All Chapters of A Love Mess: Who loves who?: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Arlen had planned not to drink, but now he was on his third glass. When no one was looking, he quietly slipped away to cool off his pounding head. Arlen stopped by the restroom and forced himself to get rid of some of the drinks he'd consumed. The noise of the bar had started to blur into one long, indistinct hum somewhere behind him, and he was grateful for the sudden quiet the moment the door swung shut. As he made his way out, he pushed past a guy who was trying to wrap an arm around his waist, barely registering the man's face before slipping free of his grip entirely. Once outside, he leaned against Justin's car, taking deep breaths to steady his racing heart. He fought back tears that threatened to spill over, though his throat still burned with the effort of holding them in. He felt lost, even though his boyfriend was just nearby. Since coming to the bar, Justin hadn't really paid attention to him. Instead, he spent time chatting with others, especially Cade, and even sh

Justin settled in across from Cade, offering a slight smile as he relaxed his shoulders. There was an ease in the way he lowered himself into the seat, as though the café were somewhere he could always feel comfortable, no matter who else happened to be there. "I never expected to find you here," he remarked, crossing his legs. "I came for a reason," Cade replied vaguely. It wasn't that he was uncomfortable with Justin; rather, it was how everytime they met, it seemed to stir something in him he'd rather leave buried. He still had feelings for Justin, but it felt strange knowing they were both connected to Arlen. Justin was still in a relationship with Arlen while he was about to get engaged to him in just a few days. It felt like they were competing for the same man, even though Cade didn't care about Arlen at all. Adding to his discomfort was the fact that neither of them had discussed the arranged marriage or why no one seemed to oppose it. It was all so complicated. He wondered

Different rings were on display—silver, diamonds, and gold—all with unique designs that Arlen found stunning. The velvet trays gleamed under the soft overhead lighting, each piece catching the light in a slightly different way, as though competing for his attention. He picked them up one by one, examining each piece with a gentle smile on his face, turning them slowly between his fingers to admire the way the stones caught the light.Cade watched Arlen, who was lost in admiration. He had never really noticed Arlen's smile before, looking at it now, it was soft and dreamy, making it hard for Cade to look away. There was something almost unguarded about it, an ease that Cade rarely saw in anyone, let alone in someone tangled up in a marriage as messy as theirs. This only deepened the frown on his face. As he glanced around the VVIP room, he realized they were alone together, which was unusual but brushed it away. The quiet of the room pressed in around them, broken only by the faint cl

Arlen snapped back to reality as he noticed his surroundings. They had arrived at his place. Arlen unlocked the door to his apartment, and they both entered, the familiar quiet of his living room settling around them like something he could finally exhale into after a long day."Mmmm," Justin hummed, stretching as he tossed his jacket and car keys onto the sofa. "I'm going to take a shower," he announced before walking away.Arlen sank into the sofa, planning to ask Justin about the questions that were making him feel uneasy. His fingers tapped restlessly against his knee as he rehearsed the words in his head, wondering how best to bring them up without turning the evening into a fight. He went to the kitchen for a cup of cold water before heading to his room, the cool liquid doing little to settle the knot forming in his stomach. A few minutes later, Justin emerged from the shower, wearing one of the shirts and pants he had left behind during a previous visit, his hair still damp and

The drive to the store was the most awkward it has ever been between the two of them yet. Arlen wished he didn't see the manga. Things were already tense between him and Cade and now, this manga situation made it all worse. The silence in the car had a texture of its own, thick enough that Arlen found himself staring fixedly out the window just to avoid the possibility of catching Cade's eye in the rearview mirror.When they got to the store, Arlen was the one to first quickly get out, cursing under his breath at how obvious he was. While Cade pretended to maintain his nonchalant behavior meanwhile he was still embarrassed. He was at least thankful that this time, Arlen would be the one doing most of the talking since his mom planned all this.Arlen quickly went to his phone to check the details of the appointment. She had sent details of everything. He noted that a reservation has been made for them on the third floor. His mom also sent the name of the particular store they were to g