DON'T BREAK THE RULES

Chapter 20 - Truth

Jamie had been quite distant ever since the night they had drank and had asked series of question about Connor. Not that he ever spoke, but the way he behaved around Joe had completed altered. It was not as if he was rude or disrespectful, but rather seemed lethargic and annoyed whenever Joe was around.

"Hi Master Ja—"

"I'm tired," he would groan and slam his bedroom door shut whenever he returned home late from the bar.

Even when he came back from class and did not have work, he would put on his sneakers and wave a dismissive hand. "I'm out for the night."

"Are you going to the bar—?"

"A different one," and he would leave before Joe could ask if he could join since he had felt lonely in the home. Even worse, when Joe made breakfast in the morning, Jamie would grab his school bag and hiss, "I'm not hungry," before bolting out of the door.

That happened for a week straight, but Joe was too frightened to ask what was going on. Without even realizing it, he started turning to Connor for comfort, having someone that seemed to want all of his attention.

During the week, Connor had stopped by for another visit and asked Joe on a date, to which he had not given a definitive answer.

"I just..." Joe had lowered his eyes and stared at the floor, his thumbs twiddling around one another. "I was heartbroken when you left. I don't want that to happen again."

"It won't," Connor had promised, winking charmingly. "Just let me take you on a date. They have a nice little trail beside it. Let us have a great time and I'll show you how much I want you back."

Those words warmed Joe's body to the point that he felt it tingle. But still hesitant, he bit his bottom lip. "I'll get back to you."

Connor was not one to take no for an answer. He fell quiet for a second before an idea popped in his mind. "Let's do this," he started, "I'll be here at 7 pm this Friday. If you don't want to come on the date, then don't come down to my car. I'll take the hint and leave and never speak to you again."

Jamie had been in the apartment at the time and the moment the door closed, he exited his bedroom. He had been leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen, waiting for Joe to walk by. When Joe did, he asked, "What did he want?"

"He asked me on a date."

He had slowly nodded his head. "You're going to go?"

"I'm not sure yet."

And that was the end of the conversation; Jamie had quietly returned to his bedroom and had not left his bedroom for the remainder of the evening.

Hence Joe decided to divert his focus on Jamie and focus on himself instead. He did care, but Jamie was not his forever. Eventually he would have to leave this housewife job and he would have nobody when that was going to happen.

That was the reason the moment he finished his duties on Friday, he rushed to the shower. He wasn't thinking while he scrubbed the body wash across his skin, not even when he was smiling while layering the lotion all over his body. He sneaked inside Jamie's bedroom to spray one of his cologne and attempted to recreate the hairstyle Jamie had done for him once. It was much harder than he realized and it took him half an hour before finally approving of his mirrored look.

He wore a black dress-shirt with navy dress pants and had grabbed one of the watches Jamie allowed him to wear that blinged so bright that it was practically a flashlight. It was then that Jamie returned home from school and the strong smell of cologne lingering in the air made him wrinkle his nose.