31. Chapter 31
Chapter thirty-one
Quinn
Quinn didn’t go home when he left the job site. He couldn’t deal with being alone in that apartment with those memories any better than he’d handled everything back with the house.
Truth was, as soon as he got a block away, he’d wanted to drive back. Talk with Jake. Try to get something back between the two of them. But this would just happen again. He couldn’t keep going for easy relief in exchange for his long-term wellness. Spending all that time with Jake wouldn’t do anything other than make it all that much worse when he went flying off to Kalamazoo or wherever was next.
He drove until he reached a park. He turned off the car and got out, then kept moving, walking across the grass and heading for the little bridge over the manmade pond. A fountain in the center sprayed water up, cooling the area, and he was mostly alone. The closest people were in sight, but not anywhere close to being in earshot.
His phone buzzed against his hip again. It had been doing that for a while, and he hadn’t checked anything. He knew the show would be trying to reach him, and if not them, then Jake. No one he wanted to talk to, that was for sure. Of course, he couldn’t think of anyone he wanted to talk to at all in that moment.
Not entirely true. He wanted to talk to Jake, but he knew better. He’d known better all along, but it had been so easy to let the excuses work. He could totally stay casual. If they went into a casual thing with eyes open, there wouldn’t be any hurt feelings. There was nothing wrong with having a little bit of fun. Not everyone was Hunter all over again. He could be a grown-up and keep himself in check to have a good time.
And fuck, had it ever been a good time.
Another buzz. Quinn pulled his phone out to turn it off completely and saw the caller ID. Not Jake and not the number Homescapes used when they were trying to get hold of him. He knew it had to be someone connected to the project, but his anxiety started to climb as he thought about it. It could be something more important, less awful, and he just couldn’t leave it to sit. So he answered. “Hello?”
“Good. You picked up. It’s Bunny.”
“I’m hanging up.”
“Don’t hang up! Please.” The line crackled, like she was shifting the phone in her hand or leaning it against her shoulder or something. “No one knows I’m calling you, okay? This isn’t me trying to get you to come back and film or anything.”
“It’s just you trying to get me to talk to Jake or something, right?”
“Not quite that simple. Jake’s gone. He went to the medic, didn’t listen to what she said, then got into a car and went to the hotel instead of the ER.”
Quinn’s stomach tightened into a little ball. “I can’t. It’s too much.”
“I get it. But he doesn’t want to listen to anyone else here. I’m trying for a Hail Mary so he can just get a doctor to look at him, stitch him up, make sure he doesn’t have a concussion.”
“Bye, Bunny.” He hung up and stared at the fountain. Then he snorted and pulled Jake up in his contacts, pointedly not reading any of their previous texts and tapping out a terse message.
Go to the hospital.
Please.
He waited, but no response came. Could he really have gotten a concussion from smacking his head on the car? Or had something more happened? I can’t make this my business.
Quinn gave it the whole length of his amble back to the car, even stopped to pretend to be interested in a few trees to make sure there was plenty of time. When he got back, he checked his phone to see there was still no response from Jake.
So he powered his phone down and got back in the car to keep driving. Somewhere.
It had been a long time since Quinn had driven around so much, since he’d seen Springfield beyond his normal grocery store and the paths to the highway and his grandpa’s house. His house. The job site. Whatever. It meant he didn’t get back to his apartment until after two in the afternoon. A long-ass day, and he had to admit, he might start turning his phone off a little more often. Once he got past the panic of worrying he’d miss something vital, it was a relief to simply be unavailable.
When he climbed the stairs up to his front door, he almost stumbled. Someone was sitting cross-legged by his front door. “Mason?”
He jostled himself up to his feet at the sound of his name. “Hi. No one could get a hold of you, so I figured I’d come your way.”
“Why?” Quinn didn’t care that his tone was clipped. It was hardly a secret that he was…unhappy. “If I wanted to get in touch with anyone, don’t you think I would have left my phone on?”
“I’m not trying to push, but this is important stuff. Kind of have to let you know, since there’s a contract. I’m speaking here on behalf of everyone, including Homescapes TV.” He sighed and looked up into the sky a few seconds before continuing on. “Today is a wash. Linda and her crew did some work while we were in meetings with Eliza, but not much progress.”
“So sorry my feelings got in the way of your TV show.”
Mason sighed and looked at him totally deadpan. “I get that you’re pissed, but that doesn’t change the outline of things. We’re going to finish up your house, and then I don’t know when or if this show is going to air. Could be totally chopped from the production and release schedule. But you’re getting your house done and dusted either way.”
Quinn nodded. “Right. Thanks.” As the shock of seeing Mason there wore off, a new creeping sensation bloomed through his belly. He looked up into the sky, so he didn’t have to make eye contact. “Jake good?”
“Wow. Wasn’t expecting you to ask, to be honest.”
“Right. I ran off because I cared so little.”
Mason sucked on his teeth. “Well, he’s okay. It took about an hour, but we harassed him into getting to the ER finally. Minor concussion.”
Quinn’s shoulders tensed, but he still refused to make eye contact. “How minor is minor?”
“Over-the-counter pain meds for the headache, at least twenty-four hours of rest so he doesn’t smash his head on anything else and re-traumatize the area.”
Quinn sighed. “I’m glad he’s okay.” Mostly okay. He pushed the thoughts of running to the hotel from his mind, of taking care of him, making sure he was all there, apologizing for running out, washing his face and hair…definitely all out of his mind completely.
“Anyway. Eliza’s hoping you turn your phone on at some point tomorrow so she can talk to you and try to work things over. Nobody’s holding anyone’s feet to the fire over what went down, but there needs to be communication at this point, since we’re so close to the end of this.”
“Right. I’ll be available.” Finally, Quinn looked back at Mason. “I didn’t mean to throw everything into chaos.”
Mason shook his head and stuffed his hands in his pocket. “Right now, I’m not concerned with the show and the chaos.” He moved toward the stairs, raising his voice so he could be heard as he drifted farther and farther away. “I’m going to go see Jake. You’ve been brought up to speed.”
Then he was down the stairs and out of sight. Quinn turned around and headed into his apartment, but didn’t make it more than a couple steps before he froze. Alone. He pulled out his phone and turned it on, then waited.
Dozens of texts and calls streamed in as it woke up. A quick glance showed none of them were from Jake.