Horrified gasps cut into the dead silence. A ringing phone went unanswered. Mason continued, and Jude rested a hand on his shoulder.
“I spoke briefly with Ilana. Aside from some bumps and bruises, she seems to be okay, but Doug…” He faltered for a moment, then gathered himself, showing his inner strength. Jude had never been prouder of anyone. “Doug’s hurt badly. We don’t know the extent of his injuries yet, so I don’t want to say anything, but if you’re the praying kind, I’m asking you to add him to your prayers.”
Everyone offered Mason good wishes, and Jude never left his side. After several minutes, Jude said, “As you can imagine, Mason is overwhelmed with worry, and I’m not much better. We’re going to go home and wait for word on Doug’s condition. His parents are on their way to Rome, and I’m going to try and get through to Ilana. If you need me, you can reach me on my cell. Tasha, you and Pryce can handle anything that comes up otherwise.”
“Sure, Jude. Whatever you need.” Tasha gave him a firm nod. “We’ll hold it together until you come back.”
Pryce said nothing but gave him a tight smile.
Jude forgot about them as soon as the door to the elevator slid shut and Mason leaned against him, saying, “I don’t know if I can wait the time it’s going to take my parents to get there. Can we call Ilana again when we get to your place?”
“Of course.”
He steered Mason out of the building and down the block, inordinately grateful that he lived so close. Within ten minutes they were in his apartment, and he’d convinced Mason to rest after trying Ilana’s cell phone and getting voice mail once again.
“Why wouldn’t she pick up? I don’t get it.” Mason twisted the corner of the pillow.
“I have no clue.” It bothered him more than he could say. Was she really hurt and not telling him? Or was Doug worse than they were told, and she was waiting for his parents to give them the news, in which case Jude knew Mason would fall apart and Jude wouldn’t be in much better shape.
“I’m exhausted,” Mason whispered. “I feel like I have a hundred-pound weight on my chest.”
Jude sat on the side of the bed. “Why don’t you try and take a nap? I’m going to run over to Edith and see if she needs anything before going to the store and getting some things. We have nothing in the refrigerator.”
Mason clutched his arm. “Don’t go. Not just yet. I don’t want to be alone. Every time I close my eyes, I get a vision of Doug flying off the motorcycle and I freak out.”
Jude kicked off his loafers and climbed into bed with Mason. “I’ll stay as long as you need me to.”
Mason settled into his side with a sigh. “Right now, that’s forever. It’s crazy, but the only person I can imagine being with me through this horrible ordeal is you.”
Jude’s heart turned over. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m exactly where I want to be.”
Mason slid an arm across him, pressing his face into Jude’s neck. “I’ve been running this back and forth in my head, figuring I’d wait…afraid to say what’s on my mind for a while now.”
A chuckle shook Jude. “Since when are you afraid of anything?”
Mason sat up, handsome face wary, and Jude hated seeing the strain of the past few hours replace the laughter in his eyes. “Since I never told anyone I love them before.”
Hope, almost as fiery as the passion between them, sparked something painful in his chest. “You love me?”
Mason grinned. “Crazy, huh? Even I can’t believe it.” Serious once again, he cast his gaze downward, as if afraid. “But it’s not a joke. Not to me. Everything’s changed since I came home, and you’re the most fundamental part of who I’ve become. You’re a mystery to me, yet so familiar, like a song I’d never heard before, but whose words were right on the tip of my tongue. When you look at me, I see a reflection of us. And I hope you want to take a chance. With me.”
Jude took hold of Mason’s hand on the sheet between them. “You think I’m the one taking the chance? The only thing I’m certain of is you.” Seeing Mason’s face brighten gave him the courage to say what was in his heart. “Everything is different because of you. When we’re close, I want to be closer. Like you’re the magnet and I’m steel, pulled toward you by a force I can’t control. I never have to think about being happy when I’m with you because I just…am.” He tangled his fingers with Mason’s and smiled. Mason took that as an invitation to jump him, and Jude took advantage of his position to wrap his arms around Mason and kiss his smiling mouth. “You said it’s crazy that we’re at this place, and maybe we are. All I know is, I’m crazy about you in a way that makes sense to me. So yeah. I love you. Wild and crazy as it is for both of us.”
“The only thing wild and crazy is how you make me feel.” Mason snuggled next to him, and Jude allowed himself a brief respite from the fear running through him to hold on to Mason.
“I’m going to try Ilana one more time.”
He pulled out his phone and called her, and when he heard her voice, he struggled up to a seated position.
“Ilana? What’s going on? How are you? What’s happening with Doug?”
“Oh God, Jude.” She began to cry, and he let her get it all out, waiting until the sobs stopped and all he could hear was her sniffling.
“Better, honey? Tell me. Are you hurt? What’s going on? I’m here with Mason. I’m going to put you on speaker.”
“Okay. It’s been horrible. First the accident. It was so scary. We were having so much fun until then. Doug was careful to keep away from the crazy drivers speeding, and it was a beautiful day. Then from nowhere, a truck swerved in front of us. They told us later he’d missed his exit and was trying to cut across three lanes. Doug had to swerve and brake hard. He yelled at me to hold on, and I tried, but he went flying, and I was caught under the bike.”
Rage pulsed behind his eyes. “What happened next?”
