The air in Jace’s off-campus apartment smelled heavily of icy hot and stale pizza. The blinds were drawn tight against the morning sun, casting the messy living room in a dim, depressing gloom.
Adrian sat on the edge of the sagging leather sofa, his bare chest slick with cold sweat. He had a white towel clamped between his teeth as Jace carefully adjusted the heavy black sling holding his shattered right arm in place.
"Breathe, Ace," Jace muttered, his hands moving with practiced, athletic-trainer precision. "I know it hurts like a b***h, but if you don't keep it elevated, the swelling is going to compromise the nerve."
Adrian spit the towel out, a low, ragged groan escaping his throat. His ribs screamed in protest with every breath, a vivid tapestry of purple and black blooming across
