《Between Closed Doors》全部章節：第 41 章 - 第 50 章

The town festival came with noise, lights, and the kind of energy that made staying indoors feel impossible.By late afternoon, the streets were crowded with people moving between food stalls, music corners, games, and decorated stands. Children ran past with balloons, couples walked hand in hand, and every few steps someone was selling something loudly.Jordy arrived with his coworkers.Sarah was already excited before they even entered the main area. Tobe claimed he came only for food. Ina said she came for pictures. Lucas said nothing at all, which apparently counted as agreement.Jordy had told Matt the day before that he would be attending with them.Matt had simply replied, I will come too.That single sentence had been enough to keep Jordy smiling since morning.Because they had not properly seen each other in over a week.There had been texts, short calls, rushed conversations, but not the same as being togethe

The next few weeks felt like punishment.Jordy woke early, worked all day, returned home tired, and walked straight into wedding preparations that seemed to multiply overnight.Fabric samples appeared on tables.Guest lists were discussed loudly.Phone calls happened at every hour.His mother’s once quiet house had become a place of constant movement—tailors, decorators, friends giving opinions no one asked for, relatives suddenly interested in details.And at work, there was Lucas.Not dramatic Lucas.Not confessional Lucas.Just Lucas existing everywhere.If Jordy went to the back storage room, Lucas was already there counting inventory.If Jordy entered the locker room, Lucas was tying his shoes on the bench.If Jordy volunteered for deliveries, Lucas was assigned the same section.They never spoke about the confession again.Not once.Lucas behaved normally, which

The house felt too quiet after they left, like all the noise from earlier had been swallowed whole and replaced with something heavier. Jordy stood in the middle of the living room for a moment, staring at the door as if it might open again and undo everything that had just happened. But it stayed shut, and the silence stretched.Maya mentioned Matt was there too.That was the part that refused to settle.He reached for his phone almost immediately and called Matt.No answer.He called again, pacing this time, his steps uneven against the tiled floor.Still nothing.By the third attempt, the call went straight to voicemail, and Jordy stopped moving. “Seriously?” he muttered under his breath, frustration mixing quickly with the worry already building inside him.He lowered the phone slowly and exhaled, but it did nothing to steady him.Matt had dropped him off not too long ago. There had been no menti

The tension died faster than Jordy expected.After a few more minutes of silence and awkward breathing on the line, Maya suddenly let out a small laugh.“Okay, relax,” she said. “You both sound like you are about to pass out.”Jordy frowned. “Maya—”“I am not telling Dad,” she cut in casually. “I just wanted to tease you a little.”Jordy blinked, completely thrown. “You what?”“I mean, come on,” she continued, sounding almost amused now. “I just caught my brother sneaking around with his future stepbrother. Do you know how wild that sounds?”From the background, Matt groaned softly.Maya ignored him. “I had to see how you would react.”Jordy ran a hand over his face, letting out a breath. “That is not funny.”“It kind of is,” she said. “You both sounded so serious.”

The next two days came faster than Jordy expected.Too fast.One moment the wedding felt like something far away, something he could ignore when it became too overwhelming, and the next it was right there, pressing into everything.Two days.That was all that was left.Jordy stood in his room, staring at the bags on his bed, half packed, half forgotten. His hands rested on the zipper, but he did not move. It felt strange leaving this room knowing he would not come back to it the same way again.“Jordy!”His mom’s voice broke through his thoughts.“We are leaving soon!”“Coming,” he replied, forcing himself to move.He zipped up the bag, grabbed the rest of his things, and walked out.The house felt different as he stepped through it one last time, quieter than usual, like everything was already letting go. His mom, on the other hand, was glowing, moving around with excitement, checking things, smiling to he