“Is yours?”
“It’s locked in my desk. I’m not looking at it until January 2nd.”
“That is long time.”
“Yes, well. I have my phone for emails and anything else can wait.”
“You are a principled man.”
“Not really. I just know what happens to me when I work myself into the ground.” Jonah swiped his phone screen to summon a car to take them home.
Sacha was silent, leaning against the wall. Any other time Jonah would’ve felt his keen gaze on him,rakingover him, studying him, the way only Sacha could. But not this time. Sacha could barely keep his eyes open.
Jonah took Sacha’s laptop to his own desk drawer and locked it inside. He returned to Sacha’s half smile.
“It is like you are taking me hostage.”
“Not you. Just your laptop.”
“Shame.”
Jonah smirked and pulled Sacha’s coat tighter around him, fastening the buttons. “Maybe next time. Come on. There should be a car downstairs any minute, my driver wasn’t far away.”
He took Sacha’s arm and guided him to the lift. Inside, it lurched downwards, shuddering, as it had become prone to doing since the breakdown that had brought them together.
Jonah smiled, but when he looked at Sacha, he was deathly pale, shielding his eyes from the overhead lights with one hand, while his other arm was wrapped tight around himself, holding himself together.
“Hey.” Jonah stepped into his personal space. “Lean on me.”
Sacha shook his head. “I’m okay.”
“Liar.” Jonah pushed Sacha’s hand away and guided his head down, pulling Sacha into an embrace that took some of his weight and allowed him to hide his face in Jonah’s shoulder.
Sacha was tight, rigid with pain. Jonah massaged the nape of his neck. Sacha moaned.
“Shh. It won’t take long to get home,” Jonah murmured as if Sacha didn’t know the distance between the office and his own flat. “It’s okay.”
The lift ride was over before Sacha could respond. Jonah slipped an arm around his waist and steered him out of the building into the waiting car. He gave the driver Sacha’s address and the luxury vehicle slipped soundlessly into the evening traffic.
Sacha hunched forward, hiding his face again. Jonah rubbed his back and kept quiet, mind spinning as he replayed the day’s events. While Blutecc had worked to the wire, it had been relatively serene on the FG side of the office. Deadlines were met, projects wrapped up, and they’d all been in the pub by lunchtime. Most of his team had been legless long before the Blutecc personnel had filtered in, but not Jonah. He’d stuck to tonic water, and he was thankful for it now. He’d never imagined the evening playing out quite like this, but he wasn’t sure a drunk version of himself would’ve thought to go back for Sacha, and the notion of Sacha being alone right now made him feel slightly ill.
You feel ill? Imagine what it’s like for him.
Jonah shivered, glad Sacha was paying him no heed.“…I was young…car accident…problem in my brain.”The only car accident Sacha had ever mentioned had been the one that had killed his mother. Never once had it occurred to Jonah that Sacha had been in that damn car with her, and he cursed himself for it now. Where else would he have been on a Saturday afternoon but with his mother?Idiot.
Maybe, and drunk Jonah might’ve let it run away with him, but with his head screwed on, Jonah knew it didn’t matter. Sacha hadn’t told him the details because he hadn’t wanted to. Hook-ups. Friends. Lovers. Whatever they were to each other, it wasn’t therapists.
The car pulled up outside Sacha’s building. Jonah thanked the driver and roused Sacha, helping him out. “I don’t know which flat is yours.”
“Twenty-three, like today.” Sacha found his keys and shuffled towards the entrance. “You can see my living room from the street.”
“Black curtains, right?”
“Of course.” Sacha opened the exterior door to the building. Another lift ride later, and they were outside his front door.
He slid his key into the lock with shaky hands. Jonah took over and let him inside. The door shut behind them and Sacha disappeared immediately into the bathroom, shutting Jonah out.
Giving him space, Jonah toed his shoes off and ventured further into Sacha’s home.