The Sanders Sides

20 - Comfort

Roman strolled across the school courtyard, his sharp eyes catching sight of Timothy and Lauren. They were tucked away behind the gym, their heads close together, their bodies too intimately aligned to be just friends. Roman's heart sank as he watched Lauren's hand linger on Timothy's chest, their lips meeting in a brief, stolen kiss.

He felt a surge of anger and betrayal on behalf of his friend Patton. Roman had always suspected something was off, but seeing it with his own eyes was a different matter. He knew he had to act, but the thought of confronting Patton with this truth was gut-wrenching.

With a deep breath, Roman turned on his heel and made his way to Patton's locker. He spotted Patton down the hall, a smile lighting up his face as he saw Roman approaching. "Hey, Roman! What's up?"

Roman's heart ached at the sight of Patton's innocent happiness. He struggled to find the right words, but before he could speak, Patton's phone buzzed. Patton glanced at it and his expression shifted from confusion to horror.

"No..." Patton whispered, his face turning pale as he stared at the screen.

"Patton, what is it?" Roman asked, worry creasing his brow.

Patton handed Roman his phone. It was a message from an anonymous number, containing a photo of Timothy and Lauren in a passionate embrace, timestamped just minutes ago. The message read: "Thought you should know what your boyfriend is really up to."

Roman felt a mix of fury and sorrow. "Patton, I'm so sorry. I just saw them myself. I was coming to find you."

Patton's eyes filled with tears as he looked up at Roman, his voice breaking. "How could he do this to me? After everything...how could he?"

Roman pulled Patton into a tight hug, trying to offer some comfort. "I don't know, Patton. But you deserve so much better than this."

Patton nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I need to talk to him. I need to hear it from him."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Roman offered, his protective instincts kicking in.

Patton shook his head. "No, I need to do this alone. But thank you, Roman. For being here."

Roman watched as Patton walked away, his heart heavy with concern for his friend. He knew this confrontation would be brutal, but he also knew Patton needed to face the truth.

Patton found Timothy near the gym, where Roman had seen him with Lauren. Timothy looked up, surprise and guilt flashing across his face when he saw Patton approaching.

"Patton, hey," Timothy said, trying to sound casual, but his voice was strained.

Patton didn't bother with pleasantries. He held up his phone, the photo glaringly obvious on the screen. "Explain this."

Timothy's face went pale, and he stammered, "Patton, I—it's not what it looks like."

"Don't lie to me," Patton snapped, his voice shaking with anger and hurt. "How long, Timothy? How long have you been cheating on me?"

Timothy looked down, unable to meet Patton's eyes. "Months," he admitted quietly. "I'm so sorry, Patton."

Patton's heart shattered at the admission. "I trusted you. I loved you. How could you do this?"

"I never wanted to hurt you," Timothy said, tears filling his eyes. "I didn't know how to stop. I didn't know how to choose."

Patton took a step back, the pain in his chest almost unbearable. "You didn't know how to choose? You could have chosen to be honest. You could have chosen to break it off with me instead of lying and cheating."