Beyond The Fine Line

Chapter XVIII - One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

The sky, ablaze with hues of crimson and gold, seemed to burn against his ivory skin. The laptop balanced on his knees reflected the warm glow, creating an enchanting image. Sean couldn't help but feel drawn to this mesmerising scene, as if the very essence of the sunset had intertwined with Jay, casting a spell that made him irresistible. Before he realised, Sean was only two steps away from him.

Jay groaned with frustration and slammed his laptop close.

"You seem... annoyed."

A slightly teasing voice made him look up straight into amused dark eyes. "That's a massive understatement."

Sean's eyebrow quirked teasingly. "Oh? What or who pissed you off?"

"It's this whole thing with the cleaning service. I want it twice a week, but every time I try to arrange it, the building management keeps pushing me to hire a live-in maid. It's driving me insane," Jay sighed, rubbing his temples. "I don't get why it's so hard for them to follow one simple request."

"It's a trick," he replied, trying not to think how much the idea of a young, attractive woman living with Jay bothered him. "They will set you up with someone cute, and she is in your bed before you notice. I heard they do that with single guys."

Jay burst out laughing. "If that's the case, they will be so disappointed."

"Why?"

"I'm very much gay, Sean."

"Oh," Sean gawked, surprised by the casual nonchalance in his voice. "Why do you even need a cleaning service?" he blurted out in panic as his mind grappled with a quiet undercurrent of relief weaving through his thoughts.

"I work too much to have time for it, and I don't like messy or cluttered places," Jay replied, leaning against the tree, his gaze fixed on the darkening sky. A small, melancholic smile played on his lips. "Actually, this is the most free time I have had in years. It's definitely an experience."

His eyebrows furrowed in worry. Jay was either at university, studying, working or hanging out with them while doing one of the previous options. It wasn't hard to conclude that Jay didn't have free time. But why would someone who seems to have everything push himself so hard? It didn't make sense.

"Why do you work so much?"

"I want to get somewhere on my own, and this is the only way to get there," he replied thoughtfully. "My mother is a massive figure in the legal scene. The kind you learned about in law school, and everyone expected me to follow in her footsteps. Constant scrutiny, questioning my choices just because I have different interests...," Jay trailed off, the weight of his unspoken words lingering in the air. A moment of vulnerability passed, leaving him wondering why he had shared this with Sean. Was it because Sean was so easy to talk to? Or was it something else? The discomfort he felt over the last couple of weeks sunk even deeper.

In the ensuing silence, Jay swiftly changed the topic, perhaps to reclaim a sense of control over the direction of their conversation. "Anyway, did you need something?"

Sean got a clue not to pry into it further but also realised that he shouldn't judge the book by the cover. Jay may have appeared to have everything, but it didn't mean he wasn't struggling, just like them. The last couple of weeks were rather eye-opening.

"I got results and definitely owe you big time. Half of the group failed the assignment," Sean added, plopping on the soft grass beside him. "Just like you said, they fell into the trap of human rights violations instead of considering laws and regulations."

"It was nothing," Jay waved him off. "We had many assignments like this at uni. Testing if you trip over minor details or fail to see the bigger picture. LPC was even worse. The effort they put into ensuring you don't jump to conclusions was astonishing."