BCJ 21 • jealousy

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***

"Why didn't you tell me??" Pete whined as Celeste sat on the sofa adjacent to his table. He was supposed to be in a meeting that morning but he decided to move it in the afternoon after hearing Celeste's great news.

"You've been so busy for the past few weeks and I'm darn sure you're gonna be disoriented when you know that Kao's currently working at Peter's school."

Pete frowned. Celeste just knew him too damn well after all these years.

"How's he doing?" he asked nonchalantly while pretending to type on his keyboard.

"Well, I think he's doing good. I saw John Kavine picking him up multiple times already. And they seemed so...sweet."

Pete caught a glimpse of Celeste's grin.

"I know what you're thinking."

"Hey, I'm not making you jealous."

"I am not, okay?" he said with complete emphasis. "Can you just go on with what you have to do."

Celeste just shrugged and stood.

"And by the way. You don't have to pick Peter starting today."

"Why? You're letting Peter go home on his own?"

Pete didn't say a thing but his stares were enough to answer Celeste's query.

***

"Dad?? What are you doing here?" Peter exclaimed as soon as he saw his father by the gate. "I thought Celeste's picking me up?"

"Well, good news, buddy. I'll be sending and picking you up starting today."

"When are you gonna let me drive, Dad? My friends already have their own cars and bikes but here I am getting picked up by my dad like I'm a preschooler," Peter whined as he got inside the car. He waited for his father to follow suit but Pete remained outside.

"Aren't we leaving yet, Dad? I'm starving."

"Sssh. Just wait for a minute. I'm waiting for someone," he replied, his eyes scanning the area.

"Who? Teacher Kao? His husband already picked him up earlier."

Pete froze. "I, I'm not looking for him!"

"Oh, really?"

"Of course! And where did you get the idea that I'm waiting for him? Huh, young man?"

"Your lock screen says it all, Sir."

Pete immediately hid the phone he was holding inside his pocket. He totally forgot to change the lock screen back to a plain one.

"And since when did you start taking pictures of sleeping men? Huh?"

Pete eyesided Peter.

It was taken the day he and Kao were on that plane together.

"Just keep quiet or you'll be starving for the rest of the day," Pete fired back before getting into the car.

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