Free Just Jack by Meredith Russell Page B

Mac was taller than him, a couple of inches over six foot, but those extra inches were intimidating with Mac so close.
    “You can get past this.”
    Opening his eyes, Leo looked into Mac’s hazel eyes. “That’s the thing, though. I shouldn’t have to.”
    Mac went to say more, but shut his mouth when the bathroom door opened and Nathan walked in.
    “Oh, hey, sorry. I can come back…” Nathan waved his hand toward the door.
    “Yeah, could you?” Mac said flatly.
    “It’s okay.” Leo slid from between Mac and the basin. “We’re done.”
    Mac tensed his jaw, but when Nathan didn’t leave, he chose to instead.
    Nathan flinched when Mac’s hands slapped the back of the door. “Charming as always.” Nathan glanced at Leo and raised one of his dark eyebrows. “Quite the catch you had there.”
    “Weird thing is, I didn’t think he’d care.”
    Nathan joined him at the sinks. “Care?”
    “Enough to want me back.”
    Nathan leaned back, dipping his head as he offered his opinion. “Do you know what most guys really want?”
    Was that a trick question? “Sex?”
    Laughing, Nathan shook his head. “Well, there is that, but mainly they want what they can’t have.” He folded his arms and expanded on his theory. “If he had you, he’d be looking for that next thing, that something different or better or younger or more exciting.”
    “So he wants me because he can’t have me?”
    “Basically. Plus you’ve been his safe zone for years. Always there to play with when he feels like it.”
    Leo looked up at the ceiling. When had safe become a bad thing? With ‘safe’ came security and love. Or that had been how he envisaged their relationship. He studied Nathan, who had remained at his side, though they had fallen into silence. Did Nathan want for more than he had? He and Ruby always seemed so much in love.
    “Is Ruby your safe? Do you look for more?”
    With a smile, Nathan took a moment to think about his answer. “Honestly, Ruby is safe, but then again, she isn’t. She challenges me and amazes me every day.”
    “So you don’t look?”
    Nathan grinned. “I’m a red-blooded male, of course I look. But the difference between Mac and me is I would never dream of touching. I’m more than happy with what I have, who I have. We went through hell to get here, and I would never do anything to jeopardize us. She is my everything.” Nathan blew out a breath and turned to Leo. “Right, are we supposed to hug or something now?”
    Laughing, Leo pushed Nathan away. He pressed his hand to his forehead and lifted his bangs. The laughter faded, and he was left with the stark realization he was walking away from someone he’d considered ‘safe’. “Can you promise me something?”
    “Sure.” Nathan settled back against the basin beside Leo and looked at him curiously.
    “Don’t let me go back to him.” He met Nathan’s eyes. Leo wouldn’t consider himself a weak person, but he had always been someone who found it hard to walk away. He just wanted everyone to be happy, to please everybody all the time. Too damn sweet, his mother had added to the mental list she kept on him. Too sweet, too sensitive, too quick to fall in love—she’d always warned him about people taking advantage, and considering his current situation, he guessed he should have paid more attention to his fruit loop mom.
    “I promise. Besides, Ruby would kill me, then you, and probably Mac for good measure.” He bumped his shoulder with Leo’s. “You’ll be okay; you know that, right?”
    Leo pursed his lips. “I guess.”
    “And if you’re not, well, you have me and Ruby.” Nathan screwed up his mouth thoughtfully. “Or you could go see your mom.”
    Leo snorted a laugh at the mention. Since she divorced Leo’s dad, his mom had taken an obsessive interest in all that New Age stuff. Her house was filled with crystals, and wind chimes and strings of shells hung all around her porch. She was happier than she had been in