Catalyst (Connectivity Book 2) Read online

  Travis took that moment to pry Josh off his boyfriend, with a predatory look on his face. “Um, dude? I love you and all, but you have your own man. Go hug him. This one is mine.” He wrapped himself around Jersey while everyone hooted at his show of ownership. Jersey laughed happily and Travis preened upon hearing the sound.

  “So, I’m yours now, huh?” Jersey asked with a happy twinkle in his eyes as he looked back at him.

  Travis nodded and smoothed his hands over Jersey’s hair and cupped his cheeks, staring back into his eyes. “Yeah, you’re totally mine now,” he replied and bent down to press a soft kiss to Jersey’s welcoming lips.

  “Aww. They’re almost as bad as we are on the sap-o-meter,” Josh interrupted and they both turned their heads to glare at him. “Ha ha ha,” he laughed joyously. “Now you know what it was like when you would interrupt us,” Josh cheered and hugged his husband happily.

  “So, you guys are like the real deal now, huh?” Cory asked with his arm still wrapped behind Josh’s back.

  Travis wrapped his arms around Jersey from behind and kissed his neck as Jersey nodded and laced their fingers together over his stomach. “Yeah. We’re not walking down the aisle or anything but we’re definitely the real deal. I’m not sure there are many people who could beat your record for getting to the altar,” Jersey teased and Travis smiled against his neck. Jersey reached his right hand up to hold the back of Travis’s head over his shoulder, and Travis squeezed him affectionately in return.

  “Josh?” Brian called from somewhere inside the doorway. “I thought you guys were—Oh. Hey, Jersey. Hi, Travis. I didn’t know you guys were here already,” Brian said as he bypassed the mattress and stepped out to greet them with handshakes.

  “They’ve only been here a few minutes and we just stopped to chat for a sec,” Josh explained to his dad. He turned back to them. “You guys ready to work? It looks like rain is headed our way and I’d rather not be moving a whole house worth of stuff in a downpour.”

  “We just said the same thing as we were walking up,” Jersey replied. “Show us what needs to get done. I know you guys probably can’t be going back and forth up and down the stairs, so Trav and I can tackle whatever needs to be done up there. Just remember that I’m a sapling and someone else will have to do the heavy lifting,” Jersey said and they all chuckled as Brian nodded and directed them to their tasks.

  ~

  Hours later, the moving truck was loaded to the gills, and Travis followed the procession across town to Brian and Monica’s new home.

  He stopped at the curb in front of, who he figured, were neighbors, and he and Jersey climbed out of the truck. Jersey reached for his hand and they walked up to the small single-story house that was only two streets down from Cory’s parents’ home.

  The house was a faded blue color with peeling white trim and a red door. The storm door seemed to have a torn screen and most of the hedges planted under the windows were wildly unmaintained. The wood shake roof, along with the brick fascia, were covered in moss and Travis wondered what year the house was built; he didn’t see a garage and the single-paned windows appeared to be original.

  “Not much to look at, huh?” Josh said as he and Cory met them on the curb and they all looked at the house as Brian attempted to back the truck into the small driveway. “The last owners were quite elderly and when the woman passed away, the family moved the man into a living center. Their kids were supposed to be tending the place, but just got caught up in their own family lives and the house just fell to the side. It’s been vacant for months and the elderly couple weren’t doing a great job maintaining it prior to that. Dad and Monica are actually really excited to fix the place up. Since neither of them are going back to work anytime soon, they have tons of time to work on it. The only major thing they hesitated over was the age of the house,” Josh explained.

  “It was one of the original homes in the area and was built in the early nineteen hundreds. It’s been updated since then, but that was when the previous owners first bought it, forty years ago. It’s probably going to need to be fairly well stripped, but they loved the lot and how close it was to Jim and Diane, and of course, Cory and I. But we won’t be living over Tony’s forever. I think they’ll be happy here for a long time, though. You guys want a quick tour?” Josh asked and they followed him up the moss-covered brick walkway.

