Chapter 7

The news reached Jackson on the same day. It had been three days since they last saw each other, but they talked regularly on the phone.

"They dared to do that to you? I will..."

"Calm down, Jackson. They are not here anymore. I am alone at home."

"How so? Did your plan work?"

"Yes." Daniel smiled on the other end of the line. "And... could you come to my place? The house is too big and..."

"Is the little boy scared?" Jackson teased, laughing.

"Ha.Ha.Ha !" replied Daniel, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "Mock me all you want, but you would have my death on your conscience if the eldest and their father came to kill me tonight. Bye !"

"Wait. Wait," Jackson replied on the other end of the line. "I'll come. I'll even stay over at your place. Happy?"

"It's not about happiness, but about life or death," Daniel said, trying to sound serious and mature. "But I appreciate it. See you tonight then." And he hung up.

As soon as the call ended, he shouted for joy. "What's going on?" asked Mrs. Simone, the only one left in the house.

"It's nothing. I received good news, that's all. And... Mrs. Simone, you can go home tonight."

"I can't, Daniel. I can't leave you alone. What if they come back?"

"Don't worry, Simone. My friend Jackson is coming to spend the night here."

"Okay." Simone wasn't fooled. She understood. Even before hearing the boy say he was gay, she could see the spark in his eyes when he talked about or with Jack, she knew he was in love and wanted to be alone with his friend. "I'll leave then. I'll be back tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Simone," he replied with a smile.

Daniel was impatient for Jackson to arrive. He wanted to tell him everything in detail, confide in him and... be with him. He missed his touch. It had been over a week since they had been intimate.

"I can't wait," Daniel thought, already feeling his body itching. "Patience. Patience."

He had to hold himself back and wait, it was already past 10 p.m. and Jackson still wasn't there. He considered calling him, but feared he would be too insistent.

"He's my friend, it's normal to want to know," he justified to himself, but his conscience reminded him: "You don't just consider him a friend, but..." He quickly pushed that thought away.

Just as he was starting to lose hope, the doorbell rang in the house. "It's him," he thought, his heart racing. "It's him, it's him," he repeated mentally as he descended the stairs.

At the door, he adjusted his clothes, ran his tongue over his lips.

"Who is it?" he asked, his voice trembling and eager.

"Look at the intercom, you'll see!" Jackson replied. Daniel smiled as he opened the door, but his expression froze immediately.

"Who is it?" he asked directly.

"Let us in first," said Jackson, ushering in a young woman that Daniel recognized well. "Joy."

Jackson and Joy settled on the couch, and Daniel watched them closely.

"Sit down, Dany," said Jackson, and Daniel obeyed, his heart racing and his thoughts in disarray. "You two already know each other. Joy, meet Daniel, my best friend. And Daniel, meet Joy, my girlfriend." Daniel almost choked on the air he was breathing.

"What? His girlfriend? Are they together? Am I dreaming? And he didn't tell me?!" Daniel thought.

"Girlfriend, like GIRLFRIEND?" he questioned, and Joy burst into laughter.

"Yes, we're together," she replied, smiling. "Nice to finally meet you."

"We were in the same class," Daniel blurted out, annoyed.

"I know. But we never really talked. So it's like we don't really know each other."

"Whatever!" he exclaimed, and Jackson furrowed his brows.

"Don't be so rude. Be a little nice," his friend told him.

"Why should I? I'm not the one sleeping with her, you are. So why should I be nice?"

"Because she's my girlfriend," Jackson shot back, annoyed. "Can't you be happy for me?"

"Why should I?"

"We're friends."

"Screw you, Jack," exclaimed Daniel, standing up and taking the stairs to his room.

"I might as well leave you two and go," Joy suggested softly.

"No, darling," Jackson replied tenderly, caressing her cheeks and planting a kiss on her forehead. "I'll go talk to him. Stay here, I'll be right back," he promised, following Daniel.

"Daniel, it's me. Open this door!" he ordered firmly. "If you don't open it in a..." The door swung open.

"What do you want?" Daniel exclaimed, heartbroken, holding back tears. Until the night before, he still had hope for their story together, but now...

"We need to talk," he said, entering the room and sitting on Daniel's bed without waiting for his consent. "What's wrong, Dan?" His tone was gentle, his voice calm.

"I..." stammered Daniel. "You lied to me."

"I was going to tell you. I brought her here to introduce her to you."

"But... I don't want to meet her."

"Why?"

"Because..." Trying to justify himself but eventually fell silent.

"Why, Daniel?"

"... This is all going to end," he exclaimed. "Us. You and me. All of this..."

"What are you talking about?"

"You will never want me again."

"No, that's not true..."

"You won't touch me anymore. You won't make love to me..." And Jackson appeared shocked.

"Of course, that was the deal, Dan. When one of us found..."

"I know. I'm aware, thank you," he shouted again.

"So why are you making such a fuss?"

"Because... it's not fair. You found someone to sleep with, but not me."

"Then find someone."

"I'm gay, Jack. You think gay guys are easy to come by."

"No but..."

"I need you. Let's make a different arrangement."

"No, no, Dan. That's not possible." Dan was moving dangerously close to his friend, sitting on his lap, his hands around his neck.

"Oh, but it is possible," Dan replied, nibbling on his friend's ear.