Red Hot(Sex & Mayhem #5)(105)

The pressure in Loki’s chest grew, and he grabbed the front of his own T-shirt. He wasn’t dying. He wasn’t dying. “You planned this? Why? Why would you do that?”

Richard swallowed and backed off into a corner. “I… Loki, things weren’t working out between us. And I found out you have this hematoma. How was I to let go of our relationship? I thought that it would elevate your mood if you thought it was cancer and then realized it was a hematoma. And then it wouldn’t hurt you as much when I broke up with you. It was supposed to be a few hours, but you vanished! I was so worried.” Richard wiped away a tear that trickled down his cheek.

“You told him he had cancer to have an easier breakup? I thought I was fucked in the head!” Jack roared and got to Richard before Loki could. Richard screamed again, but it was no use in avoiding a punch to the face.

Loki grabbed the back of the couch, immobilized by invisible roots holding him still. He felt sick, and if he’d had anything to eat, he’d probably vomit it along with any leftover affection for Richard. “And if I were a dog, you’d tie me to a tree deep in the woods and leave,” he uttered, shaking.

“No, no, no! It’s not like that at all!” Richard cried, trying to shield himself from Jack’s knuckles, but they landed wherever they could anyway. “Please! I tried to tell you!”

“You tried shit, you scum! Fuck you! Fuck you and your big fat lie! You could have wrecked his life!” Jack’s fists came down at a furious pace, and when a crackle of bone resonated through the room, Monster came up from behind and pulled on Jack’s arms. “This is not over! I can’t believe this shit!” Jack hissed, writhing in Monster’s lock and unable to wipe the fat tears streaking down his face.

Loki stared at him, breathless, and his feet carried him over to Jack. His head was pulsing like crazy, making him dizzy as he cupped that handsome, beloved face. Jack was crying for him.

“I’m gonna live,” he whispered, completely overwhelmed.

Jack looked away with a sniff. “I can donate blood if you need it for the surgery.” He could barely catch a breath as he spoke.

Monster frowned. “You can’t do that with HIV.”

Loki’s mouth dropped open. Oh, God, not now. When he’d lied to Lucy about Jack’s HIV status, it was just to keep her away, not for it to spread to other people. The gossip was like a virus itself. Then again, they did bareback all this time, and Jack didn’t have any qualms whatsoever about unprotected sex. Now that Loki was to live, the STD issue came back to bite him.

Jack pushed out of Monster’s hold and looked between Loki and Monster, ignoring Richard’s whimpers behind the sofa. “I don’t have HIV.” He frowned and wiped his eyes with his arm.

“How do you know?” uttered Loki mindlessly. A thick, coppery trickle slid down his lips, and he cursed, pulling up his shirt to stop the bleeding.

“I… I mean, I’m healthy. Can’t even remember the last time I had a cold or whatever.” Jack took deep breaths, making Loki want nothing more but to hug him.

“That’s not how it works,” whispered Loki, chilled despite the fact that he wasn’t a dead man walking anymore.

“Fuck you! You’re the one who wanted to go bareback,” Jack lowered his voice for the last words. “You don’t have to take my blood if you don’t want to. You’ve got your whole life in front of you now, so you can do whatever you want.”

Loki exhaled and pushed his face against Jack’s beard. “Babe, calm down,” he whispered.

Jack put his arms around Loki so hard the pressure on his ribs was bordering on uncomfortable, but Loki wasn’t about to complain.

“Where did you come up with this HIV shit?” Jack groaned to Monster, and Loki closed his eyes, not really anticipating the answer.

“Loki said so.”

Jack grabbed Loki’s arms and pulled him away to look into his eyes. “You’re fucked in the head.”

Loki gasped. “I— it was long ago... I didn’t want Lucy to take you away from me,” he muttered.

“That’s why no girls wanted to fuck me. You fucking weasel!” Jack took a deep breath through his teeth.

“Sorry.” Loki swallowed, but deep down, as horrible as he felt about everyone talking behind Jack’s back, he was happy the gossip worked. If Jack had girls to fuck, would he dedicate so much attention to Loki?

“This is not over!” Jack squinted at Loki and pulled out his phone to tap something on the screen.

“Don’t hit me too hard?” Loki chewed on his lip and looked down, suddenly cold. Would Jack want to leave him now? A few months’ commitment was not the same as something long-term.