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“What happened?” he asked, his voice gravelly.
“You got shot in the head,” Seamus blurted.
Mitch smacked his arm. “Seamus, really?” Mitch admonished, then turned to him. He placed his hand on his forearm, and gave it a squeeze. “You weren’t shot in the head. It grazed the side of your head, sweetie. Gave you a nice gash that they had to staple closed.”
“Shot?” he choked in shock. Then the panic set in. Tripp. Where was Tripp? Did he get shot too? Was he okay? Was he injured? Or worse? “Tripp! Where’s Tripp?!”
“Tripp hasn’t been by yet. He called to check on you though. Said he’d be here as soon as he could get away,” Ian said.
“Is he okay?”
“Sounded okay when I talked to him,” Ian answered with a nod.
He blew out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his racing heart. He was terrified for a second that Tripp was dead while he was lying there in a hospital bed, alive. Made him want to throw up. He didn’t want to live without Tripp. If he was being honest, he had to say he was falling for him.
There was a knock on the door fifteen minutes later. It opened slowly, and Tripp peeked his head in. When he realized Jayme was awake, he shoved the door open so hard that it hit the wall. Tripp started for him, the door shutting on its own momentum. The tortured expression on the other man’s face made his breath catch.
Tripp was on him a moment later, cupping his face and kissing the ever-living hell out of him. He flailed for a second before grabbing onto Tripp’s elbows. Tripp poured everything he was feeling into the kiss, the fear, the relief, and another emotion that felt a lot like love. Jayme felt it all, and he welcomed it.
Tripp pulled back slowly, leaving him with a few lingering kisses to the lips. Then he pressed their foreheads together.
“Don’t ever fucking scare me like that again,” Tripp rasped.
Jayme snorted, and kissed Tripp on the lips one more time. “Not like I planned on getting shot.”
Tripp pulled in a deep breath and blew it out. “I was so scared. I couldn’t tell where all the blood was coming from. I thought I lost you.”
He pulled Tripp into a hug. Tripp tucked his face into Jayme’s neck. “It’s okay. I’m okay,” he murmured.
Tripp nodded against his neck. They hugged for a moment longer, before Tripp straightened up and looked around the room. His eyes widened slightly, and his clean-shaven face flushed pink. Jayme fought not to smile, but he looked damn cute.
“Oh, shit. I didn’t realize y’all were here,” Tripp said, his embarrassment clear in his tone.
“Of course not. You only had eyes for Jayme,” Jana replied with a knowing grin.
“Jayme, how long has this been going on?” his mother asked, motioning between him and Tripp.
“We’ve been seeing each other for about a month and a half,” he replied.
“And when where you going to tell me?” she squawked.
“Soon?” He winced.
His mother rolled her eyes and threw her hands up. She then looked at Seamus and Mitch, and Ian and Jana. “Did y’all know?” They nodded. She then turned to her husband. “You better not have known.” She warned.
He held his hands up and shook his head. “I had no idea.”
“Can I...can I get a minute with Jayme...alone?” Tripp asked hesitantly.
“You sure can,” Mitch chirped.
“But--” Jayme’s mom protested, but Mitch shushed her and shooed everyone out of the room.
He watched Tripp as he paced along the side of the bed. Tripp was still in his uniform and looked sexy as fuck. He appeared apprehensive but determined. He thought he knew what it was about, and he was ready.
“Listen, I hate to do this while you’re in a hospital bed after being shot, but I just...it’s eating at me,” Tripp said, then turned to lock eyes with Jayme. “I can’t do this with you anymore. You told me to tell you if my feelings ever changed, and I can no longer do the casual fucking around. Well, I’m letting you know that this isn’t working for me. Not after what just happened. I’m sorry if I ruined things between us, but I can’t hide it anymore.”
He rolled his lips in and nodded. “I figured as much. Especially after the way you just kissed me.”
“I’m sorry. I know this isn’t what you wanted.”
He frowned. “Don’t apologize for caring about me.”
He watched as Tripp steeled himself. “I know it’s not what you want--“
“You don’t know what I want.”
Tripp’s expression turned confused. “But you said--“
“Fuck what I said, Tripp. Do you really think I don’t feel the same way about you? Didn’t you feel anything when I kissed you? Or all the other times I’ve kissed you? I haven’t been hiding it very well.”
