There was a profound stillness on the journey to Jordan's home.

Travis sat upright in the passenger seat, facing the window. He refused to let Jordan see him break any further, even though the city lights were a blur against his tear-stained cheeks. Every pulse was heavier than the one before, as though his heart had been torn apart.

Jordan immediately exited the vehicle and went to Travis's side when it pulled up in front of the massive, contemporary house. He pulled the door open.

"Come on," Jordan said forcefully, his voice low but pressing.

"I don't want to—"

However, Jordan offered him no choice. Even though Travis fought, his hand grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him closer to the home. With a loud crash, the door closed behind them, echoing in the tense silence.

"Now, talk. What the hell is going on?" Jordan said as they entered the living room and eventually let go.

"Do you really want me to say it aloud?" Travis asked, with a sad smile but a trembling voice. "Fine. I overheard your pals discussing that stupid bet, laughing about how easily I was manipulated and how you could play with me without me even realizing it." He struggled to keep his voice calm as his chest heaved.

"That's not true—" Jordan's face was pale.

"I know, I kinda knew that you were just playing but this heart, this stupid heart of mine still beats and tighten everytime you come near, every time you say those nonsense words. I don’t want to believe what they say, because I expected something else, but then I saw you," Travis interrupted him, his voice breaking. His hands were trembling at his sides. "With her. Smiling. Holding her hand. As if I was just some… some joke to you. As if I never mattered at all. What  the h*ll I ever expect, fopr someone like you to like me?"

He sobbed uncontrollably after having held back the tears for so long. He turned away, his shoulders trembling.

Jordan's heart broke. He extended his hand and moved forward. " I do, I like you Travis I—"

“Don’t touch me!” Travis recoiled, his sobs coming out in strangled gulps. “Don’t be kidding. Was it fun? Making me fall? Was that what the bet was about? Because congratulations, Jordan—you won.”

Jordan's throat constricted as he paused. "Fall...?"

Travis closed his eyes tightly, cursing himself for making a mistake, but the truth still came out, raw and unvarnished. "Because I did. I fell for you, Jordan! And now—" his voice broke, and his tears fell even harder, "now I feel like the biggest fool alive."

As if someone had struck the air out of him, Jordan's chest hurt. He grabbed Travis by the shoulders in desperation. "No. No, you don't understand! That wasn't a girl."

"Then who was it?" Travis's red, puffy eyes flashed up at him.

Jordan opened his mouth but paused. He couldn't simply discard his younger brother's trust, his secret. Not even in this instance can he save himself.

His silence made things worse.

Overwhelmed with grief, Travis burst out with a shaky chuckle. " See, you can’t even respond. "That's all I need to know." He wiped his tears while pushing Jordan's hands away from him and falling back.

As he followed behind, Jordan's voice broke, "Travis, please! I swear, it's not what you think. That bet was foolish. I didn't even—hell, I never wanted to harm you!” He spoke in a frenzied, unfiltered manner.

However, Travis was already falling apart, clutching his chest as if the agony was unbearable. "Stop lying!" he yelled. "Simply stop! I  hate you—I hate you so much!"

The words are like knives. However, Travis didn't mean it, as evidenced by his shaking physique and the way his gaze remained even as he looked away. His tears betrayed him.

"So why are you crying?" Jordan asked, his voice low and hoarse, as he got closer and cornered him against the wall.

Tears streamed down Travis' face as he stood motionless, his breath caught in his throat, and he shoved Jordan away with his palms against his chest. However, Jordan kept him there, his eyes blazing with desperation.

The gap between them was razor-thin, and it was full of unspoken emotions like pain, desire, and fear.

And they both broke down in that oppressive silence.