Jock Next Bed (BL)
Chapter 141: Tension between friends.

Chapter 141: Tension between friends.

"Have you ever flirted with someone so much that you begin to wonder if the lines have been blurred?" Sky had asked, his tone casual, as though the question was nothing more than a passing thought.

It was the kind of thing Sky would ask—light, teasing, never too serious. But maybe that was how it started, how it all began to spiral.

"Why are you asking?" Collins responded first, his head lifting sharply from his laptop.

They were at Henry’s house, gathered in his room like they often did on some lazy days, especially when Henry’s mum wanted them to have all the fruits from her stall before they got to their expiry dates.

Henry and Noel were sitting on the floor, locked in an intense video game battle in front of the TV. Sky was perched on the bed, legs folded as he tuned a guitar, his fingers plucking aimlessly. Collins, meanwhile, sat on the small couch with his laptop, the clack of keys halting at Sky’s unexpected question.

Sky had thrown the question out to the room, more to himself than anyone else. But Noel, ever the expert in flirting and social dynamics, was the one to take the bait.

"The lines can blur if you’re not careful," Noel replied without looking away from the screen. "It’s easy to get caught up. Why? Who’ve you been messing with?"

Sky shrugged, eyes fixed on his guitar as if it held the secrets to the universe. "No one. It’s not a big deal."

"Then why bring it up?" Collins pressed, his tone sharper than it needed to be.

The room shifted, a subtle tension thickening the air. Even Henry turned his gaze away from the game long enough to glance at Collins.

"Are you catching feelings for someone?" Collins asked Sky, his gaze narrowing as he leaned forward slightly.

Sky’s fingers faltered on the strings. "What? No," he replied quickly, too quickly.

Collins didn’t back down. "Just reminding you, you have a fiancée."

As soon as the words dropped, the sudden silence in the room was deafening. Henry finally turned fully away from the TV, his brows furrowing.

"Chill, dude," Henry said, his voice uneasy. "No need to go all dramatic."

Sky’s jaw clenched, his posture stiffening. "I don’t need you to remind me of that," he said coldly, his voice measured but sharp.

The game ended with a dramatic "Game Over" on the screen, Noel beating Henry by a wide margin.

"Shit," Henry swore, tossing the controller aside as Noel leaned back with a victorious laugh.

"So," Noel said, turning to Sky with a sly grin. "Who is it? Who’ve you been flirting with so intensely it’s got you asking existential questions?"

The fact that Sky had asked that question alone was suspicious. Sky NEVER got caught up in his games. If there was a competition for those who didn’t have romantic feelings nor had sexual desires for anyone at all with also a hint of people dislike, Sky would win. They believed so.

Sky’s grip tightened on the guitar, his fingers digging into the neck. "Guys, drop it," Henry interjected, sensing the tension and eager to redirect. "Forget that. Let’s talk about tomorrow—what time are we heading to the pub?"

"The usual," Noel said with a shrug, still eyeing Sky with curiosity.

But Sky wasn’t paying attention. He looked guilty, his mind clearly elsewhere. Finally, he spoke.

"Sorry. I... I’ve got plans tomorrow."

He had agreed to go out of town with Chris.

Stupid idea, he knew.

But no matter how hard he tried to say no, he just couldn’t.

They all turned to look at him.

"What plans do you have that’s more important than hanging with us?" Noel asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Before Sky could respond, Collins snapped his laptop shut and fixed a pointed glare at him.

"Maybe you should ask him who he’s involving in those plans that’s more important than us."

"Shut up, Collins! What the hell is wrong with you?" Henry barked, shooting him a look.

"If he’s busy, then he’s busy. Why are you so damn annoying today?"

"Whatever." Collins shoved his laptop into his bag and stood abruptly. Without another word, he grabbed his things and stormed out of the room, leaving behind an awkward silence.

The others exchanged uneasy glances.

