Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 145402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 582(@250wpm)___ 485(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 582(@250wpm)___ 485(@300wpm)
All she came up with, though, was, "How are you feeling?"
"I don't know," Neil said. He thought he should be a little worried that he hadn't heard from Stuart, but he couldn't dredge up any concern. The Foxes had faced his secrets and only tightened their grip on him. How could he fear anything with them all at his back? What could he regret when he still felt Andrew's kisses on his mouth? "Right now I'm fine, I think."
The muffled sound of a hairdryer said Allison was done with her shower and on to the slow process of primping for her day. They waited for her in comfortable silence. Neil's coffee was long-gone and the mug cold by the time Allison turned up. It didn't matter that it was spring break or that they were just going out to eat eggs; Allison was dressed to the nines as usual and she left a trail of perfume from the bathroom to the den. She came around the couch to look down at Neil, hands on her hips and heel clicking idly against the floor.
"Is it out?" she asked.
"I haven't watched the news yet," Neil said.
She looked over her shoulder like she was considering turning the TV on, but Dan got to her feet and said, "I'm starving. Let's go."
They collected Andrew's lot from next door. Neil didn't miss the looks the upperclassmen sent him when they saw what Andrew was wearing, but he was more interested in the cousins' reactions. There was a tense set to Nicky's shoulders and a noticeable space between him and Andrew. Neil guessed Nicky's mouth had gotten away with him and he'd said something about Andrew showering in Neil's room. That lack of brain-to-mouth filter would be the death of him one of these days. Aaron was standing even further back with his arms folded tight across his chest and his eyes on Neil. Neil expected to see censure or disgust in his expression, considering how much grief Aaron gave Nicky for his sexuality, but Aaron's stare was heavy and unreadable.
Matt offered to pile everyone into his truck then retracted it immediately when he remembered Neil couldn't climb into the bed. Neil sat passenger in Andrew's car instead, silently relegating Kevin to the backseat with Nicky and Aaron, and watched the empty campus roll by out his window. Nicky was quiet for most of the ride, but he bounced back before they reached the parking lot. Luckily he was smart enough to stay off personal topics and instead rambled about his personal record for pancake-eating.
Brunch was a boisterous event. The Foxes were rallying the only way they knew how: by pushing on like the weekend hadn't happened. They were there for Neil if he needed anything from them, but they weren't going to pry anymore and they wouldn't linger over near-misses and ugliness. The only awkward moment was when the waitress, trying to make small talk, asked Neil about his bandages.
"Skateboarding," Matt said the same time Dan said, "Fell into a tank of piranhas."
Allison waved a hand in bored dismissal when the waitress sent a nonplussed look between the two and said, rather conspiratorially, "Bad breakup."
"Rough weekend," the waitress deduced, and moved on.
Dan picked up right where they'd left off: figuring out how to rearrange their spring break plans. Rescheduling their flights out was doable, if a bit costly, but Dan wasn't interested in heading back north anymore. She didn't say she didn't want to let Neil out of sight, but she alluded to it so tactlessly Neil knew what she meant. She didn't think there was anything worth doing around campus this week, what with everything closed down for break, and fished for ideas from the others.
"Did you have any plans to do anything?" Matt finally thought to ask Neil. "Besides the obvious, I mean."
Neil wasn't sure if Matt meant Exy or Andrew. He didn't try to guess but said, "I was going to take a road trip." Judging by the looks on their faces, it was the last thing they'd expected from him. Neil shrugged uncomfortably and said, "Mom and I traveled to survive. I've never gone anywhere just because I could. I wanted to know what it was like."
"You've never taken a vacation?" Dan asked, then caught herself with a wince and a, "Scratch that. Forget I said that."
"Where did you want to go?" Renee asked.
"I don't know," Neil admitted. "I haven't looked around yet."
Allison tapped manicured fingernails against her lips thoughtfully, then beckoned to Matt. "Resort?"
"Doesn't seem like his kind of thing," Matt said, "and it's too early for the beach. Cabin?"
Allison looked poised to argue but thought better of it. "Blue Ridge?"
"Haven't been yet," Matt said, "but I've heard they're awesome."
"Neil?" Allison asked.
"What?" Neil asked, lost.
"Yes or no?" Allison said, like she couldn't believe he wasn't following along. "We're going to the mountains for the week."
"We," Kevin echoed. When Matt looped his finger to indicate everyone, Kevin made a cutting gesture in dismissal. "No. Regardless of what happened this weekend, we are still in the middle of spring championships. We need—"
Kevin cut off abruptly and looked down. Neil couldn't see what he was looking at, but he could guess. One of Andrew's hands was out of sight beneath the table and his knife was missing from beside his plate. Andrew's chin was cradled in his other hand as he gazed across the room at nothing in particular. Kevin stared hard at the top of Andrew's head like he was considering calling Andrew's bluff. In the end he scowled and let it drop. Neil didn't know what convinced him: the dark bruises still lining his throat or the desperate gestures Nicky was making on Neil's other side.
"Anyway," Allison said pointedly.
"Kind of last minute for booking, isn't it?" Dan asked.
"It's March," Allison said, like that explained everything. She pulled her glittering phone out of her purse and pointed it at Neil. It was a last chance to turn her offer down, Neil guessed, because a second later she nodded and pressed a couple buttons. "I'll have Sarah find us something. Sarah?" she said into her phone before Neil could ask. "I need something in the Blue Ridge that will sleep nine. Preferably with five bedrooms or more. Yes, tonight through Sunday morning is best. Yes, I'll wait."