Page 66 of His Untoward Hate

But instead of getting shy from what he had said, Jude’s eyes watered in pure joy. He could never be wrong. This was supposed to be the famous hidden Can-Umantad Falls here in Bukidnon.

“This is so beautiful…” Jude muttered, his heart warm. “Thank you for bringing me here, Sky,” he said with genuine gratitude, no longer caring if Sky would respond with a harsh remark or not.

Jude was simply happy to be there. It was one of the places he had always wanted to see, and the long walk earlier suddenly felt worth it.

“If you’re just gonna stand there spacing out, you might as well go back,” Sky snapped, breaking him out of his momentary awe.

Not wanting to take his eyes off the waterfall, Jude glanced at Sky uncertainly, only to be slightly taken aback when he suddenly began to undress. Blinking a few times in confusion, Jude watched as Sky effortlessly pulled his shirt off and tossed it aside, where it landed on top of his hoodie.

“W-what are you doing?” Jude muttered under his breath, bewildered.

Sky’s upper body was fully revealed, tattoos covering him almost entirely—from beneath his sharp jawline, down his neck, across his shoulders, and over his chest.

Jude swallowed hard, overwhelmed by the sight of his defined physique. He could clearly see his well-built eight-pack abs, something Jude had only ever seen in pictures of men in magazines hidden in his closet. His eyes instinctively traced the inked patterns scattered across his torso, though he could not make sense of their meaning. His gaze drifted lower for a moment, noticing the sharply defined V-line leading down toward his waist, perfectly sculpted into his frame. Jude instinctively looked away, suddenly aware of the contrast between Sky’s built form and his own slender figure.

Jude gulped hard.

Jude’s eyes had their minds on their own when they trailed back down to his body. He wanted to touch it. He mentally scolded himself for whatever inappropriate thought had crossed his mind. Even though Jude constantly insisted that he was not gay, his reactions seemed to betray him every time.

Jude’s gaze briefly dropped to the waistband of Sky’s black Calvin Klein underwear, visible above his gray pants. Before he could stop himself, his eyes lingered a little too long, then drifted downward, only to catch sight of a noticeable bulge beneath the fabric. His heart pounded violently in his chest, and his throat went dry almost instantly.

No wonder girls fought over him. To them, he was almost like a god, and saying he was not attractive would have been an outright lie. He was even well known around Lindaville University for his flings and hookups with popular cheerleaders. Jude had tried his best to ignore the gossip circulating, but it was everywhere. It was impossible to escape.

“Are you done staring at my body?” Sky’s voice cut through his thoughts, pulling Jude’s attention back to his icy green eyes.

There was a hint of mischief in his tone.

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to watch me strip completely,” he added arrogantly, the corner of his mouth curling into a teasing sneer.

Jude’s cheeks instantly flushed red, heat flooding through him in pure mortification. He felt like he might melt into a puddle on the spot. Quickly turning away from Sky, he pressed his hands against his burning face, wishing for the millionth time that he could simply vanish into thin air.

A loud splash echoed behind him, signaling that Sky had dived into the water. Jude let out a shaky sigh of relief, at least for the brief moment.

Jude was not sure what to do next. He turned back toward the waterfall, searching for Sky, but there was no sign of him anywhere. Not a trace. His heart began to race in panic. A few seconds later, Sky resurfaced, easing some of Jude’s growing worry. Jude exhaled deeply, trying to steady himself and calm his nerves. Unknowingly, his gaze drifted back to Sky again. He hated himself for not being able to look away.

God fairies knew how to tease Jude when Sky shook his head as he surfaced from the water, trying to rid his damp hair of the clinging droplets while his eyes remained closed, his head slightly facing the sky.

Everything seemed to turn in slow motion.

Sky’s well-defined biceps stood out as he moved, especially when he slowly raked his hair. The hairs of his armpit were strikingly hot and sexy. Armpits were Jude’s very weakness. When he got a boyfriend, the first thing he would do was bury his face in his armpit. He always fantasized about it. The sharp line of Adam’s apple was visible against his neck, very sexy when it moved up and down as he swallowed. Small droplets of water splashed from his hair, catching the light as they fell. He looked like a fallen angel cursed by the gods, becoming devilishly cruel, something beautiful yet dangerous, as if he had lost his wings somewhere between heaven and hell.

“Done ogling again?” Sky asked, snapping Jude out of his own world once more.

Internally, Jude scolded himself, mentally berating his own stupidity and obviousness.

“I’ve heard from the locals around here that if you visit this waterfall and don’t swim, a ghost will come after you, and you’ll be dead by tomorrow,” Sky said suddenly, as if it were nothing.

A wave of fear instantly washed over Jude. The hairs on his skin stood up again as unease crept back into his chest. It was a superstition Jude had never heard from the locals or read before. Still, since he was not very familiar with the place, he had no way of knowing whether Sky was telling the truth. Either way, the warning sent a chill down his spine, leaving him uneasy and afraid. In the end, he decided there was nothing to lose by simply going along with it.

Swallowing hard and blinking twice, Jude looked away from Sky and glanced at the clothes sprinkled on the ground, only to realize they were all there. Which meant Sky was completely naked. Flustered, Jude quickly turned his gaze back up, nervously forcing himself to only look at Sky’s face.

“I d-don’t have e-extra clothes,” Jude managed to say, a globus sensation stuck in his throat.

“That’s why you have to swim completely naked. I thought you were clever?” Sky scowled out of patience.

“It’s o-okay…I will just watch you here. I’m not afraid to die any—”

“Are you going to take your clothes off and swim, or should I carry you over there and drown you myself? You choose,” Sky said, his tone deadly serious and irritation clearly rising.