Travis breathed unsteadily, feeling a weight on his chest, his mind overwhelmed by Jordan’s revelations. The room felt cramped although the room was big, it was too small for the heaviness of their quietness.

Jordan's hands turned into fists by his sides, battling the urge that was consuming him. His voice came out raw and nearly broken.

“I know I shouldn’t touch you,” he murmured. “I realize I’ve hurt you more than anyone should. But Travis…” He struggled to get the words out. “…I can't help it. ”

Travis looked up, his eyes shiny, caught between fury and desire. “Then don’t. Don’t make this more difficult than it already is. ”

But Jordan moved closer anyway, slowly and shaking, as if every step was both a sin and a prayer. “I messed everything up,” he confessed, his lips trembling. “And it tears me apart. Every night I regret that foolish bet. But I don’t regret you. I’ll always cherish how it brought me to you—the days we shared laughter, the times you showed me the real you. Those memories are the best things I’ve ever done. ”

His voice faltered, and his hand rose against his will, hovering near Travis’s face, almost touching but still hesitant. “I promise, I wanted you long before the bet. I liked you when you didn’t even see me. You were already the one I—” His voice cracked. “…the one I loved. ”

Travis’s heart raced so fast he thought it might explode. He parted his lips, but no words came out.

Then Jordan surrendered. He closed the gap, their lips brushing in a soft, desperate kiss—gentle, trembling, filled with unspoken apologies.

Travis tensed, surprised, but his legs felt weak beneath him. The kiss wasn’t fierce or forceful—it was delicate, almost sacred, as if Jordan feared this might be their last moment.

Jordan pulled back slightly, tears running down his cheeks, his breath shaking. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have… but I needed you to feel this. Even if you hate me, I needed you to know that this—” his hand pressed unsteadily against his chest “—is yours. It always has been. ”

Travis’s lips buzzed, his heart in chaos. He wanted to shout, to cry, to push him away… but instead, he softly whispered, his voice shaking, “You’re impossible, Jordan…”

Jordan made a broken chuckle, resting his forehead against Travis’s, staying there as if he might break if he pulled away. “Then let me show you I’m yours. No tricks. No lies. Just me. ”

The moment stretched out, soft and heartwarming, sweetness beginning to seep through their hurt.

For the first time since everything fell apart, Travis didn’t take a step back.