Page 108 of Waiting for Ru
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JASIM DIDN’T KNOW what to do. He looked up at faces he’d never expected to see again. March and Caleb, or Tye as he’d once known him, and he couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. His brain felt fried. Caleb looked as shocked as he felt.
“I thought it was you,” Caleb whispered. “Oh God.” He sucked in a breath. “I’ve often wondered about you, but I thought I’d never see you again.”
You shouldn’t have. This should never have happened. How the hell…?
“How are you?” Caleb asked quietly, as if they had nothing in their pasts other than a brief encounter where no one had been hurt.
Jasim still didn’t speak. He couldn’t. Caleb looked hardly any older. His green eyes were still spectacular. Too much like Ru’s. Caleb had a tentative smile on his face. March was scowling.
“We’re down at our cottage for a break,” Caleb said.
How could he sound so normal? Jasim glanced at Ru who had his lips pressed together. What was he thinking? What kind of history was he imagining Jasim had with these men? There was no immediate danger, but Ru didn’t know that. Jasim didn’t know how to reassure him. Whether there was any reassurance to give, because there was a truth here than could destroy everything.
“We left Isla with March’s parents and came to the cinema. What are the chances?” Caleb shook his head.
“Remote,” March and Jasim said at the same time.My first word and that’s all I manage?
“Well…” Caleb began to back off. “It was…”
“Do you want to join us?” Jasim could hardly believe he’d said that and judging by the expressions on their faces, neither could Caleb and March.
Caleb gave March a look, then Caleb nodded. “Thank you.”
Caleb sat next to Ru who looked…terrified.
“Ru, these are…” Jasim’s words disappeared into a black hole. What could he say that wouldn’t damn him?
No one spoke for too long a time.
“Old friends,” March finally said. “I’m March. This is my husband, Caleb.”
Jasim jolted. Shock over this encounter was muted by hearing that the pair were married; that Caleb had been able to shed his demons and find happiness gave Jasim hope.
“Five years since I’ve seen Jasim,” March said. “Longer than that for Caleb.”
Jasim heard the anger in that last sentence.
Ru held out his hand. “It’s good to meet you both.”
“Irish?” March asked.
“Not really. I just picked up the accent from when I lived in County Wicklow. Don’t think I’ll get rid of it easily.”
The waitress came back with Ru and Jasim’s water and took the two men’s orders.
“Shall I bring all the food together?” she asked.
“Please.” It was a miracle Jasim said that when he’d been thinking the sooner he and Ru left, the better.
Jasim had a moment to pull himself together and decide how to play a scene that hadn’t been supposed to happen. Ever. They were never meant to meet again. But now they had, he had to think and do something before Ru launched into his bullying cover story that most definitely wasn’t going to work. Jasim wasn’t ready to tell Ru just how he knew these men; it was not his secret to tell, yet perhaps there was no choice. Though not all of it, but maybe some would be the better course.
Jasim cleared his throat but Caleb spoke first. “Remember when we last had pizza?”
Jasim nodded. He remembered everything. Including the terrible marks on Caleb’s back.
“Does Ru know what happened?” Caleb asked.
