One Temptation

Admitting It (Chapter 56)

West's POV:

Cole's living room was chaos in the most typical way. 

Jake sprawled across the couch with his legs up, phone in one hand and a half-eaten slice of pizza in the other. 

Cole was at the edge of the recliner, playing with the Bluetooth speaker again.

I tried to zone them out, focusing on the movie playing on the massive flat screen, but my head wasn't in it. It hadn't been for a while now.

"Oi," Jake said, suddenly sitting up. "Kaleb, you good, mate? You've been acting—what's the word—off."

I shrugged, "I'm fine."

Jake and Cole exchanged a look. And now they were onto me.

"That was very convincing," Cole said, "Come on, mate. Who's the girl?" he smirked.

"There's no girl."

"Bullshit," Jake muttered around a bite of pizza.

"I'm serious. There's no girl."

Cole leaned back, rubbing his temples dramatically. "You, the same guy who's been on a 'no-strings, no-drama' thing since—what?—forever, suddenly can't hold a conversation longer than two words. And I'm supposed to believe there's no girl? Pull the other one."

"I'm not getting into this."

"Which is code for: there's definitely a girl," Jake chimed in. "Come on, who is she? Is it someone we know?"

Cole's eyes widened as if, "Waitttt. No way. It's Madison, isn't it?"

I froze. They pounced.

"Holy shit!" Jake clapped his hands together. "Madison fucking Monroe. This is gold."

"No way," Cole said, grinning like a idiot, "Dude, you are so whipped. I can't believe this."

"I'm not whipped," I snapped, but my face was already heating up.

Jake smirked. "Right, because sneaking looks at her during class and going silent every time her name comes up in conversation is totally normal behaviour for you."

"Shut up."

Cole shook his head, "weren't you the one who swore up and down you'd never do the whole 'relationship' thing? What happened to 'I don't catch feelings,'?"

I groaned, running a hand through my hair. "Look, it's not—"

"Not what?" Jake interrupted. "Not real? Not happening? You're so far gone it's embarrassing."

"Admit it," Cole said, leaning forward. "You like her."

Silence stretched between us. They stared me down, refusing to let it go. Finally, I exhaled sharply. "Fine. I like her, okay? Happy now?"

Cole grinned, "Called it."

"But it's not just 'liking' her, is it?" Jake added. "You've got it bad. Be honest."

I didn't answer, but the look on my face must've been enough.

Cole tilted his head, suddenly more serious. "You know, I told myself the same thing about Lia. Swore I'd never fall for anyone. And now? Can't imagine a day without her."

Jake nodded, his smirk softening. "Yeah, man. I've got my whole 'abstinence' thing, but if it were Em? I'd break every rule. No hesitation."

The room went quiet again, their words sinking in.

"Look," Cole said, his tone casual but his eyes sharp. "You've spent enough time fucking around with meaningless hookups. Maybe it's time to try something real."

Jake clapped a hand on my shoulder. "And if it's Madison? You're one lucky bastard."

I swallowed hard, their words weighing heavier than I wanted to admit. 

Jake then sighed, "Mate, you know what your problem is? You keep fighting this like it's a bad thing. But it's not. It's her. Madison. And if anyone's worth breaking your stupid rules for, it's her."

Cole nodded. "Jake's right. You've spent so much time pretending you don't care about anyone. You're allowed to care, man. You're allowed to want something more. Hell, it's about time you stopped running in circles."

I stayed silent, chewing on their words.

"You think you're protecting yourself, yeah?" Jake pressed. "But all you're doing is wasting time. You've got something good in front of you, and you're too bloody stubborn to grab it."

"Exactly," Cole chimed in. "I get it, mate. I swore I'd never fall for anyone either. But Lia? She broke down every damn wall I put up. And letting her in? Best decision I ever made."

Jake leaned forward, "We've seen you with her. The way you look at her. It's not just a crush. It's more. So stop being a coward and own up to it. If you keep fighting this, you're only hurting yourself—and probably her too."

My chest tightened at that. The idea of hurting her, even unintentionally, made my stomach churn.

Cole sat back, "Look, no one's saying you've gotta have it all figured out. But stop lying to yourself. Admit it—just to yourself—and see where it goes. You're allowed to feel this."

Jake slapped my shoulder lightly, grinning. "And, if anyone can handle your complicated ass, it's her."

I breathed a laugh, "You two are real pieces of work, you know that?"

Cole chuckled. "That's what mates are for. Now stop being a dickhead and let yourself be happy." 

Jake leaned back, throwing his arm over the couch. His grin was sharp, smug even. 

"You remember that morning swim? The one you thought no one knew about? Yeah, mate, I saw you coming back all dishevelled. Looking like you'd been up all night thinking about her." Jake said, referring back to the camp. I rolled my eyes.

Cole laughed, "And don't think we didn't notice you during that camping trip. Couldn't even handle sharing a tent with her without losing your fucking mind. What was it? The way she looked in your hoodie?"

"Or maybe," Jake added, "it's how you keep staring at her like she's the only person in the room. Those looks aren't subtle, mate. Not one bit."

I groaned, running a hand over my face. "You two are insufferable."

"And you're bloody obvious," Cole countered, smirking. "Zora, Megan, all those girls—they were easy distractions, weren't they? No strings, no real feelings. But Madi? She's the one who's real. She cares about you. Genuinely. And you know it."

Jake leaned forward, his voice softer now. "So screw all the fake shit. Forget the girls who only want you because you're the captain. Go for the one who sees you. The only one who matters."

A lump formed in my throat, but I shook my head. "I've fucked up too many times already. You don't get it."

Cole shook his head, "But she's still here, isn't she? If she didn't care, she wouldn't be around. You care about her, so stop pushing her away and take what you have. Stop hurting her. And yourself."

Jake grinned again, "Besides, this party tomorrow? Perfect timing. Make your move, mate. Quit stalling."

I shook my head, but deep down, their words hit hard. Maybe they were right. Maybe it was time to stop running. And maybe—just maybe—it was time to fight for something, instead of against it.