Protecting His Prince by Emily Carrington

Author:Emily Carrington [Carrington, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: BIN 10291-03342
Publisher: Changeling Press LLC
Published: 2022-03-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Jason dragged himself onto campus the next morning. Aaron had been up and cleaning furiously, refusing to talk to Jason but stopping his mad cleansing rush to kiss Jason’s cheek.

That peck on the cheek hurt just as much as Aaron’s silence. He’d never done less than kiss Jason full on the mouth, or at least not in the last ten years. And with their tenth wedding anniversary coming up, Jason felt as if he’d been slapped. The seven-year itch hadn’t touched them but maybe…

He closed his eyes and leaned against the door of his office for a moment. He’d come here early enough to have breakfast because Aaron’s mad cleaning spree had discouraged him from dirtying any dishes.

Oh, and that’s a lie, he thought. It’s not Aaron polishing the faucet or scrubbing down the fridge. Aaron’s silence is what was killing me and making it impossible to eat. Aaron’s distance.

Aaron only got quiet and tense when something was wrong. Well, and that was obvious, wasn’t it? Wasn’t that what most people did?

Not exactly. Jason, when he was upset, spouted to anyone who would listen, particularly if they were friends or family. He didn’t know why Aaron’s instinct was to pull into himself, but it was driving Jason nuts.

He opened his eyes and pushed himself resolutely away from the door. He strode down the hall and headed for the cafeteria one building over. He needed to eat something and no matter how much his stomach didn’t like it, food would help him maybe feel a little more like himself and less like a zombie’s cousin.

He drifted into the cafeteria and moved to the counter, meaning to order some comfort food, like waffles. But then he saw Mike Delaney ahead of him in line, registered the man’s drawn and exhausted look, and grabbed a bowl of oatmeal and a cup of coffee. It was strange but seeing the other man’s obvious struggle was better than waffles. It made Jason feel as if he wasn’t alone.

He followed Mike across the room and asked, as the other man sat at a table for two, “May I join you?”

Mike’s head snapped up and he frowned. “You startled me.”

“I’m sorry.”

Mike sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s not your fault. I’m in my own little world this morning. Sure, Jason, sit.”

Jason did so, sipping from his coffee as Mike poked at an egg on his plate. “Do you want to talk about it?” Here, he thought, was someone he could help. And maybe that would take his mind off his inability to communicate with his husband.

Mike used the side of his plastic fork to cut the egg into pieces. He stabbed one, chewed, and swallowed before speaking. “Do you have five minutes?”

Jason nodded. Because he’d skipped a leisurely breakfast with Aaron, sometimes followed by a quick tumble in the sack and an even faster shower, he was here a full hour early. He said, “My first class is at nine.”

Mike glanced at his watch, smiled a little, and admitted, “Mine too.

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