Page 80 of Ring Rust

Ryan started to pull a blanket over his lap with his good arm, wincing when he bent forward. Jasper helped, directing his hands as far away from Ryan’s groin as he could.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

“I’m glad to be here. I’ve been invited for dinner.”

“You gonna eat in here with me?”

Jasper smiled. “If that’s what you want. Your folks might be disappointed.”

“They’re here for a month,” Ryan said, sighing. “You’ll have time to make it up to them.”

“Oh, yeah? You think I’m gonna be around a lot, huh?”

Ryan shrugged his good shoulder. “Wishful thinking.”

There was already a chair placed by Ryan’s bed, so Jasper sat down on it and handed Ryan the magazine. “The feature article is about Bandsaw,” he said.

“Ah, my first nemesis,” Ryan said, flipping through the magazine. “I can’t wait to see how far he’s fallen.”

“Well, if leading the Eastern seaboard’s largest indie promo is falling, then yeah, he sure has.” Jasper grinned sadly, glad they were talking, but hating everything still unsaid.

“I’m sorry I missed Nina’s recital.” Ryan frowned. “I feel terrible. She was really upset. And now she’s so scared of my cast, she won’t even hang out with me.”

It wasn’t explicitly stated, but Jasper knew that comment meant he’d read all of Jasper’s text messages laying into him about missing the recital. He swallowed roughly to stop the quivering of his chin, the guilt so overwhelming he felt sick to his stomach.

“It wasn’t your fault. I know you would have made it if you’d been able to.”

Ryan lifted his gaze to meet Jasper’s in what became an intense stare down. “Do you?”

“I do. I swear, I do.” He wasn’t even sure that was true—but he wanted to believe it was. “I’m sorry about the texts.”

Ryan nodded but stayed quiet.

“I was just?—"

A knock on the door broke the tension. Jasper was relieved, but he had so much more to say, and so many more questions to ask.

“Dinner is ready,” Beni said, sticking her head in. “You up for the table tonight, Ryan?”

“I don’t think so. I’m actually feeling a bit sick and tired from the pain meds. I think I need a nap.”

Something inside Jasper sank at that. He’d only just arrived, and thought he had more time. He wanted to know why Ryan was on a ladder, and where the ladder was, and what the spider had to do with it. He wanted to know whether Ryan had been alone when he fell—whether he’d been lying there hurt and frightened with nobody around to help him or if he’d been with someone else, and if so, who? But most of all, he wanted to know if Ryan had thought of Jasper for the same reasons Jasper had thought of Ryan when he got that terrifying phone call.

But Ryan already looked done, his eyes dark underneath, heavy lidded and red from exhaustion. Jasper stood up and faked a smile.

“Get some sleep,” he said, patting Ryan’s thigh.

Beni nodded. “I’ll bring you a plate later, Ryan. Jasper, are you staying for dinner?”

“I thought I could, but I forgot I have a work… thing,” Jasper said. “A deadline I forgot about.”

Ryan smiled slightly and stared at his lap. “Okay. Thanks for stopping by.”

Over the next few days,Jasper checked in through text but hadn’t stopped by again. Not that he had to, he’d been busy at work getting ready for winter break. Ryan told himself that every time his phone buzzed with a shortHow’s the pain today?orHope you’re taking it easy,it should have been enough to satisfy him.

But it wasn’t.

By the third day, Ryan had started brainstorming ways to get Jasper back over without making it too obvious. It was difficult, though, since he had nothing important going on and his parents were constantly hovering. Plus, the idea of Jasper showing up for them to exchange stiff small talk made something inside him deflate. He needed a plan. Ryan wanted Jasper alone, and he wanted the version of him that first time he stopped by, when Jasper thought he was asleep, when his eyes lingered on Ryan’s body and pretended they were looks of concern.