Page 67 of The Long Way Found

"You don't have to rush off after you get there."

"It's your party, your crew." Jack wouldn't quite meet his eyes. "They don't even know about me, do they?"

"Know what about you?"

Jack waved a hand dismissively. "Never mind. I'll manage."

"I thought you weren't in the closet at all."

"I'm not. Forget I asked." Jack ran a hand over his hair, still short but growing out. "And now my parents want to come visit next week, which is great, but the timing is terrible with everything happening at the university..."

Luke stepped closer. "Jack, stop."

Jack looked up.

Luke’s arms were crossed in front of him when he said, "Are you coming to the party or not?"

Silence. Just for a beat. But Luke saw the hesitation, the calculation happening behind Jack's eyes.

"Yes," Jack said finally. "I'm coming. I'll be there."

"You're sure?"

"Yes." More firmly this time. "I promise. I'll be there."

But something in his voice didn't match the words. Something careful and controlled, like he was saying what Luke needed to hear rather than what he actually believed.

Luke stepped closer and hugged him. "Jack. It's okay."

Jack's arms came around him, but didn't quite relax. His body was rigid, tense, as if hugging Luke were one more item on a checklist he needed to complete before getting back to campus.

"Let's just be cool about Friday," Jack said into Luke's shoulder.

Luke pulled back. "What do you mean, be cool about Friday? If you can't come because something important came up⁠—"

"I said I'm coming."

"Then what does 'be cool' mean?"

Jack's expression shuttered. "It means don't make this into a thing. Don't blow it up into something bigger than it is."

"It's my 40th birthday."

"I know that."

"And I want you there."

"I know." Jack's voice had an edge now, frustration bleeding through. "And I said I'll be there. Can we just... not do this right now?"

Luke felt a cold dread, and then a hot flash of … anger? He wasn’t sure. "Do what?"

"This. The checking in. The needing reassurance." Jack ran both hands over his face. "I've got a hundred things happening, and I'm trying to juggle all of it, and I just need you to trust that I'll handle it."

"I do trust you."

"Then stop asking."

The words hung there between them.