Page 133 of Too Close To Home

“Harrison?”

“Just…” Harrison swallowed, tightening his grip around Jake’s wrist. “Wait.”

Jake didn’t move.

Didn’t pull his hand away either, because Harrison was still holding it there, and Jake wasn’t going to make that decision for him. But the change was so fucking sudden Jake could barely understand it. Harrison was still hard beneath his palm. Still physically responding to him. But every other part of him had locked tight. Any thought Jake had about his own dick disappeared behind concern.

“Want me to take my hand away?”

Harrison finally opened his eyes. For a second, he just looked at Jake. Then he loosened his grip on Jake’s wrist. “Yeah.”

So Jake did, and Harrison tipped his head back against the wall to drag in a breath. Another followed, shaky and uneven. Then he scrubbed a hand over his mouth and pressed the heel of it hard against one eye, as if he pushed hard enough he might somehow get everything back where it belonged before Jake saw it.

Bit fucking late for that.

Jake stayed where he was. Close enough if Harrison needed him, but with his hands firmly to himself. “Talk to me.”

“That’s usually my line.”

“Aye, well.” Jake leaned back a fraction, trying to give him space without making it feel as if he was retreating. “You’re kinda making this weird now.”

The corner of Harrison’s mouth twitched.

So Jake grabbed onto that miniscule hope this wasn’t over by going for something light. “Thought we were getting a decent rhythm there, then you stopped me halfway through the beat.” He smiled. “Coulda given me a bit more warning when you wanted an interval.”

Harrison opened his eyes.

And the need to joke died in Jake’s throat.

Christ.

There was too much there. Grief, mostly. Jake recognised that bastard easily enough. But there was shock, too. Confusion. Something raw and frightened that looked completely fucking wrong on a man Jake had only ever seen controlled.

“Harrison…”

Harrison looked away. “Can you not look at me like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like I’m…” He stopped, throat working as he tried again. “Like I’m about to break down.”

Jake held his gaze. “You are a bit.”

Harrison gave a broken little laugh and closed his eyes again. Jake didn’t move. Then Harrison opened his eyes and just stared at him, as though he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

“Whatever’s happening here, you can trust me with it.” Jake shrugged, keeping it deliberately easy. “Like I’m trusting you.”

A strained smile touched Harrison’s mouth. Brief, but real. And Jake thought maybe Harrison understood what he meant. Jake wasn’t going to patronise him. Wasn’t going to pretend he couldn’t see the cracks simply because Harrison would rather keep them hidden.

More importantly, he wasn’t going to stick his fingers into them and start pulling.

Harrison swallowed. Looked away. “I haven’t…” He stopped. Started again. “Not since Chris.”

Oh.

Jake drew a breath.

Right.