Page 138 of Jackrabbit

“Keys,” Colt said with his hand out as they approached the truck.

“Colt, I can—”

“Keys.”

How was he supposed to argue with the way Colt was looking at them all serious and big-eyed, after he'd just offered to walk away from this opportunity for Beau? Beau dropped the keys in Colt’s hand and got into the passenger seat.

The only noise on the drive was Colt drumming the steering wheel, and they didn't say a word all the way up to Beau’s room. Beau fished the key out of his pocket and Colt shoved the door open.

“Our flight back is in six hours,” Beau said, toeing off his boots and leaving them at the door. “Are you packed?”

“Beau.”

Beau turned toward the living room and picked up a discarded shirt. “We should get to the airport three hours early. Security has always been a nightmare here.”

“Beau.” Colt stepped in front of him, and Beau moved around and folded the shirt on the way to his duffel, which was on the kitchenette counter.

“We should probably—”

A hand slipped onto his forearm as he put the shirt in his bag. “Baby, look at me.”

Swallowing past the thickness in his throat, Beau turned. Colt was staring up at him like he was seeing what Beau had been shoving down deep, and Beau didn’t know what to do. But Colt did. He ran his hand up Beau’s arm to his elbow and tugged until Beau followed him to the couch. Then he gently pushed Beau onto it, and climbed up into his lap with one knee on either side of Beau’s hips.

“Talk to me.” Colt grabbed Beau’s hand and laced their fingers again, pressing both against Colt’s chest. “Please talk to me.”

“I can’t.” Beau’s voice came out strained, and he closed his eyes. “You want me to go. You want me to say yes.”

“It doesn’t matter what I want.” Colt shifted closer so he could push Beau’s hair back from his forehead with his free hand. “This is about Sutton, isn’t it?”

Hearing Sutton’s name out loud right now was like missing a step on a staircase. But he wasn’t going to lie. Not to Colt. So he nodded, Colt’s steady heartbeat under his palm.

“Is it…are you afraid to go back to the tracks you raced with him?” Colt’s voice was gentle, as soft as his hand on Beau’s cheek.

“My parents died in a wreck when I was fourteen.” Colt sucked in a breath, and Beau opened his eyes. Colt was watching him. “And my best friend’s parents took me in without one second of thought. Kept up with my racin’, went to every practice, every meet. Treated me like their own.”

“Oh,” Colt whispered.

“How can I—” Beau’s eyes burned, and he focused on the feeling of Colt’s lungs filling under his hand. “They’re gonna see me, they’re gonna see my face everywhere, and they’re gonna know that the man who—” He closed his eyes again. “I lived, and their son died, and I can’t—”

“Okay.” Thumb rubbing against Beau’s cheekbone, Colt kissed Beau’s hair. “Okay, baby, I hear you.”

“I’m sorry.” Beau opened his eyes and a tear dripped down his cheek. “This was your moment, and I—”

“No, shut up.” Colt shook his head and swiped the tear away as another one fell. “I don’t care. And it’s my fault anyway. I dragged you into all of this. Just—it’s okay. I’ve got you.”

Beau’s breath hitched, and more tears spilled over, and he pressed his face into Colt’s neck and let himself cry while Colt ran soothing hands down his back, through his hair. Colt had said ‘I’ve got you’, and Beau…believed him. Even if it didn’t solve anything.

Chapter 58

Joyce’s diner had never been so loud, every table in the center of the room stacked with tin containers of food, coolers littered around the black and white linoleum floors, speakers James had dragged in blaring from the window into the kitchen. Sitting on the back of one of the red-vinyl booths, Colt watched James and Frankie—the bus boy Colt had temporarily replaced—playing flip-cup next to the register.

Xavier snagged Colt around the neck for the third time in an hour and kissed his cheek, big and sloppy and reeking of Tito’s. “I can’t believe you’re leaving us, man. I’m so proud of you.”

“Xavier, oh my God.” Jamie grabbed his arm and hauled him off of Colt, smiling and shaking her head as Xavier stumbled. “I think he might have a crush on you, Colt.”

Gasping, Xavier threw his arm around Jamie’s shoulders and pulled her close. “No, no. There’s only one girl for me. And there’s only one guy for—”

A hand slapped over Xavier’s mouth, and Liam popped his head over the taller man’s shoulder to grin at Colt. “Sorry. Camila’s dad gave him, like, three shots before I could get to them and tell him Xavier is a fucking lightweight.”