Before Rosaline(Book 2 of the Control Series)

Chapter 22

Jared

When Jared gets home, he finds Sebastian and Dylan already inside. Sebastian is in his boxers sitting on the couch while Dylan is pacing in front of Dylan. Both looked very concerned. Jared closes the door with a bit too much force to get their attention.

It works and both men walk over to him and check him over. It's then that Jared sees a bit of panic in Sebastian's eyes and a wildness in Dylan's. Sebastian's emotion is expected, but Dylan's makes him feel uneasy. That wildness in Dylan's eyes tells Jared that if he said the wrong thing Dylan might kill someone.

"What's wrong," Sebastian asks. "What's the emergency?" Jared looks down and twiddles his thumbs, before he moves around the two hulking men and walks over to the couch, standing beside it. "I think you should sit down" he whispers. Sebastian hesitates, then does as Jared suggests, but Dylan stays standing by the front door. Jared inwardly sighs, wishing Dylan could just listen to him for once. He doesn't speak his wishes out loud however and backs up so he isn't too close to Sebastian who seems to be leaning in closer by the second. He doesn't want to be distracted when he tells them.

"I- um," Jared continues to messing his fingers twisting them until he feels pain. "I was at work and I was in my office, when I saw an manilla folder on my desk..." Jared looks up at the men who look back at him with expectancy. Jared looks back down at his shoes and continues. "I opened the envelope and...and-" Jared's breathing picks up and he feels as if he's going to break his fingers, he's twisting them to hard. A warm hand touches his leg and rubs up and down in a soothing motion. He looks back up and sees Sebastian's the one in charge of such a soothing motion. Jared gives him a strained smile, before he returns his gaze to his shoes. By now he has recognized every crease and stitch in his leather shoes. Jared tries to think of how to say their most important secret is no longer a secret. In his head he forms a plan to drag it out slowly but not too slow as not to chicken out and gently, but what comes out instead is, "someone knows about us...like romantically" The comforting motion from Sebastian's hand stops and he quickly takes his hand away. Jared winces and his fingers twitch with the urge to smack himself on the forehead.

"How." Jared jumps from how close the voice is, and looks up, jumping again when he comes face to face with Dylan. "How, did someone find out." His words come out cold and harsh, so different from the way he normally speaks it him. It feels as if Jared just got slapped in the face.

With defeated motions, he pulls an manilla folder from his back and slaps it on the coffee table in front of the couch, the pictures spill out the opening. He watches as Dylan looks over them one by one, before he puts the pictures back in the manilla folder and tucks it under his arm. He doesn't even look at Jared or Sebastian, as he turns his back to them and walks out the door. Jared could feel his heart begin to bleed.

He turns to Sebastian and takes a step towards him, hand outstretched. "Sebastian..." Sebastian smacks Jared's hand away.

"No!" Sebastian gets up and walks towards the door. Jared follows him. "Sebastian!"

Sebastian turns around and gives Jared a glare that halts him in his footsteps. "No, this can ruin our lives." His says. "This could ruin everything we've built up over the years. Jared you don't know what it's like because you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth." Jared flinches. "But Dylan and I, we came from a world that you can't comprehend." Sebastian runs a hand through his hair and shakes his head wildly. 

"I can't, I can't." 

And with those last words, Sebastian storms out the house, slamming the door behind him.

For a few moments Jared just stares at the door, before he faints.