“Fine,” said Jett. He was lacking his normal level of brattiness, but again, that was to be expected.
Five minutes was all Harrison needed to wash, dry and get dressed. It gave him enough time to pack their toiletries and bring everything to the door. He would need Jett’s help if they only wanted to make one trip, but that’s where suitcases with wheels came in handy.
Jett appeared to be in a moderate amount of pain as he got dressed and sat on the bed so Harrison could push some pills into him. He applied the cream Danny had given him to the bruised skin of Jett’s shoulder and helped him put it into the sling. They grabbed every icepack they could out of the freezer and shoved them into the pockets of Jett’s hoodie on their way out the door.
“It’s a long drive,” said Jett. “I can—”
“No.” Harrison corralled them through the hallway toward the elevator. “You’re going to sleep, and I’m going to drive.”
He didn’t want to talk about how driving that long with Jett in the car made him nervous, not when it was his job to get him home. But he would be lying if the thought of having the person he loved in the same vehicle with him for a prolonged time didn’t make him feel panicky.
What a fucking shit show.
Jett blatantly refused to lie down in the back seat, so they stacked their suitcases in the back, and Harrison got Jett as comfortable as he could in the front seat with a blanket and a hotel room pillow that he had stolen.
Jett smiled softly as he got into the driver’s seat and put Fenwick in his arms. “You good?”
Jett picked at his seatbelt. “I’m as good as it’s going to get, my dude. I would rather be playing hockey.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Harrison pulled out of the parking spot and gave the GPS one last look while he waited for the garage door to open.
Despite the warm clothes and blanket, Jett’s teeth were chattering again. It was a mix between pain and adrenaline wearing off, and the mental exhaustion he had to be feeling was the perfect cherry on top.
Harrison placed a hand on Jett’s arm and rubbed it like he could warm him with the friction. The affection had Jett tearing up again and snuffling loudly, his body trembling like a leaf.
“Sunshine, get some sleep if you can. I promise things will be better once we’re home and you feel safe.”
Jett snuffled again. “I always feel safe with you.”
The admission had Harrison’s heart tripping in his chest.
“Are you sure you don’t need me to drive at some point?”
Harrison shook his head. “I’m going to get a coffee and zone in on the task. We’ll get there quicker if we make fewer stops.”
“Okay.” Jett picked up his phone out of the cup holder, and Harrison could see him making a face out of the corner of his eye.
“Everything good?” Harrison asked, moving the car onto the road. “Who’s messaging?”
“Jin,” said Jett. “Probably to tell me that he doesn’t want to be friends with me anymore.”
That made no sense. He knew that something as tragic as having a family member commit a horrendous act like a shooting could easily fuck someone up, but the fact that Jett seemed to believe that it would make people hate him…
Jett had never hurt anyone. He often put his own safety on the line to avoid hurting anyone, like he did with Mike.
If Jin was calling Jett for anything, it would be to check on him and make sure he was okay. Park acted like a hard ass, but an act is all it was. He was quickly becoming someone who Harrison and Jett enjoyed texting and exchanging Tiktoks with.
“He’s our friend,” said Harrison. “He’s worried about you.”
“He’s only been our friend for like…three days. A friend I had for fifteen years is the one who told the press.” Jett turned his head away from him to look out the window at the passing scenery, and went quiet.
Harrison checked on him when he could, but the second he was sure that Jett had fallen asleep, he felt himself relax. Even if it was for an hour, he would take it. Jett needed all the rest he could get.
Luck was on his side because Jett didn’t wake up, or even move for the eight-hour drive home—which ended up being nearly ten hours after traffic was factored in, toll sections were passed, and borders were crossed.
Harrison only stopped when he needed gas because he was too scared to wake his sleeping boyfriend up. The drive wasn’t the worst he had ever done, but his eyes were burning, and he felt like death when he stopped in front of Jett’s building.
He was surprised to see Max outside waiting, bundled in a warm winter jacket and holding a glorious cup of coffee out to him when Harrison rolled the window down. The look on his face must have said something, because Max smiled awkwardly, and his cheeks went red.
