Page 133 of Vespertine

Jasper’s mom quietly rose to her feet and walked towardthem. Nicky tried to let go of Jasper’s hand but he didn’t let him. Jasper washalf expecting a hug, so when she zeroed in on Nicky instead and hugged him,everyone in the room blinked in surprise.

“Um,” Nicky said. He awkwardly patted Crystal on the back. “Hi.”

“Nicky.” She pulled back and delicately dabbed at hercheeks. “I’m glad you’re all right.” Her eyes darted down to where Jasper’sfingers curled between Nicky’s own. She lifted her gaze. “Oh, honey, we wereworried about you.” She hugged Jasper too, and he shared a slightly baffledlook with Miriam and Adrian, who looked on a little teary-eyed. Miriam waslaughing and crying and Adrian was holding her tight.

Crystal smiled tentatively at Nicky. “I’m really glad you’reokay. And thank you for bringing Jasper back safely.”

Nicky put his arm around Jasper’s shoulder and kissed theside of his head. “Anytime,” he said, and Jasper felt some of the hurt insidehim heal.

“Do you want to put some clothes on? I think some of yourold stuff might still fit you. I have some clothes that belonged to yourfather, if you want.”

“I left some of my old sweats and t-shirts upstairs,” Jaspersaid and he reluctantly left Nicky behind to dart up the familiar stairs to hisold room.

When he returned, relieved to be not-naked at least, Miriamwas hugging Nicky and Adrian had his arms around them both. Miriam caught hiseye, kissed Nicky’s cheek and said, “Well, I think we’ll leave you all to itthen. Now that everyone’s safe and sound, and back where they belong. We oldpeople need our rest.” Miriam walked over and hugged Jasper, and then kissedhis cheek, too. Even without saying a word, Jasper understood that Adrian andMiriam knew about him and Nicky, and probably had for a long, long time. “Willyou be coming with us?” she asked Nicky, but Jasper figured she already knewthe answer.

“No, I don’t think so. But I’ll call you later.”

“You can both stay and rest here, if you like,” Crystalsaid, when they’d seen the Blumfelds out. “Jasper, your old bedroom is freshlymade if…” Her eyes darted to Nicky. “If you both want to stay there.”

“Thanks, Mom, but I really just want to go home. I need to feedDizzy.”

She tilted her head to the side. “Dizzy?”

“His cat,” Nicky said with a grin. “She likes to kill thingsand bring them to Jasper because apparently he can’t feed himself.”

Crystal covered her mouth and laughed. “I bet that goes overwell.”

Jasper rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up.”

“Well, I’ll have to come and meet this cat soon. Take careof yourselves, okay? And call me if you need anything.”

Jasper smiled at her before leaning in and kissing the topof her head. “Thanks, Mom.”

“It’s late. Are you sure you don’t want to stay?”

“It’s only a short drive, and Nicky has a car. I’ll befine.”

Crystal gave him a mildly disappointed look but she let itslide. “All right then. Good night, boys.”

And then Nicky and Jasper stood on the driveway, the gravelstretching out before them in the dark.

Chapter Twenty-five

THENIGHT WAS PEACEFUL ANDcalm as they pulled up the drive to Jasper’s farmhouse. Given the kind of day they’d endured, Nicky half expected to findanother shredded rabbit waiting for them. But Dizzy sat peacefully by the frontdoor with an air of polite expectation. She followed them inside and boundedoff into the living room.

Nicky turned to flip on the light in the entryway, butJasper grabbed his hand. “Wait,” he whispered, pulling Nicky close in thedarkness and nuzzling his hair. “Nicky, I—I felt so helpless.”

“I know. I felt helpless too.” The cold wave of despair ashe’d watched Mick die and the churning ice in his guts when he’d read Jasper’stexts still chilled him to the bone. “Everything’s so fragile in this damnedworld.”

Fragile flame

Guttered between

One second and the next

Fire and gasoline

“So fucking fragile, Jasper.”