“I don’t want to say,” Jack murmured. Fitz gave him a pointed look, and Jack groaned. “One-thirty.”
Fitz gasped.Two-and-a-half hoursof sleep, if that. He pushed himself off Jack’s lap, hands on his hips. Jack’s cringe told Fitz his boyfriend knew how mad he was. But instead of arguing, the back of Fitz’s eyes stung. He was not going to do this. Certainly not here or now. Fitz whirled around, snatched up his coat, and put it on as he marched out of the room.
“Fitz, wait!” Jack ran after him and took hold of his arm. Fitz stopped but didn’t turn around.
“If this had been a one-time thing, or if it scarcely happened, it would be one thing, Jack, but I can’t remember the last time you took any time off. This has been happening more often than not lately, and I’m terrified.” The tears welled in his eyes. “I love you, Jack. And I understand how passionate you are about your job. But barely getting any sleep and skipping meals is not passion. Something is wrong, and you won’t talk to me about it. I just…I need to go.”
Jack released him, and Fitz hurried off. He sent a quick text to Joker, asking him for a ride back to the cabin. When the SUV rolled to a stop next to him, and he climbed in, Joker took one look at him and got them moving without a word.
Chip sensed Fitz’s sadness and jumped onto the back seat. He put his head on Fitz’s lap and gazed up at him with those irresistible puppy eyes, making Fitz smile. He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. Jack would come around.
At least Fitz hoped so.
CHAPTERFOUR
You don’t deserve him.
Jack stared down at the text on his phone from his best friend. Joker was right. He was an asshole. His heart pounded in his ears as he dropped into the chair. Fitz was the best thing to ever happen to him, and he’d just been such an asshole. Jack let his head fall in his hands.
“Fuck.”
“Far be it from me to tell you how to run your life,” Mason said from the doorway, making Jack lift his head. “I know you’re dancing like hot grease on a skillet right now, but I suggest you go after your man. You wanna fix something, Jack? Fix what you just did. You are worrying him to death, and that ain’t right.”
“Mason—”
“You wanna mess things up with Fitz?” Mason growled.
“No, of course not.”
“Then move your ass.” He turned and grumbled something about needing to be saved from stubborn men.
Jack quickly pulled on his coat and hurried outside. He had to make it up to Fitz. They had a lot to talk about. It took him longer than he’d hoped to find a ride because the guys had taken both SUVs back to the cabin, which meant he had to ask someone for a ride. Unfortunately, that someone turned out to be Noel.
“Thanks for the ride,” Jack said, climbing into the passenger side of Noel’s red pickup truck. He’d noticed that a lot of the vehicles in Winterhaven were red. Weird.
“No problem.” Noel got them moving, and as Jack expected, they sat in awkward silence for a good part of the ride. Finally, Jack couldn’t take it anymore.
“How was your dinner with Fitz?”
“Great. I had a really good time. You have one hell of a guy.”
Jack sighed and shook his head at himself. “Yeah.”
“He adores you, you know.”
“Oh?” Jack’s heart skipped a beat.
“Yeah, the way his face lit up when he talked about you. How smart and talented you were, how passionate you are about your work.” Noel paused, seeming to consider something. “I know it’s none of my business, and I don’t know you two very well, but your boyfriend misses you.”
Jack swallowed hard. “I messed up.”
“Fitz is easy to talk to. I’m sure you’ll be able to work things out.”
“Thanks.” What did it say about him that even someone they’d just met was concerned about his relationship with Fitz, and he hadn’t even known something was wrong?
“And I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression of me. I would never go after a guy I knew was attached. Fitz is helping me with, um, someone else.”
“Oh!” Jack laughed. “You’re the matchmaking emergency.”