  Josh showed them around the dated interior and took them out to the backyard, and Travis had to admit the yard was a bit of a jungle. There were a couple of trees that stood in the yard and a few large limbs poked over the fence from the neighboring yards, but the thing that caught Travis’s eye was the huge plot of cleared land near the back of the yard. It looked like it might have been for a garden at one time and there was also a large shed-like structure that was slowly being taken over by vines and blackberry bramble.

  “What’s that?” Travis asked, pointing to the building.

  “Oh, years ago, they used to have chickens. It’s a chicken coop. And they loved to garden. That’s why the land is cleared over there. I actually think there are some wild tomato plants growing around the back there somewhere.” Josh pointed off toward the back of the yard. “The rest of the yard is way overgrown but they sure loved their garden area. I think Monica is hoping to clean up the coop and actually get some chickens, but we’ll see. Obviously, it won’t be for a while. But, why don’t we head back out to the front? The others should be here soon and I know my dad ordered a crap ton of pizza for everyone for lunch.”

  Everyone nodded and he and Jersey followed Josh and Cory down the path along the side of the house and through a rotting wooden gate.

  Brian and Monica had opted to park the truck along the curb and they were pulling out the long ramp they’d all used for easier loading access. They all chatted for a minute about the plan for the rest of the unloading and before too long, several more cars joined the others on the street and Travis’s baseball buddies piled out. Cory’s parents appeared moments later, on foot, as they walked down the street.

  Hugs and back-slaps were passed around and Travis introduced Jersey to the new faces with pride in his voice. Jersey was an amazing man and he hoped everyone else would recognize that as well. He definitely got lots of questioning and surprised looks from a few of the guys, but those that would have had anything to say held in any comments.

  “So, you’re dating Josh’s best friend, huh?” Jake asked teasingly after they’d hugged it out. “Jersey, does Josh have any more friends that are girls? ‘Cause my love life is in the dumps, man.”

  Travis and Jersey laughed. “What happened to the girl at the library?” Travis asked remembering his conversation with Jake weeks ago about someone he had been interested in.

  “Yeah, she’s great,” he said in a wistful voice. “And so is her boyfriend.” Jake snickered and hung his head in defeat. “I’m telling you, man. You dudes all dating dudes, maybe I need to dip a toe in the water, you know? See what that’s about.”

  Travis’s eyes about popped out of his head at what Jake was suggesting.

  “Dude!” Jake roared with laughter. “You should see your face right now!” Loud guffaws rolled out of Jake’s chest and he wheezed as he tried to catch his breath. Everyone looked over to see what was so funny and Travis waved them off.

  “Jerk,” Travis muttered to a still chuckling Jake. “You about scandalized my brain. I can't even picture you looking at a guy that way,” he said. “Me on the other hand...” He moved into Jersey’s space and slowly bent lower, sensually wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and snuggling into his embrace, while nosing the hair off Jersey’s neck so he could trail kisses along the exposed skin at the collar of the shirt. Jersey laughed but the sound choked off as Travis sucked his earlobe into his mouth and nipped it with his teeth. “I could definitely look at you that way,” Travis whispered into Jersey’s ear, and he swore he heard a small moan escape him as he shivered.

  “Dude. Not cool,” Jake said, sound
ing nonplussed and reminding him of where they were. He pulled back and looked down at Jersey’s expression. Jersey pushed up on his toes and kissed him soundly as Jake rambled on about showing off and rubbing it in his face that he didn’t have anyone and would he quit making out with his boyfriend. Travis ignored him and grinned against Jersey’s mouth as someone yelled out for them to get a room. Travis flipped whoever it was the bird, but pulled away nonetheless. Jersey smiled up at him then wrapped his arms around Travis’s waist as they focused back on Jake, who had his hands on his hips and his toe tapping the ground.

  “Serves you right,” Travis stated just as someone called out that the pizzas had arrived.

  They all cracked up laughing and joined the rest of the crowd as a small folding table appeared out of nowhere and a stack of paper plates was placed next to a mountain of pizza boxes. A few cases of soda landed under the table and loud conversation and laughter filled the area as the “moving crew” fueled up for the last leg of the day.

