Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 163209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 816(@200wpm)___ 653(@250wpm)___ 544(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 163209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 816(@200wpm)___ 653(@250wpm)___ 544(@300wpm)
It was too big a problem with no real solution, so he said, “I don’t like flying.”
Laila turned her head his way. “Afraid of heights?”
“I don’t like airports.”
Cat didn’t seem to know what to make of that. “Huh. Well, I’m always up for a road trip, but we’ll need to plan for it a little better since it’ll take longer. Heyyy, Cody!” She raised an arm in greeting, and Jean watched as Cody cut across the lawn toward them. “Taking a break from double trouble?”
“Ananya wanted to pop back to the dorms.” Cody sank down between Cat and Jean and jerked their chin toward the museum. “You been yet? Saw the flyers announcing it finally opened.”
“Soon, I hope,” Cat said, enthused.
Cody glanced over at Jeremy, and Jean didn’t miss the way their expression went cool as they saw what Jeremy was doing. It was more disapproval than Jean had seen from Cat or Laila, but even Cody didn’t see fit to comment. Their willingness to let Jeremy entertain other career paths was annoying enough Jean had to reach out and flip the book shut. He whacked Jeremy in the face in the process, since Jeremy couldn’t pull away in time, and answered Jeremy’s bewildered look with a cool stare.
“Stop wasting your time,” he said.
“I don’t have a whole lot left,” Jeremy said as he pushed himself up.
Despite the protest, he made no move to get back to his studying. Jean would take it as a victory if Jeremy’s phone wasn’t the greater distraction. They’d put it back together Saturday night, and it had spent most of the evening going off with one alert or another. Jean made a quiet note to silence it the next time Jeremy left it unattended. This quiet trill was the one Jean had heard on Friday. Jeremy checked his message and glanced across the street toward the football stadium.
When Cat nudged him with her foot, Jeremy only said, “Bishop.”
“Oh, football’s finally back?” Cody asked. “Slackers.”
“You shouldn’t associate with other teams,” Jean said.
“We’re all Trojans,” was Jeremy’s easy response. “We all represent the same school. For the most part they’re good people. I think you’d like some of them if you gave them a chance.”
“No,” Jean said, and Jeremy only smiled like he found Jean’s attitude endearing.
“He’s a bit scarce on options here, isn’t he?” Cat asked. “Meeting the floozies first might’ve skewed your perspective a bit, but truth is we’re still outnumbered four to one on the team. Not a lot of boy kissers, for obvious reasons.” She made a noise in her throat like she found the idea repulsive and laughed when Cody gave her a playful push. “Like you’d know, chickenshit. Or did you finally grow a spine?”
Unsurprisingly, Cody ignored the question. “Jeremy’s been the token gay on the team for two years. Endangered species around here.”
“Last one was Julian, and he was an asshole,” Cat said, souring immediately. “He was so cruel to Xavier, and for what? I was so glad Coach transferred him out of here.” She yanked up a few strands of grass and twisted them into knots between her fingers.
Laila gauged her dark mood in a glance and finished for her. “Most of our teammates accept us as we are because they like us too much to judge. A few are still working on it, as you’ve likely noticed,” she said, and he assumed she meant Lucas and his rude mouth. “But being friends with us doesn’t mean they’re willing to be propositioned, so...” She gestured toward the football stadium. “Cast a wider net.”
“Preference is a weak excuse,” Jean said.
Most of the Ravens had identified as straight, but with so few women on the line and the team so isolated from everyone else, they’d made do with any man willing to tumble. Aside from Riko and Kevin, Jean knew only two other Ravens who’d refused to cross that line at the Nest. One, technically, since the other had that choice ripped away from him in January. Jean dug his nails into his bandaged wrist until the sting quieted his thoughts.
Cody sent him a curious glance before asking Jeremy, “Meeting up today?”
“Probably not the best day,” Jeremy said. “With everything that’s happening, I mean.”
“Excellent day,” Cody insisted, and pointed from him to Cat. “You go meet up with Bishop, and you take Laila to the museum. Leave Jean with us! Have you given him a tour of campus yet?”
“I showed him the highlights,” Jeremy said.
“Before he had his schedule?” Cody asked. When Jeremy nodded, they motioned to Jean. “Then we’ll take you on a proper tour and show you where your buildings are. Put a little order to the chaos and give you a better idea of what to expect. We’ll even feed you something you don’t have to cook.”
“Oh, good luck,” Laila said dryly, even as Cat said, “He’s going to be a master chef one day, just you watch.”