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)
For a moment Jeremy feared Jean’s answer, but then Jean said, “The last day of each month and first four days after finals are enforced recovery periods.”
Jeremy tested the weight of the coffee pot but didn’t refill his mug yet. “When else?”
Jean looked over at him. “When else what?”
“Good lord,” Cat said. “Effective immediately you are required to acknowledge every major holiday. When’s your birthday?”
“November.”
Cat waited, but nothing else was forthcoming. “Like all thirty days of it, or do you want to narrow it down some for me?”
Jean tipped his head as he thought, and Jeremy wished he’d find a trace of suspicion on Jean’s face. Reticence due to distrust would be better than whatever this was. But Jean kept thinking, idly tapping a thumb to the island as he worked through it, and he came up emptyhanded. “November,” he said again, and shrugged his unconcern. “It will be on my file somewhere, perhaps.”
“You don’t know your own birthday?” Jeremy asked.
Jean looked at him. “Why would I? It is irrelevant at Evermore.”
“Not recognizing it and not knowing it at all are two very different problems,” Jeremy said. Jean tried waving him off, so Jeremy tried, “Kevin knows his birthday, and he was at Evermore longer than you were.”
Jean’s stare was steady. “And?”
The challenge in that simple response made Jeremy hesitate. He conceded with a weary, “And he refuses to celebrate it. But you know why as well as I do, I assume.” Jean didn’t answer, but he did look away. Jeremy tried again: “Even if the Ravens didn’t care for birthdays, you were at home until you were fourteen.” When it was clear Jean was waiting for him to get to the point, Jeremy was forced to draw the only conclusion he could: “You mean they didn’t do anything for it, either. Really? Your own family?”
“And I thought your parents were assholes,” Cat commented, grimacing at Jeremy.
Laila didn’t even hesitate. “They are.”
“Thanks, guys,” Jeremy said as he refilled his mug.
“Yeah, anytime.” Cat sounded distracted as she scrolled through her phone. Jeremy was halfway back to the island with his drink when Cat dialed out, and he didn’t miss the way Jean went tense at her cheery, “Heyyy, Coach. Are you busy? I was hoping you could look something up for us.” She waved off Jean when he reached for her phone. “Did Edgar Allan tell you when Jean’s birthday is? Yeah, we already tried that. Three guesses as to why I’m asking you.”
Jean swore quietly and put space between them. Jeremy put out a hand, trying to beckon him over, but Jean wasn’t getting anywhere near Cat until she hung up.
“Oh, shit, really? Awesome, thanks, you’re the best.” Cat set her phone aside, beaming with triumph. “Lisinski says it’s on the ninth.”
“You can’t just call a coach,” Jean insisted.
“I can and I did.” Cat went to mark the calendar. “Why else would I have their numbers, if I wasn’t allowed to use them? Look!” She tapped the square she’d written Jean’s name on before counting ahead a few spaces. “You’re three days before Cody. We could have a double birthday bash and go all out.”
She started back toward July one month at a time and paused on August. Jeremy couldn’t read her notes from the island, but he knew in a glance what was on the page already. August 27th was the first day of classes, and two weeks before that was Jean and Kevin’s joint interview. Cat tapped the 11th, decided not to bring it up, and came back to July at last. The only thing she’d written on this month was a starred note at the bottom: a reminder that someone ought to check in with the Foxes on July 23rd.
“Coming up quick,” Cat said, distracted by the same set of days. She ran her finger along the week and sent a grim look over her shoulder at Jeremy. “Has Kevin said anything about it yet?”
“No,” Jeremy said, and admitted, “I haven’t asked him. I’m not sure what to say.”
“‘Hope your teammate gets acquitted, XOXO’?” Cat suggested as she pushed away from the calendar. “Word online is Aaron waived his right to a jury, but I can’t track those rumors back to a credible source yet. Risky business, trusting your verdict to a single man, but it’s probably for the best considering the Foxes’ reputation. Who could they trust to be fair?”
Laila sighed. “They really can’t catch a break, can they?”
“Maybe this will be their year,” Jeremy said.
Jean waved that aside. “Last year was their year.”
“Sure,” Laila said dryly. “Ignoring the fatal overdose, the kidnapping, the murder charges, the rampant campus vandalization, and—Andrew,” she said, with an uncomfortable pause. “Great year for them otherwise.”
“They won finals,” Jean pointed out.
Laila looked to the ceiling for patience. “Oh, right. How could I have forgotten?”