"Morning!” 

Patrick was already at the dock when I approached the shore, rods in one hand, and a box of baits in the other. 

“Morning!” He answered cheerfully, looking surprisingly fresh, considering all the drinking the night before. “Have you seen Jack?”

“No, why?” I frowned, placing the equipment on the ground.

“His bed was empty when I woke up. I thought he was with you.”

I felt a sudden shiver coming down my spine. Had he done something stupid? Had I made a mistake letting him go last night? Maybe he wanted to tell me something, and I ruined everything. These forests weren’t safe at night, and the sun had barely risen above the mountains. 

“Did he leave a message? A note?” I asked, my chest tightening.

“Not to me.” Patrick pulled his phone from his pocket and shook his head. 

“Try calling.”

A flat, mechanical voice crackled from the phone speaker: “The subscriber is temporarily unavailable.”

No signal, of course. Most phones are as good as dead in these mountains. Crap…

“Stay where you are, I'll check around.”

“Shall I wake the others?” asked Partick, slightly disoriented.

“No. Not yet. Wait here in case he shows up. I'll be right back.”

I left my companion alone to make my way around the lodge. Tried calling Jack’s name once, twice - nothing but the echo of my voice against the hills.  Then I spotted it - a fresh set of footprints in the dew-covered grass.  That same tension from last night coiled in my chest again.

I followed the trail instinctively, breath tight in my lungs. It was leading down the slope towards the bank towering over the lake. I dived into the greenery, the light of day ripping through the bushes. And then his silhouette emerged from between the trees.

Jack was sitting at the edge of the cliff, his legs dangling, hands pressed to the ground behind him.

“Jack?” I almost ran toward him. 

He turned slowly. His eyes were swollen, dark-blond hair messy. He looked as if he hadn't slept. He was still wearing the shirt from last night. Noticing the goosebumps on his arms, I shrugged off my jacket and wrapped it around his shoulders.

“Jeez, I was worried. What are you doing out here?” 

His expression darkened.

“How can you still worry about me after what I did that night?”

My chest tightened. I froze. I hadn't thought he'd dare bring it up. My mind filled with pictures I had long buried in hopes of forgetting. 

Jack's face flushed with warmth, our hands grasping, our bodies moving in sync. The smell of sweat on his chest. The touch of his lips on my neck. The sound of his voice whispering my name in the dark. And then - nothing. Silence at dawn. The cold side of the bed where he should have been. 

“Let's say I've always been a hopeless case.”  I said, shrugging as I sat beside him. “And you've always been a coward.”

I tried to sound light - to deflect. But the anger still burned low, coating my voice in something bitter.

“I still am.” He sighed, his eyes drifting into empty space. “I'm sorry I ran away.”

Sorry? Six years of silence, and now he's sorry? 

“Let's be real, Jack. It didn't mean anything to you. You made a mistake. You moved on.”

“No,” he said, turning toward me. His voice cracked. “That’s not true.” His eyes were glassy, shimmering with guilt that looked a lot like grief.

A sudden rustle snapped our heads around. Patrick’s voice rang through the trees: “Barry? You there?”

I stood quickly, the world tilting for a second. Jack followed suit, tugging the jacket tighter around his shoulders.. Patrick pushed through the thick shrubs with Jared close behind him. 

“Sorry - I had to wake them. It was taking too long, pal,” Patrick said. His expression shifted from concern to relief. “There you are, man!”

“Yeah. I was wandering around. Sorry for the turmoil.” Jack said with embarrassment painted all over his face. 

“I thought you went fishing without me.” Patrick grinned. “Good to see you're okay.”

While the two of them were joking around, I caught Jared's gaze. He noticed my jacket resting on Jack's back. There was something sharp in his eyes - suspicion - but he didn't say anything. 

I felt tingling in my fingers and a sudden rush of blood, hurrying me to escape.

“Let’s head to the dock, shall we?” I said, brushing past them. “Changed your mind about fishing, Jared?” I added, forcing the shift.

“Nothing like fishing, man! Might as well try since that dumbass woke me up.” He replied playfully, not giving away any negative emotions. 

I felt his gaze lingering on me all morning. Each time I looked back at him, he just kept smiling. But it was the wrong kind of smile. Tight. Calculating. He knew something, noticed something, or just had a hunch. 

Either way, he was posing a threat. Not to me. No. I had nothing to lose in that game. Jack, on the other hand… he had a  whole life at stake. A life built on avoidance. On suppression. A life he had been carefully constructing for the past few years.