just_1_word | 16.6. Jacket
16.6. Jacket
[Follows THIS and THIS]
Lachlan gently tucked a warm blanket around his sleeping wife on the sofa and brushed her hair back off her face to kiss her forehead. He rose and glanced at the clock. It was still a good two hours before his in-laws would bring the baby back. Two hours too long. Lachlan missed him and he knew both he and Tara needed the wee one right now. He picked up the cordless phone from near the television and walked quietly out of the living room, careful his footfalls made little noise to wake her up. She needed to rest. They both did and he really wanted to wrap himself around her on that sofa and forget the world existed, but he couldn’t. The world didn’t stop, despite their pain.
He pulled a jersey on and went out onto their back porch, dialling in a number he now knew by heart from trying to call it over and over earlier. He hadn't bothered with messages then, but he swore if the voicemail picked up again, this time he would say something. He had to. It was either that or drive to New York and shove the phone up Aiden’s arse.
Inevitably, ‘You've reached Aiden Lewis of Lewis & Co. I'm not available to take your call, so leave a message. I'll get back to you.’ Lachlan emitted a soft growl, shaking his head. “Fucking hell,” he muttered, waiting for the beep. “Look, Aiden, it’s Lachlan. I dinnae know if you’re screening your calls or doing something I would best nay know about, but just listen, aye? I know you have this bloody thing with Pat kissing Riley and whatever the feck has stemmed from it, but you need to take your cock in your hand get the feck over it, aye? You need to come to Princeton, ASAP. Pat’s been admitted to hospital again. I had him at his doctor’s for an appointment and he blacked out. Couldnae rouse him for close to two minutes, so he had to be admitted. I dinnae care about the kiss or how much it hurt. I know it did, aye. But this hurts more. Pat’s sick. You’re his lover and you arenae here with him. Get your arse to Princeton Plainsboro before I have to hurt you. And I fecking will, Aiden. He needs you.” He angrily hit the red button on the phone to end the call. He liked Aiden, he really did, but whatever was keeping him from Pat couldn’t possibly be enough for him not to come to Pat’s side when he was ill.
Lachlan had to take a few bracing breaths to calm down. He didn’t ever get easily angry but the shock of seeing his jacket had him on edge and upset. Seeing Tara upset just increased the feelings ten-fold and their son being away from them for the first day since he was out of hospital just didn't help either. The jacket was now sitting shoved in a brown paper bag by the front door. He didn’t want it in sight and he didn’t want Tara to be the one to get rid of it.
He tried to fight off the urge to have a cigarette. He quit months ago, but it was the emotional and upsetting times where the nicotine craving seemed to try and attack him all over again. He dialed in another number and realised his hands were shaking in the wake of the shock. Another voicemail. Didn’t anyone ever pick up these days?! “Riley, it’s me. I need a favour. Can you come pick me up to drive me into town? I know you’re right in the middle of packing to move, but I really need your help. Tara found the jacket… my jacket… the jacket. The one I was wearing...” He stopped to clear his throat and when he spoke again, his voice was hoarse. “I was going to ask if you could throw it out with the shit you were getting rid of in the move, but I doubt the Princeton waste management department would appreciate a blood-stained jacket from a crime showing up in their bins. So, I… I need to take it to the police station. They can put it with their evidence and shit from that. Only, I cannae do it alone. I cannae. I dinnae need Tara to deal with it again. Can you take me? Call me back when you get this, aye? I’m sorry to be a pest, buddy. Cheers.”
Lachlan ended the call and put the phone on the windowsill so he could put his hands over his face. He sucked in a shaky, rough breath and let it out slowly. Chase and Pat both in hospital, a wee baby to care for now, a wife who was still weak from the toll the birth took. He had to stay strong. It couldn’t be one of those times he let himself break so he could pick the pieces up again later. One last call should help. It would certainly ease some of the ache in his heart. He picked up the phone to dial again and was relieved he got an answer this time. “Aye, Mum? I know it’s your wee day with Riley and we really love that you’ve taken him to give us some time together, but do you think you could bring him back a wee bit early? We miss him…”
All muses referenced with permission and are part of the princeton2nyc universe
Word Count | 901
[Follows THIS and THIS]
Lachlan gently tucked a warm blanket around his sleeping wife on the sofa and brushed her hair back off her face to kiss her forehead. He rose and glanced at the clock. It was still a good two hours before his in-laws would bring the baby back. Two hours too long. Lachlan missed him and he knew both he and Tara needed the wee one right now. He picked up the cordless phone from near the television and walked quietly out of the living room, careful his footfalls made little noise to wake her up. She needed to rest. They both did and he really wanted to wrap himself around her on that sofa and forget the world existed, but he couldn’t. The world didn’t stop, despite their pain.
