NO Love Club (Boy × Boy) ✔

44) I LOSE, YOU WIN, OKAY?

Cole Walker's POV 

I buckled my seatbelt, staring at X, Declan, Noah and Wilder, who were still standing by the gates. Chloe had already helped me into the car and taken my chair to the back, and yet those four kept staring at each other. Maybe I was a bad friend, but my mind couldn't have been further away from their argument. Despite all my efforts, I couldn't get Brandon's words out of my head.

"How long has this been going on.. you two crushing on each other?"

I had a zillion questions buzzing in my head: Was it really that obvious? More importantly, was I being that obvious? And if I were, was it obvious for X as well? Was X actually crushing on me or was Brandon delusional?

"Talk to me." Chloe ordered, not even bothering to complain about the lack of a hello from my part. I wrenched my eyes off X and blinked at Chloe. When I still didn't say anything, Chloe ventured: "He's handsome, isn't he?"

"I mean.. yes." I admitted, then stumbled to explain: "But that's not why I was staring at him, I was just.. trying to find out if Declan will rip off Wilder's throat."

"Cole, I know." Chloe emphasized, starting the car. I nodded, relieved, until Chloe elaborated what exactly she knew: "I know you like X."

"What?" I choked, gaping at her, but she didn't take her eyes off the road.

I really was that obvious then. Great.

"Mom, dad and Cody know too." Chloe went on, a toothy grin spreading on her lips. Her words made my heart leap out of my chest, and not in a good way. "You told us. Don't you remember?"

"You're kidding." I breathed, waiting for the punchline of Chloe's joke. She had to be joking, right? Instead of laughing, Chloe found a bank by the road and parked the car, turning her full focus on me. The look in her eyes was fond, yet serious. 

"You were pretty out of it." Chloe pointed out, more to herself. When I kept staring at her blankly, she continued: "In the recovery room after your surgery. First you blabbered about Queen Elizabeth II and then moved to the 'enchanting green eyes' of X and how much you wanted to win some bet, but couldn't wait to 'kiss him breathless' or something like that."

"I did what?" I asked, by then completely freaking out. My head was spinning and I was still waiting for Chloe to tell me it was all just a cruel joke. "I think I'm going to be sick."

They all knew? 

"How did mom and dad react to that?" I whispered, my voice small.

"Well, it isn't like you're their first gay son." Chloe chuckled and her words eased the knots in stomach. She was quiet for a while, before asking, her tone all so soft and sweet: "So, have you told him yet?"

"It's complicated." I shrugged.

"Try me." Chloe challenged, looking smug and certain that nothing I would say was going to be too complicated for her genius brain. I gave in and finally told her all about the bet and the argument of Declan and Wilder that had kept us apart.

When I was done, Chloe gaped at me like she had only just realized that I was from an entirely different planet. Then she started to laugh and shake her head in disbelief, which I found more than a little tactless.

"I completely forgot how complicated everything always is with you." She snorted, still shaking her head. "And I have absolutely no clue why you would make such a bet, let alone drag it out this long when you two are clearly pining over each other."

"We're not pining over each other." I objected, glaring at her.

"So", Chloe emphasized, paying no attention to my words, "is it really so important to win some meaningless bet that you're willing to risk losing your chance with X over it?"