Jack shook his head and called Callum, who answered on the fourth ring.
“Took you a minute to answer,” he said in greeting.
“Sorry, I went to the bathroom.” Callum was lying, it was clear in his voice.
“No, you didn’t.”
A silence as long as the delays in the text messages stretched through the line.
“We need to talk about expectations, kitten,” Jack finally said.
“And what are yours?”
“Well, one, I expect you won’t lie to me again.”
“Is there more than one?” Callum asked, ignoring what Jack had already told him.
“Is it really less than four days and you’re forgetting who’s in charge here?” Jack warned, but even as he said the words he knew Callum’s defensiveness had nothing to do with that. It was more what Verity had said at the table, and Jack knew it because he was battling his own fears back as well.
He loved Callum, even if he’d never said as much, and he didn’t want to lose that. He was the one who didn’t want things to change, and he knew that being this way was squashing out the very things that attracted him to Callum in the first place—his happiness, his exuberance—but Jack struggled find a balance with their chemistry being so fucking combustible.
When they were together, Callum’s presence vibrated through his body like they were about to ignite, but Jack didn’t see how that could ever be sustainable for the long-term. A simmer, he could manage. He could tend that and grow it into a rolling boil. He’d have more time that way…If he could just hold Callum at arms-length a while, he’d have him for longer.
“No, Daddy. I haven’t forgotten.” Callum sounded sad about it and Jack hated himself a little more, even as his heart and head battled with each other.
“Think of it as long term hotel stay,” Jack suggested.
“I just don’t see how this works.”
“What do you mean?”
“You can’t stay with me on the weekends because my schedule is so fucked with the club, and you can’t stay with me during the week because the drive to work would be insane. So when do we get to see each other? This is exactly what I said would happen.” Callum was getting exasperated. Jack could hear it in his voice. “And even aside from the long term, when do I get to see you again,now? This is the last week before you start work and you’re not even here.”
Jack closed his eyes and threw an arm over his face, remembering suddenly how much work relationships were.
“I saw you last night, kitten,” he reminded Callum.
“Yeah, and you left.”
“It’s called chivalry.”
“Haven’t you heard? That’s dead,” Callum spat bitterly.
Jack sighed. “What are you doing on Thursday?”
“Nothing.”
“Can I see you then?”
“You can see me whenever you want.”
“Thursday at eleven, then.”
“Fine.”
“Callum.”
“What?”
