, as I sit in the background wondering why not me?"

"It's like you never saw me the way I wanted you to, so I figured if I got rid of everyone around you, you would finally look at me."

I just stare at him with a dumbstruck look on my face. "W-what? What are you talking about Jack. Tell me in words I can understand."

He says loudly "I love you Liam, I always have. I don't know how you never saw it. I know I should have told you how I felt sooner, but I didn't want to ruin our friendship."

"But that's what you've been doing Jack! Slowly ruining our friendship with your behavior! Why couldn't you love me enough to be happy when I'm happy? If you'd have done that all this time and then told me you loved me, I might've actually believed you!" I yell at him.

I turn away from him sniffling, "Go home Jack. I'll talk to you another time, when I've calmed down, and had time to process all of this."

"Liam I -."

I cut him off shaking my head "No more talking right now Jack, just go."

Melissa and Lily who were quiet this whole time, walk over to me. Melissa hugs me first whispering "I'm sorry all this happened like this. I'm gonna take Jack home, I gave him a ride here. Even though right now I'm kinda regretting it." I snicker quietly "I love you Liss, thank you for coming today. I'll tell you about what happened another time."

She whispers back "I'll be here tomorrow early. so expect me back."

I shake my head "You don't -."

"Nonsense." she cuts me off.

I smile and hug her a little tighter before letting her go. "Ok Liss thanks for always being there for me when I need it."

She smiles at me "Anytime baby, anytime."

She walks over and grabs Jack by the arm and drags him out of my house as he looks back at me with a sad look on his face.

I shake my head turning away. Lily comes up to me and wraps her arms around me. "I'm sorry you had to go thru that love. Let me make you some tea."

"That would be great, lemon and honey. Thanks."

"No problem hon, go sit in the living room."

I walk to the living room and take a seat on the small couch. I sit twiddling my thumbs, trying not to think about the look on Brandon's face before he left.

I sigh deeply. I'm going to have to figure out a way to fix this. I don't even know where to begin, because on top of the Chase situation I think Brandon heard Jack when he told me he was jealous. He could have interpreted that however he wanted to. I just hope he didn't interpret the truth of it.

I shake my head, trying to shake these thoughts from my head. It's too much, I can't think about all of this right now or I'm gonna spiral.

I'm panting on the couch when Lily comes in with the tea. She sees me sitting there and rushes over to me and setting the tea down she exclaims "Oh my goodness Liam! Take a deep breath! C'mon! In. Out. In. Out." She says this while taking deep breaths herself. I begin to copy her. I slowly calm down as I breathe in and out deeply.

I have tears streaming down my face as I cry "I don't know what I'm gonna do Lily." "Chase wants to explore things between us, and so does Brandon."

"I've never looked at Jack that way, so I don't even know how to take his confession."

Lily nods "I understand how you must feel. I think you need to weigh the pros and the cons for who you're actually considering. Brandon or Chase."

"How can I tell Jack that it would never be him?"