“I didn’t. I still feel the way I did last night. And I didn’t write any note.”
The elevator dinged, so they walked into the hall. Jackson read the note as they walked down the hall. Dum was, indeed, waiting by the door to Park’s room. He pulled out a keycard,opened the door for them, and motioned for them to walk inside.
The letter had totally freaked Jackson out by the time the door gently closed. He didn’t believe that Park had some secret lover he hadn’t mentioned. So who the hell would leave such a thing? Tucker? Had he gotten into the hotel again? “I didn’t write this letter. Who the hell did?”
Park stood near the foot of the bed. Hisface went white again.
“Here, sit.” Jackson helped Park sit on the bed, then he pulled out his phone and dialed Gavin. “Someone left a note for Park with the front desk. A love note.”
“Who sent it?”
“I don’t know. Park didn’t open it until we were on the way up to his room. I could ask the front desk, but I don’t really want to leave Park alone right now. He’s pretty shaky.”
“Don’tmove. I’m already on my way. Don’t leave that room. I’m going to have to lock down the hotel, though. Top to bottom searches. My money says Tucker is in the building somewhere or was at some point today.”
“Oh, god.”
“Seriously, stay where you are. What’s Park’s room number?”
Jackson told Gavin and Gavin hung up. Jackson turned back to Park, who had curled up in a fetal position onthe bed.
“Don’t you dare leave me alone.” Park’s voice was quiet but forceful.
“I won’t.”
Jackson paused for a moment, trying to work out the best thing to do. When he’d left for Park’s apartment building that morning, he’d told himself that he needed to maintain distance, to erect boundaries between him and Park because he wanted to help Park out, but he couldn’t drag this out morethan necessary. But he couldn’t in good conscience maintain that distance when Park was this upset, and Gavin had just ordered him to stay in the hotel room anyway.
So he went with his instinct, which was to lie down beside Park and pull Park into his arms. Park settled beside him, fitting against his chest and in his arms the way he had hundreds of times in the past. The breath he’d beenholding pretty much since Park’s panic attack burst out of him and he wanted to let this whole fucking day crash over him, but he needed to keep things together for Park’s sake. Somewhere in his foggy brain he knew that this was a mistake, that it was just postponing the inevitable, but he held Park, pressed his face into Park’s shoulder, and held on lest they drown together.
