All Chapters of BETWEEN CLOSED DOORS: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

Jordy woke up with a headache. For a moment he stayed in bed staring at the ceiling, trying to remember why his head hurt so much. His mouth felt dry and his body felt heavy. Then the memories from last night slowly started coming back—the club, the loud music, and the drinks.“Ugh,” he groaned.He reached for his phone on the table beside his bed and squinted at the screen. It was 8:11 AM. Jordy sat up quickly and immediately regretted it. The movement made his head pound harder, and the room spun for a second before settling. He pressed his fingers to his temple and muttered, “Great.”After sitting there for a moment, he swung his legs off the bed and stood up slowly. The house was quiet except for faint sounds coming from downstairs. His mom was already up. She was probably in the kitchen making breakfast like she usually did.Jordy stretched his arms above his head and walked out of his room toward the bathroom across the hallway. When he turned on the light, the brightness made h

Jordy sat on the couch, staring at his phone, the container of strawberries abandoned on the coffee table. He had just sent the message to Matt, making it clear that last night had been a one-time thing, and he couldn’t stop thinking about it. His mind was still buzzing with last night’s memory, the club, the music, the way Matt had looked at him. It shouldn’t feel like this. It wasn’t supposed to happen again.A notification pinged. Jordy froze, his heart skipping a beat. He opened his phone and saw a new message from Matt.Matt: I understand. I don’t want to make things awkward. I just… I’d like to see you again, if that’s okay.Jordy stared at the screen, blinking several times. He had expected some kind of angry or pushy response. Not this. Not polite and calm, not respectful of boundaries. It should have made things easier, but instead, it made his chest tighten.He put the phone down and ran a hand through his hair, leaning back against the couch. Why am I thinking about this ag

Matt hesitated for only a second before answering.“I went to see a friend,” he said.His tone was even, controlled, like nothing about the day had been unusual. But there was a brief flicker in his eyes before he looked away, and for a moment, he wondered if Ella noticed.Maya leaned back on the couch, studying him like she always did when she felt something was off. “A friend?” she repeated, a teasing edge in her voice. “Since when do you disappear without saying anything?”Matt gave a small shrug. “It wasn’t a big deal.”Ella spoke before Maya could continue. “I actually came to see you.”Matt turned to her properly now, his attention shifting. “You did?”He walked further into the room, setting his keys down on the table. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”There was no irritation in his voice—just mild confusion.Ella tilted her head slightly. “I did. I sent you a message.”Matt frowned and reached for

Jordy didn’t expect the feeling to settle in the way it did. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t overwhelming. But it was there. Quiet. Steady.