Eminence (Wattpad Edition)

Note 22 - Do You Want To Try?

Jack had run down the boardwalk until he ran out of steam, stopping to catch his breath. Surely Theo wouldn't be stupid enough to chase him in broad daylight. The sun wasn't at its peak, but it was still warm and bright. Theo wouldn't risk burning just for Jack, would he?

"Sir! My god! Look at your face! Are you okay?" a voice called behind him.

Jack turned. Sure enough, there was Theo, panting, a heat rash blooming across his nose and cheeks.

"What are you—"

"I'm fine. I just have a bit of a sun allergy," Theo interrupted. "I have some cream for it, it doesn't hurt." He said, and they nodded before leaving, just as Jack walked up to him.

"A sun allergy, huh?" Jack frowned, unimpressed.

"Would you rather I hadn't chased after you?"

"You're literally burning, Theo. What if you blister?"

"You'd be alone, though."

"I'm not a child."

"Do only children get lonely?"

Jack exhaled sharply, grabbed Theo's hand, and tugged him down a quiet side street.

"You heard everything, didn't you?"

"I did."

"So, you know I don't understand my feelings for Emanon."

"I do."

"You know I still love Vaan."

"I do."

"You know I don't know how I feel about you."

"I do."

"Then why the hell would you still say you like me? What's the point?"

Theo met his eyes. "You know I loved Eminence. You know I love Emanon. And I like you. What else is there?"

"You'd still love someone who has feelings for other people?"

"Eminence loved a human man. I still loved her. Emanon fell in love with Warren. I still love her. Am I not allowed to love someone just because they love others, too?"

"That's different."

"How? We're talking about feelings, Jack. Do you really think they're that black and white? That loving Vaan cancels out anything else you might feel? That you have to 'move on' like it means erasing him from your heart?"

Jack hesitated. "Isn't that what moving on is? Letting go of him so I can feel something for someone else?"

Theo shook his head. "That's not how feelings work. You can love someone and still not choose them. You can love more than one person at once. Being with someone means choosing them, insecurities, doubts, complicated emotions and all."

Theo stepped closer. "I accept you, Jack. You who loved Vaan. You who's unsure about Emanon. You who doesn't know how he feels about me. I accept all of it."

Jack stared at him. "When you say you 'accept' me... what are you really saying?"

"I want you. Just like I wanted to hold you when you cried. Just like I wanted to kiss your tears and let you feel loved. My love for Eminence belongs to her. My love for Emanon is hers alone. And my feelings for you, Jack? They're yours. Only yours."

Jack was left breathless. Just a month. It had only taken a month for this stupid man to completely undo him. Just a month. Why?

"I killed my ex, you know? He was a vampire like you. I burned him to death. Is that not a red flag?"