Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 117363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
“Took,” Jeremy echoed.
“Transferring was not my choice,” Jean said. “Ravens do not leave Evermore.”
It was an overdue confession that chilled Jeremy’s blood in his veins. “After everything they did to you, you would have stayed?” he asked, but of course Jean would have. Between Jean claiming he deserved what had been done to him and the Ravens falling apart without their Nest, it was a wretched and undeniable truth. “Even after they broke your ribs?”
Right on cue: “Injuries happen in scrimmages.”
Laila entered the room in time to hear that, and she pointed her boba tea at him. “Every time you say that you take a year off my life. I’d really like to live to ninety, so please knock it off.”
“I do not believe you when you are drinking such filth,” Jean said, with a disapproving look toward her drink. Laila stared him down as she sucked a long gulp through the straw, and Jean turned to Jeremy. “Take me to the court.”
“Patience, babe. Practices start Monday,” Cat reminded him. “You wanna help me brainstorm tomorrow’s dinner? I’m thinking pernil asado, but if we go that route, I need something tasty for Ananya to eat instead. Vegetarian,” she said, and put the back of her hand to her forehead as if feeling faint. “I tried it once, but I only lasted three weeks. How she’s made it this long I do not know, but good on her.”
Jean thought a few moments, but it wasn’t about food: “Ananya Deshmukh.”
“One and the same. Did we even tell you who all will be here?” Cat asked. “You’ll finally be meeting the floozy line.”
Jeremy looked to the sky for patience. “You know Coach hates that nickname.”
“Says the man who named our group chat the floozies the second I suggested it,” Cat said with a careless shrug.
Jean frowned. “I do not know that word.”
“Oh, sorry. Sometimes I forget English is your second language,” Cat said.
“It is my third,” Jean said.
They all turned to stare at him, but Jean only looked away. When Cat got tired of waiting for him to elaborate on his own, she asked, “What was second?” but Jean feigned not to hear. She gave him a few seconds more to come around before dropping it for another day. “A floozy is uhh—” she looked to Laila for help before saying, “—a tramp? A whore? Jesus, I had it until I had to define it. Don’t take it at face value, okay? It was just in response to some drama my freshman year.”
Cat counted them off on her fingers. “First up you’ve got Xavier and Min. Xavier’s our vice-captain, and Min should be replacing Jillian as starting dealer in second-half. They’re adorable in the worst way. You’ll understand as soon as you see them. I can’t wait for them to get married. It’s going to be so wonderfully tacky.”
“You remember Cody from Venice Beach?” Jeremy asked. “They’ll be here too, along with Ananya and Pat.”
“Bold of Pat to show up when I’m going to kick the shit out of him,” Cat said, with more exasperation than genuine frustration. When Jean flicked her a sidelong look, Cat threw her hands up and explained. “Pat and Ananya have wanted to fuck Cody’s brains out for almost a year now. I really thought Cody moving in with them this summer was going to finally get that ball moving, but apparently not. It’s getting kind of pitiful.”
“Pat and Ananya have been engaged almost as long as Cody has known them,” Laila pointed out as she fit herself against Cat’s side. “You can’t blame Cody for being scared of where they might belong in something like that.”
“Watching them pine over each other is so boring,” Cat complained. “At some point one of them has got to make a real move.”
Laila tweaked her hair. “Not everyone is as recklessly brave as you.”
“I was terrified,” Cat said with a shrug. She wagged her finger as she quoted someone else’s words to her: “If you don’t want something enough to fight for it, you don’t deserve to have it.” She hooked her arm around Laila’s shoulders and pecked her cheek. “You were worth the risk. Then and always.”
“Gay,” Laila said, but she was wearing that radiant smile only Cat could draw from her.
Cat sneaked another kiss, and Laila turned into it. Cat hummed contented approval against Laila’s painted lips before saying, “Changed my mind. You should definitely take Jean to the court, Jeremy. Don’t come back until dinnertime.”
Jeremy laughed and started for the door. “Leaving immediately.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Jean
Saturday morning dragged on eternal. Cat had started prepping tonight’s dinner the night before, which meant there wasn’t much for Jean to do in the kitchen today to help. Outside of some basic straightening up, there was nothing to do around the house. He managed to con Jeremy into a long run, failed to convince him to go to the stadium again, and retreated to the study after a quick shower to watch games on his laptop and text Renee. He hadn’t realized how much time he lost until Jeremy came looking for him with lunch.