A Different Slice

42 - Shifting Feelings (Kieran)

When Kieran arrived home, Jake and Austin were watching a medieval fantasy show together on the couch. Austin relaxed against the cushions while Jake leaned toward the TV and focused as the music's tempo quickened. Kieran greeted them with lukewarm enthusiasm before tumbling into the recliner.

On the screen, the pale guy with bright white hair was having a sword fight in the village with the Hollywood rule of one man beats all others. Jake followed the show while Austin's gaze drifted to Kieran, and he mouthed, "Everything okay?"

When Kieran shrugged, Austin stood.

Jake's attention left the show. "Where are you going?"

Austin tucked his hands in his jeans pockets. "I'm grabbing some air on the balcony. Want to come, Kieran?"

"Sure."

Jake glanced between them. "Should I pause the show?"

"I'll rewatch what I miss later. Felicity's getting into it too."

Jake's eyebrows hadn't returned to their regular position, but he returned to the show. "Okay."

Austin and Kieran headed to the balcony, resting their arms on the cool metal railing. Austin stayed quiet as Kieran studied the stars twinkling despite the light pollution. The same stars he'd stared at with Naomi when she'd decided not to tell him about Greg. He sighed as his chest weighed heavy.

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

Austin raised an eyebrow. "Aren't they usually all of that nature?"

"I meant about you, Felicity, and my brother, or who I think might have been my brother."

Austin studied Kieran before saying, "Okay."

"The person you fell for before Felicity was Jake, wasn't it?"

Austin glanced back toward the living room and nodded.

"Once you started liking Felicity, did your feelings for Jake vanish?"

"I'm assuming there's a Naomi and you parallel here."

Was it concerning that Austin was delaying his answer? 

"Yeah, her ex told her he still had feelings for her. She hid it from me until tonight when I overheard them discussing meeting up in Gimli during our trip. She didn't plan to see him that night, but she hid that they'd seen each other. That has to mean something, right?" Naomi had tried to reassure him, but it had felt off.

"When your brother told me he was aromantic, I was pretty crushed, and it took time for that to fade. My feelings have never fully disappeared, but they've had to shift into something different because he'll never reciprocate them, and I care too much to walk away."

Cars drove by on the Provencher Bridge, and the adjacent spire of the esplanade pedestrian bridge shifted from purple to blue.

Kieran wished his exhalations would send his worries into space or at least the thermosphere where the heat could melt them away. If Austin had never even dated Jake and still had feelings for him, Naomi had to feel the same about Greg. 

"Does Felicity know?"

"She does. It's only fair to be honest with her. Jake and I still hang out often. She also understands that my feelings for him don't diminish my attraction to her. Jake will always be part of my life, but Felicity and I will build our life together. So answering your earlier question, it may mean that Naomi wants Greg around but is conflicted about how that works with your relationship."

"But conflicted in a romantic or platonic sense?"

"I can't speak for her, but in my case, one person is the right romantic partner, and the other is an irreplaceable friend. Naomi may have realized that too. That is assuming she reassured you after the conversation."