Page 20 of Ring Rust

Ryan’s pencil snapped in his hand, and he narrowed his body behind the closest tree, hoping they’d think the noise was just an animal. Neither of them noticed, lost in the conversation that had started out so boring and ended with that idiot asking Jasper out with an undeserved level of confidence.

“Coffee could be fun,” Jasper said, and with slightly less enthusiasm than Ryan imagined Logan was hoping for. “I’ll let you know.”

“Great.”

Ryan stayed put, watching the two of them chat. He was barely watching Jasper, focusing his energy on Logan and staring at him like a creep. He was essentially stalking a man hedidn’t know because he had the audacity to work a job he’d been hired to do, and Ryan knew that. But right now, he didn’t care.

He should have just snuck out of the park and gone home. Sulked on Beni’s living room floor or headed to Boston to bring someone to his apartment, since Jasper was clearly moving on. Either option would have been more reasonable—less creepy, at least.

Instead, he tortured himself. Logan picked up the tools he’d left on the ground, sorted out his tool belt, and walked down the eastern trail that led to the restaurant, gesturing at buildings and attractions. Jasper nodded, pretending to be impressed. He would have laughed if he hadn’t been worried the reason for Jasper’s false awe was to get Logan to like him. It wasn’t a rational concern, because it was clear Jasper was becoming increasingly worried about the state of the park, if his poorly hidden inspections of Logan’s handiwork were anything to go by, but Ryan wasn’t in a very rational place right now.

He continued following them from a distance.

“This is where I think we can line a bunch of extension cords. We’re pretty close to that building, there,” Logan said, pointing at a restroom about fifty feet away.

Jasper rubbed his chin. “Is that safe?”

“I wrap them with electrical tape.” Logan tapped his temple. “Less likely to light on fire that way.”

“I don’t, uh…” Jasper trailed off, swallowing and nodding. “Okay.”

Ryan clenched his jaw to stop himself from screaming, both from the stupidity of Logan’s comments and that he was putting Jasper in this position, knowing he struggled to stand up for himself.

Or, had. Until a few weeks ago.

They eventually reached the short fence that lined a gently sloped hill. It had been rotting for years, and Jasper hadcomplained about it, worried he’d end up with a lawsuit on his hands if someone leaned against it. Ryan had started some repairs but never finished them, being called out for an extended tour last summer. His gut soured at the memory.

Now Logan was working on it, walking through the steps of the project with Jasper. It took everything in Ryan’s power to stay quiet as he watched Logan take one of the fence posts from the ground and place it in the hole Warren had dug. It was clear to Ryan the depth wasn’t even close to the frost line, which he may have been able to let slide if he’d been in a better mood. But when Warren began filling the hole with loose dirt, Ryan had to close his eyes and focus on his breathing. Logan stamped down on it, Warren added more dirt, then Logan stamped down again before giving it a little shake. He spread his worthless, incapable hands out and lifted his chin, begging for praise.

“Is that… safe?” Jasper asked, watching the post wiggle back and forth. “It doesn’t seem any more secure than the old fence.”

"Seems solid enough,” Logan said, patting it like a horse’s rump.

Warren nodded, then they both moved to the next post.

It was too much. All of it. Ryan couldn’t hold back and burst out of the forest, making a beeline to Logan. “You’re done here,” he shouted.

All three men jumped and turned around. Logan pressed a hand to his chest. “Jesus! What the hell?”

“I said you’re done here.”

“Ryan, what the fuck?” Jasper said.

Logan stepped closer to Jasper. “I’m… what? Who are you?”

Ryan took a deep breath through his nose and walked to the post, giving it a heaving shove. It toppled over, kicking up dirt onto Ryan’s shoes. He unclenched his jaw just long enough to repeat himself again, jabbing a finger into Logan’s chest. “You’re done.”

Logan looked to Warren, who was balancing a fencepost in the next hole. He shrugged, and Logan looked back to Ryan. “I’m not sure I follow.”

“Where the hell did you come from?” Jasper asked.

Ryan ignored him, keeping his narrowed eyes on Logan. “I’ve been watching you. Everything you’ve touched, you’ve made worse. Are you qualified to doanyof this shit?”

“What are you talking about?” Logan asked.

Ryan bent down and picked up some dirt. “Loose soil? No concrete footing? For a fence next to a fucking hill?”

“I’ve built fences before.”