  ~

  Unfortunately, the weather caught up to them about halfway through the unloading and rain fell from the sky. Brian and Monica dug through some boxes and towels were pulled out to dry things off as they were brought inside. Brian directed the show of which things were to go where, while the baseball guys did the heavy lifting and unloading. Josh and Cory worked as a team, softly strategizing over which items to take so they could remain close to each other and Travis worked with Liam again, moving the heaviest furniture pieces.

  Everyone was fairly well soaked and Jersey’s hair clung to his face as water dripped from the long strands. Travis thought he looked sexy with his black shirt clinging to his small frame as water droplets gathered on his dark eyelashes. As Travis and Liam crossed the grass toward the front door, carrying a desk, Jersey veered off the walkway and came right over to Travis. He didn’t stop their progress, but put his hands on either side of Travis’s head and pushed up to speak into his ear.

  “You look hot as fuck in your wet T-shirt.” Then he let go and sauntered away, peeking over his shoulder to catch Travis’s eye. He winked as Travis stared after him and Liam laughed as Travis stumbled over the edge of the walkway. He glared at Liam and Liam laughed harder, regripping the desk as he lost his composure.

  Jersey was a little minx. Travis knew he’d be picturing that scene on replay in his brain for the rest of the day. If Jersey wanted to play that game, Travis was going to fight fire with fire.

  After they maneuvered the desk into the living room, Jake and Aiden took over, following Monica’s instructions of where the desk should go from there. Travis ignored it, focusing on his comeback to Jersey instead.

  He and Liam headed back outside, just as Travis got a brilliant idea.

  He approached the end of the walkway, just as Jersey appeared at the open end of the truck with a large box in his hands. Travis lifted the hem of his shirt and drew it up over his head, intent on playing up his assets. Jersey looked over, and Travis watched as his eyes widened and he took a few steps down the ramp, then slipped and fell backward with a shout, and the box that he’d been carrying, landed right on top of him.

  “Jersey!” Travis bellowed hysterically and sprinted the short distance, everything else completely forgotten. His heart squeezed and stuttered in his chest for the few endless seconds it took him to reach his man and he leapt up onto the ramp, shoving the box off Jersey’s body. “Shit, shit, shit. Ah shit,” Travis muttered frantically as he realized that Jersey wasn’t moving. Others were there too but Travis couldn’t be bothered as he knelt around Jersey’s listless body, panic creeping in.

  After what felt like years, Jersey groaned and shifted ever so slightly. Brian was there saying something about not moving him, but Travis’s heart pounded painfully, urging him to gather his man into his arms and never let him go. The groan that escaped Jersey’s lips was a sound Travis didn’t think he’d ever forget.

  Jersey’s eyes blinked several times and he whimpered as he lifted his right hand, grimacing in pain.

  Travis had to touch him.

  Brushing the hair off his face and gently running his fingers over Jersey’s forehead and cheeks, Travis leaned over him. “Jersey?” his voice cracked. “Baby, I’m here,” he said looking into his eyes. His pupils were fine, but Travis wasn’t sure he was actually seeing him.

  Jersey tried to sit up slightly and groaned as he moved. Travis immediately shifted to support his weight and cradled his head gently. The ramp was narrow but Travis slid over so he could get more of himself under Jersey’s head to help provide support. Blankets were handed over and someone covered Jersey as the rain continued to fall.

  Brian and Liam helped from the other side of the ramp while Travis squeezed out a breath of air. Jersey whimpered and cradled his right hand to his chest and Travis was vaguely aware of Jim and Diane directing everyone to keep quiet and give them space. A quick glance showed just about everyone huddled close on the curb, Josh and Cory were behind Travis, and Jake knelt on the upper part of the ramp, ready to jump in and support Jersey if need be.

  “Trav?” Jersey groaned, squinting as the rain ran into his eyes and he looked around at everyone, then focused back on him.

  “I’m here, babe. I’m here.” Travis petted him, brushing away the raindrops from his face. “You slipped on the ramp since it’s raining and you hit your head pretty bad. Does your arm hurt?” Travis questioned, brushing Jersey’s hair off his face. He cupped his cheek and placed his other hand lightly on Jersey’s leg. An umbrella appeared over their heads and, belatedly, Travis realized a blanket had been draped over his shoulders as well.

