The Returnee

Chapter 10

"I can accept the proposal," Joey nodded, "Lee, did you bring a change of clothes today?"

"Do you see a bag? No. I wanted to go back to my hotel," Lee said, folding his hands over his arms defensively. "I'll bring one tomorrow as you keep forcing me to stay." And because there was no way Lee wasn't going to spend as much time with Colin as the man wanted. If that meant giving in to Joey's demands to stay with them, so be it.

"Not forcing you to do anything that you don't want to do," Joey's voice took on an almost offended tone, ruined by the sliver of amusement wriggling underneath Joey had played this game before. Unfortunately for Lee, he wasn't dancing to any new moves that Joey hadn't mastered with others. Hands pressed on his shoulders and rubbed as Devon passed over the phone to Joey. Who promptly offered it to Colin.

The man looked at the device as if it was going to explode at a wrong move.

"Now?" He looked over at the time. It was getting close to seven, and the window of opportunity would start to close soon.

Joey didn't say anything.

Colin took the phone. He didn't try to delay longer by claiming not to know the number. He dialled it and pressed the speaker button. The ringtone haunted the quiet air, everyone waiting. Devon's arms fell into a loose hug around Lee's shoulder, not restraining but there. That hint of leather ingrained in his skin reminded Lee of teenage rebellion and smoke-filled nights. He tried to relax, not to be as affected as Colin was by the wait for someone to answer.

It clicked.

"Winddale Farm, Matthew Stross speaking."

Matt didn't sound happy. His voice was deep and low with concern as he barked the words out with enough force to shatter glass and grindstone into dust. Lee wanted to hide behind the sofa. The last time he'd seen Matt, his skin had glowed blue in the moonlight. Strong hands had picked him up and kissed him senseless. It had been a beautiful night with the stars sparkling above them and the wilderness of the farm surrounding them. Lee had never wanted any of it to end. Soon after, he escaped into the night. He still had Matt's jacket in his suitcase. He kept meaning to send it, but he hadn't got around to it yet. If he stopped moving around all the time, he'd stop having an excuse.

"It's Colin."

Silence fizzled like a sparkler before it took a light.

"I'm safe. I'm at Joey's."

"We assumed recall or Joey's," The fizzle turned into a furious crackle of anger as evident as if Matt stood in front of them in person. Anger burned bright in Matt. He loved and cared with passion, and that passion had a nasty temper when pressed wrong. He didn't hit or get violent, but he didn't mince words, assuming he spoke at all.

Colin flinched back, eyes concerned at the level of anger thrumming at him. "I... left a note," his voice softened, eyes watering as some of what he had done sunk in. "I haven't booked a return flight."

Another silence for a moment. Joey shifted, body language turning serious and eyes narrowing at that declaration. That hadn't come up yet. Devon looked equally as flabbergasted. Colin wasn't planning to come home on a timeline, or possibly at all. Lee wanted to throw up as his stomach flipped.

"I see. Do you need someone to do it for you?" The knife twisted. The unsaid question swung closer to reality and to the end of something.

"No. I want to stay with Lee for a while," Colin sat back down in between Joey and Lee, reaching out to tangle their fingers together. Lee let him. He'd done this, and he was the cause of this. Joey rested a hand on his knee. "I'll come home when he'd bored of me." The knife pulled out, and blood rolled down out of the wound as Lee drowned in the sensation.