Under the Same Sky [BOYXBOY]

CHAPTER 44

A/N: Here's a picture of Paul to brighten up your day.
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A stunned silence descended on the auditorium then like a wave breaking on shore, a loud roar of applause, greater than the previous ones shook the entire building. Loud wolf-whistles erupted from within the audience as Jayden broke away from Samuel, ending the kiss.

Samuel was frozen in shock. His eyes were wide as he stared at Jayden and before his mind could fully process what had just happened, Jayden turned and disappeared into the wings of the stage.

Samuel slowly raised a hand to his lips, still not recovered from the shock. He blinked, then shaking it off, he took off after Jayden. He passed by Miss Alberta who had collapsed in a swoon and was being held by Stacey. The other actors on stage stared after him as he run past, disbelief etched on their faces.

Jayden was nowhere to be found when he arrived backstage. He checked the dressing rooms but there was no sign of him there either. He was coming out of his dressing room when he noticed the trampled paper lying on the ground.

His brows furrowed curiously as he stooped to pick it up and as his eyes roved over it he recognised the elegant cursive hand. He unfurled the paper and taking a deep breath, he began to read.

Samuel,

By the time you're reading this, you would have already gotten my present and would be preparing to go on stage. I didn't want to go up there without being honest with you and with myself. Lately, I have begun to realise some things that I don't really fully understand myself. What is clear however, is that I have feelings for you. Where those feelings came from is anyone's guess really.

I understand that you are straight and are in a relationship so you don't share those same feelings. I'm telling you this not because I want to come between you and Pearl. On the contrary, I quite hope that things work out between you two. I've seen how happy she makes you and as I've recently come to understand, the true measure of how much you care for someone is not how willing you are to do everything to be with them, it is how willing you are to do everything to make them happy even if it is not with you.

If there's anyone in the world who deserves to be happy it's you. You bring so much happiness and light into the world that it's even enough to chase out my darkest demons.

I'm telling you all this because I can't pretend it does not exist and keeping it to myself would just cause more harm than good. As a wise person once told me, the thing about emotions is that if they are not expressed properly, they would show up in much uglier ways.

This is not only a confession but also a goodbye because we can no longer be friends. I wouldn't be able to bear the pain of being close with you but never having you. This hurts more than you can imagine and I hope you understand but we can no longer be friends.
Thank you, Samuel, for everything.

Samuel's mind was in a whirl when he finished reading the letter. He turned and looked up just as Pearl rushed up the corridor towards him.

'Are you alright? You left so suddenly I didn't know what had happened.' She stood in front of him and looked up into his eyes. 'Please talk to me.'

Samuel glanced down at the paper in his hand. 'I'm sorry but I... I need a moment to think.'

'Okay, whatever you need. Can I get you something?'

But Samuel was already walking away. She turned to watch as he pulled open the door and disappeared into the night, leaving her standing alone in the long corridor.