  “I fell?” Jersey asked, sounding confused and hurt. “Why are we on the ground and why is it so wet? My arm hurts and my head…” he trailed off, making a small moaning sound as he lifted his uninjured hand up to the back of his head. Brian had already checked him out and Jersey wasn’t bleeding anywhere, but Travis could only imagine the pain he was in.

  “It’s raining, babe,” Travis said again and his voice shook. “You slipped on the ramp because it was wet. I know your head hurts. You probably have a concussion from when you hit it on the ramp. Brian?” he asked worriedly, finally moving his focus off Jersey. “Should we take him to the hospital?”

  “At the very least an Urgent Care,” Brian replied. “We can deal with a concussion, but I’m worried about that arm. Jersey?” he said, turning his attention to him. “We’re going to move you inside so you can rest for a little while, then we need to get you checked out at an Urgent Care. Is it okay if we move you inside?”

  “Why are we out here? My arm hurts. Trav, it hurts. My head…” he trailed off, leaning into Travis’s chest, groaning a bit more.

  “I know, sweetie. We’ll get you taken care of. I’m right here and I’m going to take you inside, okay?” Jersey nodded ever so slightly, then groaned again. Travis tried to keep his heart from twisting at the sound but it was just not possible. His beautiful man was seriously injured and Travis felt powerless to do anything about it.

  Carefully, with the help of several others, he gathered Jersey into his arms and slowly descended the ramp, heading up the walkway toward the house. The door was already open, and Travis entered the living room. They were all dripping wet, and Jersey was shivering. Monica cranked on the heat and did her best to dry them off, but with the move and everything packed, what they needed wasn’t readily available.

  Travis sat on the sofa after Monica insisted, and he cradled Jersey to his chest. He pressed an untold number of kisses to Jersey’s head and did his best to remain still, so as not to jostle him too much.

  Everyone fluttered about, torn between staying to help them or getting on with the moving. Jim was quick to read the situation and urged everyone to get back to what they’d been doing, promising that Jersey was being taken care of.

  Liam appeared and handed a sweatshirt to him, explaining that it was from his gym bag in his car. It was clean and better than nothing, so with a bit
of help and a few whimpered protests, they were able to get Jersey out of his wet shirt and into the warmer sweatshirt. It was huge on his small frame, but Travis quickly thanked Liam for his consideration.

  “Hey, you guys,” Josh said softly as he and Cory approached from the kitchen carrying a glass of water. Josh knelt down next to Jersey. “I called your mom, Jersey, and she’s on her way. She freaked out a little, of course, but she’s bringing a change of clothes and I’m sure she’ll want to go with you to the Urgent Care. Can we get you guys anything? I know there’s not much available right now and we’re all soaked, but Monica and Diane are looking for more blankets.” He paused for a minute, and Travis noticed for the first time that Josh actually looked pretty freaked. His usually even-tempered persona was frayed around the edges. Travis hadn’t really paid any attention to anything but Jersey since that first moment, but he was sorry to see Josh so frazzled. “Jersey? Do you think you can take a drink of water?”

  Cory handed over the glass, and Travis steadied it as he took a small sip with his left hand. Liam and Jake stood anxiously near the end of the sofa, and Cory took the glass back once Jersey was through. Someone called Josh over and he got up for a second. Travis focused on rubbing small circles on Jersey’s back and tried to murmur to him softly and reassuringly, even though he himself was still freaked the fuck out. Josh reappeared with something in his hand.

  “One of the guys remembered he had a small first-aid kit in his trunk and he found an instant ice-pack. It was only one, but maybe you can switch it between your head and your arm,” Josh said and cleared his throat as his eyes misted a little. “I’m so sorry we don’t have anything else right now, J.” He placed his hand on Jersey’s thigh and Cory placed his hand on Josh’s shoulder. They were all pretty wrecked and doing their best to lean on each other for support.

  With more help than they probably needed, they got the ice pack situated for Jersey’s wrist and everyone just huddled around, doing their best to offer their support but also trying not to be in the way.