“Still dipping his toe in to test the water,” I said. “But he’s aStar Trekfan, so I’m enjoying the company.”
“You’ve always got more patience with the geeky ones,” Rip noted.
“Just nice to have someone to shoot the shit with you besides you,” I said. “A lot of the one-night stands aren’t great conversationalists.”
Rip nodded and returned to his task. We worked in silence for a while. I found a paper bag and a little brush to clean up the glass, and Rip rearranged everything until it was close to normal again in the living room. I tried to focus on the work and reminded myself that Grace was okay, but the silence still felt harsh.
Finally, Rip appeared back beside the table. “I’m tired,” he said. “It was a long day. You want to just go upstairs? Watch some shitty TV?”
“That’s honestly the only thing I want to do,” I said, relieved.
“Sounds good,” Rip answered, clasping his hand on my shoulder. “And listen. I understand it was only a mistake. Just please, be more careful.”
And how I got to be so lucky as to have a friend like him, I’ll never know.
“Thanks,” I answered. “Now let’s get to that couch. I’m ready to be home.”
RIP
I crept downstairs later that evening, after Mars fell asleep on the couch with his feet in my lap. A part of me was still mad at him, but I had never been able to stay angry with Mars for long. He was the guy who cheered me up after a shitty day, and that stayed true even when he was the one who made the day shitty to start with.
Still, screwing up with Aunt Grace after we moved across the country to help her was a pretty big fuckup.
When I got to her door, I heard the television on quietly. I rapped my knuckles on the door and waited for her to answer before letting myself in, knowing she was probably still anxious from earlier.
“You’re awake,” I said, stepping into the living room.
“I just took a sleeping pill,” she said. “I should be out again soon.”
“I’m glad I caught you, then,” I answered as I joined her on the couch. “You don’t mind a little company?”
“I’m always happy to see you, Rippy,” she answered. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she was wearing an old T-shirt and sweatpants. “I’m just a little embarrassed about how bad the scene got earlier.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said, resting my hand on her leg softly. “And Mars apologizes. He feels pretty awful about the thing.”
“So he left the stove on?” Aunt Grace said. “It’s not his fault there’s some scared old lady living downstairs.”
I clucked my tongue against the roof of my mouth. “Don’t say that, Aunt Grace. And it is a big deal, actually. He could have burned down the whole place. And all because he was chasing down some guy again.”
Aunt Grace raised an eyebrow at me. I noticed how heavy the bags beneath her eyes were and wondered how long it would actually take to recover from this setback. “I’m already better off with you two here than I was alone,” she answered. “Although maybe you’re a bit more upset about Mars being gone than I am.”
“I told you, Aunt Grace,” I said. “There’s nothing more than friendship going on between us.”
“What, you can’t be upset that a friend wasn’t around?” she asked. “Although if I know you, you’re acting like things are fine and probably encouraging him to go chasing down another guy.”
I chuckled despite myself and remembered the conversation we’d had on the couch earlier, when I encouraged Mars to spend some more time with the comic shop guy. “Maybe something like that is true,” I admitted. “But it doesn’t change the fact that he should have turned the stove off.”
“I’m not arguing with you there. Just saying, if you want him to be around a bit more, you’ll have to tell him that yourself.”
“I don’t know how many times I got lifesaving advice from you on the payphone, Aunt Grace,” I said. “It’s nice to get some of your wisdom in person again.”
She smiled, and a yawn broke open her face. She stretched her shaky arms out, then shook her head back and forth quickly. “I think that sleeping pill is starting to kick in.”
“Good,” I said. “You should get your rest.”
“You heading up to bed?”
I shook my head, then rose to my feet. “I think I’m going for a drive,” I answered. “I need to clear my head before I have my first full day on my tattoo schedule tomorrow.”
