He was sitting up in bed with a book in his lap, but he was looking out his window. His arm was in a cast resting over a book. He had a concussion when we went to the hospital with a fractured wrist and fingers. He was going to have to go to the orthopedic doctor to see if he needed surgery. We had to lie and say they jumped him, and took his wallet and phone to not raise suspicions.

“I’m fine,” he said, continuing to look out the window.

“You want some lunch?” I asked, walking into the room and standing next to the bed.

“I’m fine,” he said, again.

“You need to eat, man; the doctor said the pain pills would hurt your stomach if you didn’t.”

“Then it’s a good thing that I’m not taking them.” He finally looked at me. His face was looking a little better, not as swollen, but it was still all bruised up.

“Even if you’re not taking them, you need to eat.”

“You think getting me better is going to make me forget the fact that you and Cal fucked up?” he snapped.

“It was a misunderstanding. She walked in on a moment without understanding the context, and she heard Cal worry about our relationship.” I was tired of explaining the same thing over and over to him. “If she would just talk to us, then we could explain everything.”

“But she isn’t talking to us,” Nathan grumbled, like a mad toddler, and looked away.

“Do you love her?” I asked.

He glanced up at me, narrowing his eyes. “Of course, I do. I think I’ve loved her for a while.”

“I think we all have, so if that’s the case, then this minor setback will not make us stop loving her.” I was determined to talk to Jane, and there was only so much time before we saw her again. She worked here, had a house here, and I don’t think she could stay away.

“I think you’re underestimating Jane. She’s been on an emotional roller coaster, and I’m just afraid she isn’t going to realize we are worth it.” He took a deep breath. “Has she told you why she and Paul don’t get along?”

I shook my head. I never asked, and she never gave up that information.

“She tried to kill herself when she was a teenager, apparently it ruined everything for Paul. I’m saying this because I worry when it’s going to be too much for her again, and what happens when she realizes it’s us who are making things harder for her. Fuck, I know I’m being a downer, but I can’t help but feel like something bad is going to happen.”