“Why didn’t you wake me then?”
“Because it wouldn’t have changed anything aside from you not getting sleep. Even if you wanted to return today, the earliest flight we could have made is the one Amber bought tickets for this afternoon.”
“Have you been awake since three?”
“More or less.”
That wouldn’t do.
Jasper shifted back and grabbed the pillow to whack Vincent in the chest with. “Take a nap.”
Vincent slanted a bemused look at him. “I’m fine.”
“I don’t care. Nap with me.”
With an exaggerated sigh, Vincent stretched out on the bed, then turned to Jasper and raised an eyebrow in a silentAre you happy now?
Jasper tucked himself back in against Vincent’s side and willed himself back to sleep. It didn’t work, but at least he had an excuse not to do anything or even think for a while. Hopefully he’d know what to do by the time Vincent woke up.
IN THEend, Jasper caved.
As much as he had no desire to see his father, the guilt wouldn’t leave him, and Amber kept messaging Vincent demanding an answer. Why she cared so much was beyond him. It wasn’t like he was invested much in the health ofherparents. He hadn’t even seen them since he was a kid. If he only showed up for half an hour, he hoped that would still be enough that she would let him get back to his vacation and enjoy the next week in peace.
He insisted on leaving their things. More for a sense of conviction that they’d come back than for a reasonable excuse to leave home quickly, but there was that too.
For some reason he expected a small plane barely bigger than a helicopter that only seated a few people with no leg room. Instead he found himself sitting next to Vincent on a plane half the size of the one they flew in on. Plenty of room to move, and some of the seats even turned into beds.
His phone went off with a text alert, and as much as he didn’t want to read it, he pulled it up anyway.
The one-word text from Noah was a simpleSeriously?
Not staying long
Just long enough to get Amber off their backs.
Whateverwas followed a few moments later byNow she’s harassing me as the bad son so thanks for that
Jasper winced and typed out several messages but deleted each one. Noah should tell Amber the truth, but Jasper couldn’t say that; he wasn’t supposed to know they were half brothers. Hell, he didn’t even know for sure if Noah knew, or if he’d taken their father’s words figuratively too. He couldn’t very well tell Noah to come, either, so he settled for what he wished he could do himself.Tell her to fuck off
Lol I might
When no more messages came through, he tossed his phone aside and stared out the window. “I can’t believe you really have a private plane.”
“It’s not mine,” Vincent replied without looking up from his phone.
Jasper rolled his eyes and leaned over to find Vincent reserving a rental car from the airport. He bit his tongue against the apology burning his throat, but he could only hold it back for so long. “Sorry,” he whispered when Vincent had paid and switched to his emails.
Instead of telling him it was fine—again—Vincent tipped Jasper’s chin up and planted a slow chaste kiss against his lips.
Jasper leaned into him with a long whine. “Why did I think leaving was a good idea?”
Vincent shook his head with a soft huff and turned back to his phone. “Should I tell the pilot to turn around?”
He whined again and flopped across Vincent’s lap. “No….” He could do this. Chances of his father even caring or wanting to see him were slim, and then Amber could see for herself how much of an asshole he really was.
BY THEtime they landed and found the rental car it was getting late, and as much as Jasper wanted to go straight to the hospital so they could turn around and leave again, Vincent said the earliest time they could fly back would be tomorrow afternoon. Instead of telling Amber to fuck off like he desperately wanted, he ignored her texts telling him his father was awake and to come despite the hour.
He’d barely eaten anything for lunch and still wasn’t hungry, at least until Vincent stopped to pick up food from a restaurant. Jasper hadn’t even noticed him ordering food. He sat holding the bag, breathing in the warm scent of tomatoes and garlic and basil. His stomach rumbled and his mouth watered in anticipation the entire fifteen-minute drive to Vincent’s home.
