Sign Language Confession

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“Does this look ok?” Alex asked, turning to face his best friend.

Alex always looked so fucking good in a tux… Jack mused, not paying any attention.

He blinked, “Huh?”

“Do I look alright?”

“I… Yeah.” He gulped, sure that Alex had picked up on his thoughts. It wasn’t his fault. He’d loved Alex for a while (read: four years), and today…fuck today Alex was marrying Lisa. Nothing Jack could do about it.

“Man, I’m so excited. What do you think she’ll look like?” Alex said, as he led Jack to the door and towards the car waiting to take them to church. “I bet she looks beautiful.”

There was something about the amount of love and adoration behind those words that made Jack snap. He’d had enough. He couldn’t pretend to be happy when the love of his goddamn life was marrying someone else. He’d thought that he could last longer, but apparently not.

“Alex, I can’t do this. I love you. Have done for years. You’re the center of my universe, and I love you. But I can’t watch you marry her. It will kill me. I can’t do this to myself. I thought that I could manage it, but no. It’s not happening. Go and get married. I love you, and I hope you’re happy.”

“Jack…you know I don’t understand that sign language shit,” Alex whined, a smile on his face, “Use your words.”

Jack stood stock-still by the car, barely breathing. He’d confessed in fucking sign language! Shit. Why the hell did he use sign language? (Because he didn’t want Alex knowing what he’d confessed.)

“I just said, I’m sure she is beautiful.” Jack lied, motioning for Alex to get in the car first. As soon as Alex was in the car, Jack shut the door, ignoring Alex’s confused protests and calls of his name, and told the driver to go.

With the sun beating down on the back of his neck, Jack stood there and watched as Alex went in the car to the church. He’d meant what he said.

He couldn’t go to the wedding. He just couldn’t. He wouldn’t survive it. No, instead, he was going home.