All Chapters of Between Closed Doors: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Matt slowed the car to a stop in front of Jordy’s house.For a moment, neither of them moved.The quiet hum of the engine filled the space between them, but it felt louder than it should have. Like it was breaking something fragile neither of them wanted to touch.Jordy glanced at the house, then back at Matt.“So…” he said softly.“Yeah,” Matt replied, his hands still resting on the steering wheel.Jordy reached for the door handle, but before he could open it, Matt called his name.“Jordy.”He turned.Matt leaned in without hesitation, his hand coming up to hold Jordy’s face as their lips met.The kiss was slow.Deep.Like neither of them wanted to let go just yet.Jordy leaned into it, his fingers gripping lightly onto Matt’s shirt. For a second, it felt like they were still on that trip, like nothing outside this car existed.When they finally pulled apart, their foreheads rested br

“Jordy, are you still on the phone?” his mom’s voice came from the kitchen.Jordy blinked, suddenly aware of how long he had been lying there, phone pressed to his ear, completely lost in the conversation. The room was dim, the outside already dark, but he hadn’t noticed when evening had turned into night. He had been too busy laughing, too caught up in Matt’s voice.“Yeah, I’m here,” he called back, raising his voice just enough so she could hear him.On the other end, Matt let out a soft laugh. “You’ve been caught.”“I haven’t,” Jordy said under his breath, a small smile still playing on his lips. “She just likes to disturb me.”“I heard that,” his mom called again, her tone carrying a hint of warning.Matt laughed louder this time. “Yeah, you’re finished.”Jordy rolled his eyes, shifting onto his side. “Okay, I actually have to go before she comes in here herself.”“Wait,” Matt said quickly. “Hold on.”Jordy paused. “

“Finally,” Matt’s voice came through the phone, filled with exaggerated relief. “I thought I was never going to hear your voice again.”Jordy laughed softly, already smiling as he lay on his bed, one leg bent and the other stretched out. “It’s been two days, Matt.”“The longest two days of my life,” Matt replied dramatically. “I’m serious. It was so boring.”“You said that already,” Jordy teased. “Maybe if you actually bonded with your family like your dad wanted, it wouldn’t have been that bad.”“Don’t start,” Matt groaned. “All they did was talk about old stories I’ve heard a hundred times.”“And you didn’t miss me at all, right?” Jordy asked lightly.There was a short pause before Matt answered, his tone softer now. “I missed you.”Jordy’s smile widened w

Matt didn’t move for a second after the knock.“Matt?”Maya’s voice came again, louder this time.Jordy stepped back, his breathing still uneven, his mind scrambling to catch up with everything that had just happened.Matt finally turned toward the door, running a hand through his hair before unlocking it.The door opened.Maya stood there, arms crossed, eyebrows raised. “Why was your door locked?”Matt leaned casually against the frame like nothing had happened. “Privacy exists, you know.”She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, not when you’re acting suspicious.”Her gaze shifted past him, landing on Jordy.Jordy straightened slightly.Maya narrowed her eyes. “What are you guys doing?”“Talking,” Matt said flatly.“With the door locked?”“Yes, Maya. People lock doors when they talk.”She looked between them again, clearly not convinced. “Whatever. Have you seen my headphones?”Matt

Jordy woke up slower than usual, like his body didn’t quite want to catch up to his thoughts.For a few seconds, he just lay there, staring at the ceiling, blinking against the soft light coming through his curtains.Jordy exhaled sharply, dragging a hand over his face before turning onto his side. “Right,” he muttered.Nothing about his room had changed, but something inside him definitely had. It wasn’t obvious, not something he could point to, but it sat there—heavy and restless.His phone was right beside him.He picked it up without thinking.No messages.Jordy frowned slightly. “Seriously?”He stared at the screen for a few seconds, like maybe something would magically appear if he waited long enough. It didn’t.With a quiet scoff, he tossed the phone back onto the bed and pushed himself up. “I’m not doing this today.”Staying inside, overthin