Page 28 of Will & Patrick's Endless Honeymoon
“About?”
“About how lucky I am to be going to Hawaii.”
Patrick’s blue eyes sharpen. “And…?”
“And about how other people aren’t so lucky. Some people never get to go to the places they’ve dreamed of visiting. Some people get sick. Sometimes they die.”
Patrick snorts and unbuckles his seat belt, bending to rummage in the cooler of sandwiches and colas at their feet. He comes up with an egg salad sandwich and a Sprite for himself, as well as a PB&J and Coke for Will.
“Why is our romantic getaway inspiring such morbid thoughts?”
Will unwraps the sandwich and saves himself from answering by taking a large bite. Patrick buckles up again and eats his egg salad like he didn’t just put away a chicken wrap an hour ago.
Just when Will thinks he’s avoided revealing what he knows about Ryan, Patrick finishes his snack, washes it down with the last of his Sprite, and fixes Will with his probing eyes. “So?”
Sighing, Will takes a sip of Coke and shrugs. “It’s not a big deal.”
“What’s the problem? You wanted to go to Cabo? Or Baton Rouge?”
Will laughs.
“You wanted to see the great city of Cincinnati for our honeymoon? You had a hankering for London? Paris in the springtime? Even though it’s still summer?” Patrick’s eyes flicker vulnerably. “Did I screw it up?”
“No!” Will grabs Patrick’s hand and squeezes. “No. Hawaii is perfect. It’s exactly what I’d hoped for when I let myself be even a little bit specific in my fantasies.”
“Then what?”
Will wraps up the rest of his sandwich and caps the cola carefully. He clears his throat. “Well, Caitlin told me something before she left town and I can’t shake it out of my head.”
“Caitlin,” Patrick says slowly.
“Yeah. She said Hartley Kills Enemy was in town recently.”
Patrick’s lips purse. “I see.”
“And then she told me the rest.”
Patrick keeps his gaze on Will but doesn’t say anything.
“I’m not angry at you,” Will says reassuringly.
Patrick’s brows drop low. “Why would you be?”
“Because you didn’t tell me?”
“Why would I tell you?” Patrick throws up his hands. “It’d just make you sad and, look, I was right. Shocker.” He shakes his head, wadding up the egg salad wrapper and tossing it into the cooler. He takes Will’s half-eaten sandwich and puts it back too.
“Iamsad. I wish I didn’t know so I wouldn’t have to think about it.” Will’s gut tightens. “Does that make me a bad person?”
“No. There’s nothing you can do to help him.”
“I could take care of his hospital bills at least. So he doesn’t have to worry about that.”
Patrick waves that away. “I called the hospital he’s staying in when I first heard about it onThe Hurting Times. His care is covered.”
“How?”
Patrick raises a brow. “I have this thing called a salary and I’m allowed to do what I want with it.”
