Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 48146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 160(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 160(@300wpm)
“Seems like you can’t have that stuff either, lightweight,” I teased.
A-Train laughed. “Ooooh, burn.”
Not to be outdone, Bones stood and motioned to the Ping-Pong table. “Ready for me to kick your ass?”
“You can certainly try, tipsy.”
More snickers as we walked to the table.
As usual, I won the first three games. His fingers were always clunky on the paddle, so clearly, he wasn’t good at everything. Still, he was determined to beat me.
“I’m ready to go all the way to seven,” Bones announced.
The official table-tennis rules called for a best of seven, but usually, we only played to three or five.
“Fine.”
And I don’t know what made me do it, but I let him win. Maybe it was those puppy-dog eyes he tried to use on me across the table. Or maybe I was just tired and ready to relax in our room.
He threw up his hands, doing a little victory shuffle, which alerted the guys that we were done for today. They’d stopped paying attention a while ago. Been there, done that, where we were concerned.
I yelped when Bones picked me up and spun me around like a rag doll. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Celebrating my win.” I could smell the beer on his breath.
I pushed at his beefy arms. “Put me down.”
He clumsily set me on the throw rug in front of the television, then gloated some more.
That was when Henry’s roommate, Spencer, stepped out of their room. “Anyone wanna come in and do a shot of Patron?” He always had hard booze hidden somewhere.
Of course, Bones made a beeline straight for him, as did a couple of other guys. At least they weren’t driving anywhere.
Henry stayed put on the couch, smiling at his phone.
“Lark?” I asked, plopping down beside him.
“Yeah. Can’t wait until he’s here every day.”
They were so stinking cute together.
“Me neither. We have the same ballet class again.”
He grinned. “He told me already.”
After chatting for a couple more minutes, I stood and stretched. “I’m gonna go chill until dinner.”
“Wish I could too.” He glanced toward his room—where the guys were being pretty loud—just as Bones came stumbling out, his eyes even more glazed over. Christ, this guy.
I sighed and started down the hall to our room. I felt someone catch up to me, and then my roommate’s hefty arm circled my shoulder.
“Hmmm, you’re warm,” he said, which was all sorts of odd.
I kept walking without throwing his arm off, though I wanted to. Wouldn’t want anyone to think we were this close. “That’s the alcohol. It can make you feel overheated.”
“No, it’s youuu,” he slurred. “I’ve always wondered if you were warm.”
I stiffened. Was he serious? He’d sat next to me plenty of times, but then, I supposed we’d never hugged like this. In fact, his arm was starting to suffocate me.
“Okay, drunky drunk, let’s get you to our room.”
He held on, and at one point, I could’ve sworn he sniffed my hair. I considered pushing him off, but I knew he was tipsy. Plus, I sort of enjoyed it—if I shut my eyes and pretended he was someone else. What could I say? I’d always liked big, husky guys, and his biceps were made of pure muscle from training. Though I’d never thought of Bones in that way because gross—straight, messy roommate alert!—even if he had grown on me.
As we got to the door, he said, “You know that note you left me?”
“Before summer break?” I’d left it because he wasn’t around and my parents were waiting outside. He’d mentioned us rooming again, but we hadn’t discussed it in greater detail before the year came to a close.
“Yeah, you said…you said until we meet again.”
I pushed open the door and helped him to his side of the room. “Okay, so?”
“My brother left me a note before the army shipped him off.” He faceplanted on his bed. He never talked to me about his brother, though I’d heard he’d also attended Roosevelt. “His final words were until we meet again.”
I stared at him, wondering where he was going with this. “It’s a popular saying.”
He rolled to his back and threw an arm over his eyes. “He never came home.”
Did he mean…?
“I’m so sorry.” Maybe that was why he’d never mentioned him. Too painful.
And now the rumors made sense. I’d once overheard a conversation between his football buddies that Bones could never live up to his brother’s pristine reputation. But I hadn’t given it much thought because Bones never seemed bothered by anything.
I watched as he kicked out of his shoes and slipped under his covers. “I still write him emails…even though they bounce back.”
“You do?” What the hell?
“For one brief moment when I hit Send, I pretend he’ll respond…” He frowned. “But he never does.”
My hand automatically covered my mouth as I stepped closer to him. I wanted to console him somehow.