It wasn’t that easy.
“Just like that,” Verity confirmed. “You don’t even need furniture. You can come stay with me and Landon until you get situated.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Maybe,” they agreed.
“Irresponsible,” Jack countered.
“Don’t act like you don’t have a savings account. You make good money and you’ve been single for years.” Verity rolled their eyes.
“When?”
“This weekend.”
“I can’t just…” Jack began to protest before letting his complaints fall mute.
He thought about the last call he’d had with Callum. They’d watched a movie together, but things had still ended poorly. After Callum’s outburst about not wanting to be involved long distance, Jack hadn’t had anything better to offer him.
Beyond his own fears, it seemed insane to move across the country for someone who wasn’t even speaking to him right now. That was more careless than the idea of making the actual move itself. He fished his phone out of his pocket and navigated to Callum’s name, lamenting the physicalandemotional distance between them right now.
Me: I just want you to know I think about you every day.
Before he could even put his phone away he received a reply.
Kitten: I think about you too.
His heart ached. His cock throbbed. It was impossible to think about Callum without both things happening simultaneously.
When was the last time Jack had taken a risk? Was Callum worth it? Worth conquering the barriers his brain kept throwing up? Was it worth losing Callum now because he was scared about losing him later?
“Yeah, you can,” Verity told him.
“Yeah,” Jack said with a nod, vocalizing the decision before he could talk himself out of it. “Okay.”
“You’re going to come to LA with me?” Verity asked, eyes wide.
“Yeah. Fuck it.” Jack stood. “Bowie and Joseph are gone. You and Landon are gone. There’s nothing keeping me here.”
“You’re gonna quit your job and move to LA this weekend?” Verity’s lip tipped up in a smirk.
Jack nodded, getting his brain all the way on board with the idea. The idea of following Verity across the country didn’t seem as far-fetched as it had five minutes ago. Jack was good at his job and could get something in LA for sure. He could sublet the place here. It wouldn’t even sit empty for that long with how on demand apartments were in the city. The technical parts of the move would be easy.
“Are you going to tell Callum?” Verity asked.
“No. I’ll surprise him.”
“Are you going to pull up in a white limo and hang out the sunroof with an umbrella?” Verity laughed and held their hand up in the air like they were wielding a sword.
“No,” Jack said with a laugh. “I’ll just come to the club with you when we get there.”
“We should book a flight then.”
* * *
Everything that happenedafter Jack and Verity landed at LAX was a blur. The ride to the bar had been spent in a silence that was somehow both nervous and exhausted. Jack was astounded to see Rapture in person for the first time; pictures he’d seen had never really done it justice.
The old church building was grand with gorgeous brickwork that was still crumbling in some places, the stained glass that reflected the parking lot lights with an unmatched splendor. Jack hadn’t ever been prouder of his friends and what they’d done since leaving New York.