"Why is he so easily irritated lately?" Noel asked, frowning. "Did you guys have a fight? He seemed pissed at you."

Sky shrugged, though his expression tightened slightly. "He’s been like that for a while now. Just ignore it."

Maybe he shouldn’t have said that.

Collins was always good, always dependable, always calm. But over the past few weeks, he’d changed—becoming gradually more combative, his words sharper, his mood darker. Sky wasn’t sure when it had started, but it was hard to ignore now.

Still, Collins wasn’t his main concern at the moment.

Noel’s phone buzzed, and he stepped out of the room to take a call—looking suspiciously secretive as he went.

Meanwhile, Henry moved closer to Sky, his gaze narrowing slightly.

"So," Henry began casually, "who do you have plans with?"

Sky kept his face neutral. "Do I need to have plans with someone specific?"

Henry nodded knowingly. "Is it Chris?"

Sky stiffened but quickly shook his head. "Why would you think that?"

Henry smirked, leaning back on the couch. "Because I also want to know if Chris is the reason you asked that question earlier about flirting with someone."

Sky’s heart skipped a beat. Henry was getting too close to the truth.

Sky stood abruptly, dropping the guitar onto the bed. "Don’t overthink anything," he said, his tone firm as he began packing his things.

Henry didn’t push. Instead, he simply said, "Be careful," his voice low but meaningful.

Sky didn’t respond. Henry was definitely on to something.

---

But plans had a way of changing.

The next day, Sky was going crazy thinking about his little trip with Chris. What would happen? What should he take? Would he be able to control himself and not slip out anything to make him suspicious?

Most importantly, why had Chris asked him to go out of town with him? Also, Chris had been flirting so much with him lately.

But there was one thing he still could not tell. And that was whether Chris liked him for sure or was now too into their teasing each other and flirting.

It was all too confusing for him. Too annoying.

But then, he snapped back to his senses when he heard the door to the studio apartment opening.

"SURPRISE!"

Mei stood there, her bright smile lighting up the room.

Sky was stunned. Of course, he was happy to see her, but why was she here out of the blue?

Even more suspiciously, he realized his parents already seemed to know about it.

After some prodding, he finally got the truth: Collins had called his parents.

Collins.

Apparently, Collins had told them that Sky seemed distracted and distant lately. He’d even gone as far as to say that Sky missed Mei.

Worried about their son, Sky’s parents had taken matters into their own hands and contacted Mei, organizing an emergency surprise visit.

Mei had been more than happy to come, of course. She thought Sky needed her, and at first, he appreciated the gesture. But the pieces didn’t fully click until later.

---

The realization hit at the get-together.

Chris had shown up unexpectedly, and Sky had been caught completely off guard. It was awkward, and he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched—Collins’ interference suddenly making more sense.

Later that evening, after Henry drove Chris home, Mei approached Sky with a concerned expression.

"He is pretty in person," Mei commented, referring to the obvious person.

"Yeah," He didn’t even think before the words came out.

"And intense..." she added.

He looked at her.

"I feel like I am cheating on you," he whispered quietly.

She shook her head. "It just... surprises me everyday. That’s all." She said honestly. Despite not being in love with her, she knew how serious and intense Sky was. So she had always wondered if and when he ever liked someone, how he would be.

"He must have really bothered you far more than I thought. To have your parents this worried about you to the point your mother had to plead with me to come," she said, her voice soft but serious.

That was when he began to realize what had happened.

Sky frowned. "My parents did?"

Her words sent Sky spiraling.

That was when he started digging into it, subtly questioning his mother until she confirmed his suspicions: it had been Collins who’d voiced his concerns.

The worry, the tension, the hostility—it all traced back to him.

But why? Sky couldn’t figure it out.

And that nagging question stayed with him, lingering in the back of his mind like an unfinished puzzle.

But then everything finally came crashing down...

And it was far more than he had thought.

Than he had even expected.