He pulled a jersey on and went out onto their back porch, dialling in a number he now knew by heart from trying to call it over and over earlier. He hadn't bothered with messages then, but he swore if the voicemail picked up again, this time he would say something. He had to. It was either that or drive to New York and shove the phone up Aiden’s arse.
Inevitably, ‘You've reached Aiden Lewis of Lewis & Co. I'm not available to take your call, so leave a message. I'll get back to you.’ Lachlan emitted a soft growl, shaking his head. “Fucking hell,” he muttered, waiting for the beep. “Look, Aiden, it’s Lachlan. I dinnae know if you’re screening your calls or doing something I would best nay know about, but just listen, aye? I know you have this bloody thing with Pat kissing Riley and whatever the feck has stemmed from it, but you need to take your cock in your hand get the feck over it, aye? You need to come to Princeton, ASAP. Pat’s been admitted to hospital again. I had him at his doctor’s for an appointment and he blacked out. Couldnae rouse him for close to two minutes, so he had to be admitted. I dinnae care about the kiss or how much it hurt. I know it did, aye. But this hurts more. Pat’s sick. You’re his lover and you arenae here with him. Get your arse to Princeton Plainsboro before I have to hurt you. And I fecking will, Aiden. He needs you.” He angrily hit the red button on the phone to end the call. He liked Aiden, he really did, but whatever was keeping him from Pat couldn’t possibly be enough for him not to come to Pat’s side when he was ill.
Lachlan had to take a few bracing breaths to calm down. He didn’t ever get easily angry but the shock of seeing his jacket had him on edge and upset. Seeing Tara upset just increased the feelings ten-fold and their son being away from them for the first day since he was out of hospital just didn't help either. The jacket was now sitting shoved in a brown paper bag by the front door. He didn’t want it in sight and he didn’t want Tara to be the one to get rid of it.
He tried to fight off the urge to have a cigarette. He quit months ago, but it was the emotional and upsetting times where the nicotine craving seemed to try and attack him all over again. He dialed in another number and realised his hands were shaking in the wake of the shock. Another voicemail. Didn’t anyone ever pick up these days?! “Riley, it’s me. I need a favour. Can you come pick me up to drive me into town? I know you’re right in the middle of packing to move, but I really need your help. Tara found the jacket… my jacket… the jacket. The one I was wearing...” He stopped to clear his throat and when he spoke again, his voice was hoarse. “I was going to ask if you could throw it out with the shit you were getting rid of in the move, but I doubt the Princeton waste management department would appreciate a blood-stained jacket from a crime showing up in their bins. So, I… I need to take it to the police station. They can put it with their evidence and shit from that. Only, I cannae do it alone. I cannae. I dinnae need Tara to deal with it again. Can you take me? Call me back when you get this, aye? I’m sorry to be a pest, buddy. Cheers.”
Lachlan ended the call and put the phone on the windowsill so he could put his hands over his face. He sucked in a shaky, rough breath and let it out slowly. Chase and Pat both in hospital, a wee baby to care for now, a wife who was still weak from the toll the birth took. He had to stay strong. It couldn’t be one of those times he let himself break so he could pick the pieces up again later. One last call should help. It would certainly ease some of the ache in his heart. He picked up the phone to dial again and was relieved he got an answer this time. “Aye, Mum? I know it’s your wee day with Riley and we really love that you’ve taken him to give us some time together, but do you think you could bring him back a wee bit early? We miss him…”
All muses referenced with permission and are part of the princeton2nyc universe
Word Count | 901