Public Displays of Affection (boyxboy)

Chapter Fifteen

Jared answered the door.

"Leave," he said coldly and Travis nearly lost his foot by sticking it out in an attempt at stopping Jared from slamming the door in his face.

"Wait, Jared please just talk to me."

Jared pursed his lips and fixed his gaze on Travis' foot which was still holding the door those four inches open.

He shook his head.

"I don't have anything to say," Jared said. Except, all Travis could think was; liar. You love me. "And I don't want to hear what you have to say."

He kicked Travis' foot out of the way and shut the door. Travis heard the lock click into place and felt his heart sink even further. His head thunked against the closed door and he shut his eyes. It was okay. He would wear him down somehow. Jared was going to hear him out whether he wanted to or not.

Suddenly, the lock clicked again and Travis pulled back just before the door was pushed open again.

His eyes widened when Henry waved him inside silently. 

Surprised, Travis edged through the door even more surprised to see Margaret hovering behind her husband with a mischievous grin.

Henry silently shut the door behind him and leaned forward to whisper.

"He's in his room."

Margaret pointed up stairs and Travis tried not to laugh. Since when were their parents so in on this?

"I just want to tell him--" Travis started but Margaret  hushed him with a finger over his lips.

"Go corner him," she whispered. "We're sick of his moping."

Travis nodded and crept toward the stairs, his heart reeling. This was it. He would make Jared listen. But what if it wasn't enough? What if Travis wasn't enough?

His steps faltered on the stairs and he turned around.

Henry and Margaret were both watching him eagerly.

Margaret gave him a thumbs up and Henry mouthed good luck and Travis realized that he couldn't back down now. He didn't want to. If Jared shot him down, at least he would know he tried. At least he'd have a few less regrets.

Travis crept all the way up to Jared's door. The same one that he'd been pressed up against not too long ago. He shook the thoughts away and after taking a shallow breath, opened the door.

The sneak attack seemed to have worked because Jared was lounging in his bed with a heavy pout on his face and music playing quietly on his phone and when he looked up at Travis, he jumped so hard that the bed smacked into the wall with a thump.

He leaped to his feet and stood there stunned for a moment, face pale and hands trembling and then he rushed forward.

Travis managed to shut the door behind him just as Jared tried to push him back through it. His back hit the closed door and Jared's face fell.

"Get out," he growled.

"No," Travis said and was disappointed to hear how weak his voice sounded. "We have to talk."

"No we don't."

"Look, I meant what I said yesterday--"

"Stop! Just stop, okay?!"

Travis fell silent, watching as Jared frantically started pacing.

"What is your problem anyway?" Jared demanded, swinging around to face him. "I don't want to talk to you, okay? I don't want to hear any of your stupid excuses or that you're sorry! I don't want to hear you saying what a big mistake it all was and that you want to go back to being friends or any of the other fucking things you have to say!"