Chapter 1574 Jake And Noah

Chapter 1574 Jake And Noah

Noah simply glared at him, attempting to swim towards the pool's edge to escape, but Jake held onto his hand firmly. "Scared to face the truth, huh? How long are you going to keep up this pretense?"

Noah struggled to free his hand, but Jake pushed him against the pool wall, his gaze unwavering. "This charade will only end up hurting both of us. Just accept it. You feel the same way I do."

Noah scoffed, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Accept the truth? Your Highness, please behave according to your royal status. If someone were to see us like this, it wouldn't bode well for your regal image."

Jake sensed the mockery in Noah's words, a pang of nostalgia tugging at his heart. "Are you still dwelling on those days back in senior high school?" Jake inquired softly. "I was trying to protect you."

"Protect me?" Noah chuckled bitterly. "Suddenly you started keeping your distance, not caring about how it would affect me. The friend who was once so close to me began to ignore me, avoiding being seen with me. I didn't even know what I'd done wrong."

"Trust me, it was to shield you," Jake insisted. "Those kids were spreading rumors. They wouldn't confront me directly, but they made life miserable for you. You'd already endured enough bullying when you first started school. I didn't want to give them another reason to target you."

"Being bullied wouldn't have hurt as much as what you did," Noah asserted, pushing Jake aside in the water. "Just leave me alone already."

Jake refused to yield, holding Noah back firmly, unwilling to let him slip away. "Noah, I'm sorry, okay? I was trying to protect you, but I was also scared—scared to confront what I was beginning to feel for you back then. I was confused and didn't know how to handle it, how it might affect our friendship. I was afraid of losing you."

Noah met his earnest gaze, his expression guarded. "It's too late for apologies."

Jake reached out, cupping Noah's face in his hands. "It's never too late. Give me a chance, please," he pleaded, drawing closer. "You know what I feel for you. You've always known."

"Enough," Noah interjected sharply. "It's pointless now. I don't feel anything for you. Everything died that night when you didn't show up and I....." he felt chocked on his words, the horrifying memories engulfing his mind once more. Jake's body tensed at Noah's words. "I'm sorry," he murmured, his heart heavy with regret. He wanted to explain that he had indeed arrived, but it was too late, and there was no point in admitting it now.

Noah sighed heavily, exasperated. "There's nothing to solve, Jake. If you want to keep kissing, let's just get it over with quickly."

"Noah," Jake ground his teeth, frustration evident in his voice, "Stop playing dumb and answer me."

Noah averted his gaze. "There's nothing to talk about."

Jake took a deep breath, attempting to steady himself. "Fine," he said, reaching out to make Noah look at him. "Noah, if you are scared to do it with me, I understand it. We can learn, take it slow and figure out the way."

"Shut up, Jake," Noah snapped, pushing away the hand holding his face.

"If you don't want to, we won't ever go that far. As long as you are with me, accept my feelings, that's enough," Jake spoke, "Even I have never done it. It's...I don't know how to explain it. But I am ready as long as it's you. I have never even done it with any girl, but I can feel that I want to do it with you, but not when you don't want to."

Noah looked at him, "Never done it? What about your Jane?"

"She's my counselor, not a sex toy. Without her, I'd probably have gone crazy by now and caused you even more trouble. There's something wrong with my brain when it comes to you, Noah. I'm trying to figure it out. I don't want to hurt you. I want us to have a healthy relationship."

"What's wrong with you?" Noah asked, concern evident in his eyes.

"I can't handle the thought of being rejected by you or staying away from you," Jake admitted, his voice tinged with vulnerability. "It's like some psychic issue or something. I crave your presence desperately whenever you're near, but I have to fight to hold myself back. It's not easy."

Noah's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Since when do you need counseling?"

"For a few years now," Jake confessed. "Ever since we kissed for the first time at that party."