Page 50 of The Road Home
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Jared heard the shower shut off down the hall and took another deep breath. He'd spent the last ten minutes thinking about Orson standing under the stream of hot water, imagining what he would look like. He didn't have to imagine too much, he'd seen him practically naked already, but that had been in a more professional sense. The thoughts he was having were hardly professional.
He hadn't stopped thinking about Orson that way since the kiss. It was all he could do to keep his distance and not pull him into his arms.
They'd spent the day running errands and then finally made it back to the hospital. He'd left Orson with Harry for a few hours while he went and did his own thing. As much as he wanted to stay with him, Orson needed the time with Harry.
It was going to be a long recovery for Harry. They still weren’t sure why his hearing was gone. There was no visible issue with the inner ears which meant they now had to look at the brain and nerves. It was a long process, but one that hopefully would tell them what was going on.
Jared was glad Orson seemed to calm Harry and talk him down from his panic. When they'd told him that they didn't know what was wrong, even after the tests they'd run all morning, Harry had looked like he was going to lose it again. Jared didn't blame him. He couldn't imagine suddenly going deaf and not having a reason why, or a way to know if it was something long-term or not.
Orson had asked a million questions when he'd picked him up from the hospital, questions Jared couldn't answer. It was just a matter of wait and see.
Turning his focus back to getting ready for their dinner with Richard and Tyler, Jared tried not to think about Orson in the bathroom down the hall. He almost wished he hadn't bought stuff for that bathroom and was still letting Orson use his. He liked walking in after and catching his scent. There was an intimacy about sharing a bathroom, and now that they weren't, he missed it.
"I'll be ready in just a few minutes," Orson called as he passed by Jared's room to his own.
"No rush. We have time yet." Jared had debated on canceling the dinner, but Orson insisted they go. Harry was fine on his own now that Jared had brought in a stack of books for him to read that he'd found in the visitors' lounge.
Orson said he'd wanted to get to know his new boss, and he didn't want the first time they were to meet to be canceled and make Richard worry that he would miss work all the time and not keep his schedule as planned.
Jared assured him that Richard would understand, but let the final decision be Orson's.
As busy as they'd been all day, Jared was still looking forward to the dinner. He didn't get out with friends often, and tonight, having Orson with him made it that much better.
He sighed. Somehow, he needed to stop thinking about Orson the way he was. He was a friend, a roommate. Nothing more. The two of them would go off on their own someday. Orson would meet someone and start a relationship. He needed to think about that. Orson deserved someone who could go out with him in public, who wasn't hiding and afraid. He'd given up his family to live that life, and Jared couldn't ask him to take a step back now just because he wanted him.
After checking his appearance in the mirror one last time, he headed out to the den, taking a seat on the couch to wait for Orson. He was excited for Orson to meet Richard and Tyler, especially after hearing that Tyler had been homeless for a while and that others who worked for Richard lived on the streets too. Hopefully, that would help Orson feel more comfortable. Jared could never understand what Orson had been through, but the others could. He glanced up as Orson walked into the room. His gaze traveled over him, taking in the new jeans and nice button-down shirt he wore. "You look amazing." He fought the urge to stand and go to Orson.
"Thanks, so do you. I'm still not used to having nice clothes. Thank you again for buying me these."
"You're welcome. They look great on you." He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees.
"Are you sure this is good enough for where we are going? You said it was formal dining."
"It's formal, but casual is acceptable there. It's high-class food, but a comfortable atmosphere. You're fine just the way you are." He stood, unable to resist being close to Orson any longer. "You shaved." He ran his knuckles over Orson's chin where up until today he'd kept a small amount of beard on his face. The bare skin made Orson look even younger than he already did. The thin scar from the cut he'd stitched was hardly noticeable.
"Yeah, I figured I'd try it." Orson ran his hand over his face. "Is it bad?"
"No, not at all. Just different. I like it." Jared ran his hand over his own slightly bearded face. "Maybe I'll try it."
"Don't. I like this." Orson reached up and cupped his hand to Jared's chin, holding it there.
Jared stilled, enjoying the feel of Orson's hand against his face. He leaned into his touch. "You do?"
Orson nodded, staring up into Jared's eyes. "Yeah."
The two held eye-contact for several moments, just like they had before Orson had kissed him the other night.
The memory had Jared's body responding, and before more could happen, he stepped back, putting distance between them again. "I guess we better go."
"Sure." Orson turned, walking toward the door.
Jared watched him, hoping he wasn't offending Orson by not responding more. He just couldn't. As much as he wanted to, he just couldn't be what Orson needed. He deserved so much more. In no time, he'd meet someone at the gym and forget about him. As much as that hurt to think about, it was the right thing to happen. Jared was better off alone.
"So, anything I need to know about your friends?" Orson asked as they got on the road.
"No, not really. Richard is a biker. He rides a lot. I know he's got some kind of motorcycle group he rides with. He owns two gyms. The second one just opened recently. As for Tyler, I don't know a lot about him. I found out just the other day he'd been homeless for a while and that he was a mechanic now. I don't know much more than that."
