Things went slowly as they tried to figure out how to get a recording that admitted to Jasper lying. Jasper had been hidden away during his recovery period so getting a message to him was near impossible, and by the time they started to come up with a plan, Jeremy's cast had been taken off and the doctors were happy with his healing, having him only wear a basic brace to keep it safe while he did exercises to get it back to full strength. This wasn't the first broken wrist he had ever had though so the exercises were second nature now.
The case itself was going slowly as well. The cops were still sure that someone else had done it, so they were trying to put pressure on Jeremy to talk, but Jeremy was perfectly happy to just keep completely silent on the issue. He even offered to show them how he beat up Jasper if only they would bring him to the precinct, which the cops didn't appreciate, and neither did his brother.
They didn't start to get a chance to move with anything until the holidays started coming up. There was going to be a big event the weekend before Halloween for quite a few of the high up families in New York, and it just so happened that Jasper and his family would be there. It wasn't hard to get Jeremy, Chloe, and Ethan excused to go to the event, because it was expected.
Ryder surprised Jeremy a week and a half before the event though when everyone was over at Jeremy's apartment talking about how they should do it. "Do you want me to get your boyfriend and his friend dismissed to come to the event as well?"
"Seriously?" Jeremy asked, looking at his brother like he wasn't sure what the catch was.
"If you would feel safer, then yes," Ryder explained. "It's up to you all though."
Chloe sighed at that and looked at Ethan in dismay. "What a great way to scare off a new boyfriend..."
"So you're saying I might still win that grand?" Ethan asked with a grin.
Jimmy still felt like that was a lot of money, especially for a bet with such weird stakes, but he didn't say anything. He was also concerned that Jeremy's feelings for him may have started to wane. They hadn't managed to have any alone time since before the Incident and Jimmy was decidedly feeling the lack. He mentioned it to Jeremy in text, gently phrasing it so that Jeremy didn't feel obligated in any way.
Jeremy had actually been worried about similar things, except from the other side. It was hard to get over feelings of betrayal, even with explanations that made it clear that it wasn't that Jeremy had actively cheated. Chloe and Ethan couldn't convince him that it wasn't his fault though, and with the cast on, he wasn't able to easily do the kind of prep that would be necessary for sex. They hadn't talked about it yet though.
Jeremy read the text while Chloe and Ethan argued about the bet again, which Wayne wasn't paying attention to because he was focusing on homework and that always made him tune out everything around him. Jeremy took that in for a moment, deciding it was something they needed to speak about out loud, and put his phone down as he considered what Ryder was offering.
"So, if you manage to get Wayne and Jimmy excused, then what about accommodations?" Jeremy asked casually.
Ryder gave Jeremy a look that said he had an inkling about both sides of this that made it anything but casual to him. "Mom and dad won't allow Jimmy in the house to stay over. They said they're happy to meet him, but he can't stay. Likewise, I would think the Wrights would be...opposed to Wayne staying with them."
Jeremy swallowed and then nodded. "Right, so..."
"I can't afford a hotel," Jimmy said, "I'm barely able to make Room and Board with my scholarship and student loans. I can't work because of my sports schedule, either."
"I assume the same could be said for your friend here too," Ryder asked about Wayne.
"Yeah," Jimmy answered for his focused friend. "He's also been busy rushing a frat, that he doesn't think I know about."
Ryder looked from Jimmy back over to Wayne, and then turned to look at Jeremy, who was sitting there fiddling with the strap of his wrist brace anxiously. "Alright, I'll make you a deal. Come to a family meal," and he held up a hand when Jeremy made a face at him. "Just one. Show up right before we sit down, have the meal with us, and then you can leave as soon as the table is cleared. If you do that, then I'll pay for an Airbnb with enough space that you can do whatever you want without bothering anyone else in it. Catch my drift?"
Jeremy let out a breath. "By myself?"
Ryder pursed his lips. "No, bring Jimmy along, but put in some effort with it. Do we have a deal?"
"Fine, but if dad even once uses 'fag' or 'faggot' in conversation, we're out," Jeremy negotiated.
"That's completely reasonable," Ryder agreed and held out his hand to his brother. Jeremy took it and they shook. Then Ryder tapped Wayne's shoulder to get his attention. "Which frat are you rushing? I would need to talk to them about you going to New York too."
He looked over at Jimmy, embarrassed. "Omega Psi Phi," he responded.
Ryder gave a nod. "I'll take care of it then. And I want neither of you to worry about any expenses. It's our event, so it's our responsibility, understood?"
They both nodded their assent.
Ethan put an arm around Chloe, who looked a little sick. "It'll be fine. If the man can't handle a single event, then you'll have to start looking for a new one anyway, right?"
"Stop," she said and pushed him away.
Ethan was joking of course, but Jeremy looked a little worried too. It was always a culture shock for the opposite sides to really see into the world the other lived, and he had seen more than one relationship entirely implode due to the differences and the stress of it. Chloe had a right to be concerned about Wayne seeing it, and he was worried about how Jimmy would take it too.