BIRTHDAY

It was the evening of Jackson’s 18th birthday. All his classmates, relatives, and parents were present, and everything was going smoothly. Jackson and Eli gave their speeches, and the food was served.

After the speeches, Eli noticed he could not see Jackson in the room. He assumed Jackson was outside with his friends. Eli had been planning to call him to a private place to confess his feelings, since he was now 17 and believed Jackson was old enough to understand.

But after going outside to look for him, he still did not find him.

He became nervous, because he knew that if he was rejected again, he might finally give up and leave to study abroad, just as he had always wanted.

He searched around a few places, but there was still no sign of Jackson. Eventually, he went to ask one of Jackson’s friends, and they told him Jackson was in his room.

Eli was confused as to why Jackson would be alone in his room during his own birthday celebration.

CONFESSION:

He went upstairs to meet him there, but as he approached the door, he started hearing laughter.

When he opened it, he froze.

Jackson and Flora were sitting beside each other, laughing over Jackson’s childhood pictures—the same pictures Jackson had never allowed Eli to touch.

The moment they noticed him, they quickly set the pictures down and looked at him.

“What do you need?” Jackson asked.

Eli’s mood had already dropped, but he tried his best not to lose control.

Jackson was surprised by the way Eli didn’t explode like he usually would. Instead, Eli calmly asked if Flora could excuse them for a moment.

Jackson was caught off guard by how calm and composed Eli seemed.

After Flora left, Eli slowly walked up to Jackson and looked him straight in the eyes.

For some reason, Jackson’s heart skipped a beat, and it started beating faster. He instinctively took a step back.

That small action hurt Eli deeply, but he ignored it and finally confessed everything—his feelings, his love, and everything he had kept hidden for so long.

After his confession, he stood there, hoping for something he wasn’t even sure he should hope for.

Then Jackson spoke.

He told Eli not to think that way. He reminded him that he was his older brother, and that all this time, he had only cared for him as family.

He also made it clear that he was not into men and warned Eli not to keep chasing after him and embarrassing himself again.

HE LEFT:

After Jackson said all that, Eli asked him three questions.

First, did he like Flora?

Second, had he ever felt anything for him apart from brotherly affection?

And third, would he ever regret his response in the future?

Jackson answered without hesitation. He told Eli that yes, he liked Flora. He also said that he had never felt anything for him other than brotherly love and that he would never regret his answer.

Eli simply replied, “Okay.”

That single word was terrifying for Jackson, who knew Eli well enough to expect a tantrum or an outburst.

The next day after the birthday, everything seemed normal.

Eli acted the same way he always did around Jackson, which gave Jackson a sense of relief.

What Jackson did not know was that Eli had only come to school to submit some documents for his transfer to his new school abroad.

After closing hours, Flora asked if she could ride home with them because she and Jackson had a group project to work on.

Before anyone could respond, Eli answered for them.

“There’s no problem. You can come with us.”

That response immediately made Jackson uneasy.

Throughout the entire ride, Jackson’s eyes remained fixed on Eli. He kept asking him questions, trying to figure out what was going on.

Eli realized it was the first time he had ever seen Jackson talk this much.

But instead of feeling happy, his heart broke.