Page 124 of The Way Home

“Okay. Quick nap and then we can text them, alright?” As Caleb slid into the passenger seat, Jamie decided he wouldn’t text Mike just yet. Caleb needed sleep, and his emotions were all over the place.

They would take things one decision at a time on this trip.

As quietly ashe could, Caleb reached over to the nightstand and picked up his phone, hoping not to wake Jamie. When he checked the news, his heart immediately dropped.

Chelsea had lost the first leg of the quarterfinal against Aston Villa.

As the athletic trainer, he obviously wanted to be at every game, but especially the tough ones. Those were the matches where he feltlike his presence mattered most, where he wanted to be there on the sideline supporting his friends.

With a frown, he noticed that none of them had sent him any updates from the match. On the rare occasions he missed a game, he was usually flooded with messages in their group chat—ridiculous GIFs from Dillion, sassy commentary from Sally about the other team, and actual updates from Angie. But when he opened his messages now, all he saw wereHow’s your dad?texts.

He was grateful for those, of course, but he didn’t really want to talk about his dad at all.

With a sigh, he dropped his phone onto the mattress of his old childhood bedroom.

Of course he had to think about his dad. The man was dying. Had it really only been a few hours ago that they’d been at the hospital? The whole visit already felt like a blur. Even being in a medical environment like that had put him on edge, his instincts screaming to throw Jamie over his shoulder and haul him straight out of there.

He hoped he never saw Jamie in a hospital again. But seeing hisdadlike that, small and weak and grey, had been too fucking much. Bri was a pleasant surprise, though. And Mike seemed cool, too, so that was something.

Maybe his sister had grown out of some of her old ways.

His whole body felt exhausted, but it was already seven. They’d been asleep for over an hour, and he reallydidwant to go to dinner. Picking up his phone again, he pulled up his text thread with Tay.

Tay

Doing ok out there? I’m sorry I’m not there :(

We are doing fine. Got Jamie with me. It’s hard seeing dad like this.

Tay

Miss you

Tears prickled behind his eyes at the two words. Fuck, his emotions were all over the place. Before he lost it completely, he shot off a message to Bri.

Dinner in thirty? If you guys haven’t eaten already.

The reply came quickly.

Bri

Mike already made a reservation at Lucini Bro’s for 7:30. See you soon.

Running his tongue over his top teeth, Caleb checked the time. Seven thirty? They still had about twenty minutes, seeing as Lucini Bro’s was a short walk away.

He glanced over his shoulder at Jamie, curls splayed messily across his forehead as he burrowed half his face into the pillow.

Fucking adorable. And, hell, he’d been so supportive since they’d arrived.

Blinking back tears, Caleb couldn’t stop his hand from reaching out, brushing the freckles on Jamie’s cheek with the back of his knuckles.

“I love you so much,” he whispered. A sting of guilt hit him when Jamie stirred. His thick brown eyelashes fluttered as he blinked awake.

“I’m sorry,” Caleb said hastily. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”

“S’okay.” Jamie wiggled sleepily under the covers, a soft smile spreading across his face. Caleb’s heart did a tumble at how handsome Jamie managed to look, even half awake. His eyes were unobstructed by glasses and hazy with jet lag, the skin beside them crinkling as he smiled up at Caleb.

“I love you, too,” he murmured, voice gravelly with sleep.