Lahat ng Kabanata ng Between Closed Doors: Kabanata 51 - Kabanata 60

The house woke up before the sun did.Jordy knew that because when he opened his eyes, the noise was already there—footsteps, voices, doors opening and closing, the faint clatter of things being moved around like everyone had somewhere urgent to be.He stared at the ceiling for a moment before sitting up slowly.It took him a second to remember.Then it hit.Tomorrow.No—today.The wedding was no longer “in two days” or “tomorrow.”It was now.But first—The day before.The final stretch.He dragged himself out of bed and stepped out into the hallway. The energy in the house was different—faster, louder, more chaotic. It felt like everything was moving at once.His mom was already dressed, moving from one room to another, speaking to someone on the phone while giving instructions at the same time. Matt’s dad was downstairs, coordinating something with a vendor. Maya was leaning on the staircas

Jordy woke up slowly.Not the kind of waking where everything settled into place immediately, but the kind where his body felt too heavy to move and his thoughts floated around without direction. For a few seconds, he just stared at the ceiling above him, blinking slowly as sunlight pushed faintly through the curtains.He did not recognize where he was at first.Then everything came back all at once.The wedding.The house.Matt.The vows.The reception.Last night.His eyes closed briefly as he let out a slow breath.Right.This was his room now.Or at least it was supposed to be.He shifted slightly on the bed and immediately felt the dull ache spread through his body, not painful enough to make him complain, but enough to remind him how little rest he had actually gotten. He dragged a hand through his hair and sat up slowly, squinting toward the curtains again.It was brighter

After the conversation with Ella, something shifted inside Jordy.Not suddenly.Not loudly.It was quieter than that.Like a slow crack spreading through glass.At first, Matt did not notice it immediately. Life continued the same way it always had after the wedding. They still ate together as a family. They still crossed paths in the hallways. They still exchanged small glances when nobody was paying attention.But something about Jordy had changed.He stopped lingering around Matt’s room late at night.Stopped finding excuses to touch him in passing.Stopped looking at him the same way.And the worst part was how subtle he made it seem.Like nothing was wrong.Like he was simply tired.The truth was, Jordy had been thinking too much.Every day after overhearing Matt and Ella’s conversation, those words replayed in his mind endlessly.Either tell everyone.Or break up.

After what happened during break, Jordy could barely look at Lucas properly for the rest of the day.Every time he remembered the words that slipped out of his mouth, embarrassment washed over him all over again. He kept replaying the moment in his head while sorting packages, stacking boxes, even during assembly. Why would he say something like that so casually? And worse, why did it sound almost flirtatious when he said it?Jordy wanted the ground to open and swallow him whole.Meanwhile, Lucas acted like absolutely nothing had happened.Which somehow made it even worse.He continued working normally, moving packages around calmly, occasionally speaking to Sarah or Tobe when necessary, his face carrying that same unreadable expression as always.Not once did he mention the conversation again.Not once did he tease Jordy about it.That should have made Jordy feel relieved, but instead it made him hyperaware around him the enti

The room went completely silent after Jordy asked the question.Matt stared at him like he had heard wrong.“What?”Jordy immediately regretted saying it out loud.He looked away first, rubbing his arm awkwardly. “I am just asking.”Matt’s expression hardened slightly. “Why would you even ask that?”Jordy forced out a small laugh, trying to make it sound lighter than it actually was. “Can I not ask questions anymore?”Matt did not laugh.The atmosphere in the room shifted almost instantly.A few minutes ago everything had felt normal, soft, familiar.Now there was tension sitting heavily between them.Matt stepped back slightly, studying Jordy carefully. “Did something happen?”“No.”“Then where is this coming from?”Jordy hesitated.He could not exactly tell Matt that Lucas’s confession had triggered an existential crisis inside him.That hearing someone talk so openly an