Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 118125 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 591(@200wpm)___ 473(@250wpm)___ 394(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118125 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 591(@200wpm)___ 473(@250wpm)___ 394(@300wpm)
Especially when Damon, after dragging his discarded T-shirt over his face as a towel, gave Rian a flat look through the wet, coiled tangles of his hair. “How long have you been staring at me this time?”
It took everything in Rian not to splutter.
And to retort as if it was perfectly natural, “Just a few minutes.” He shrugged stiffly. “I didn’t want to interrupt practice.”
“It’s fine. They know the drills.” Damon draped his loose, sweat-marked shirt against his shoulder, letting it dangle down his chest and back, and glanced back toward the boys, watching them for several thoughtful moments before deep brown eyes returned to Rian, searching. “What’s up? Something happen with Chris?”
For some reason, Rian couldn’t meet Damon’s eyes—and he swallowed as he looked away, tucking his hair back with his fingertips. “Not quite? I just had an idea I wanted to run past you. For information gathering.”
“We being fancy about it now? ‘Information gathering.’ So covert.” Damon snorted. “Lay it on me. What’s the plan?”
“Merry Valdez,” Rian said. “Not exactly Chris’s best friend, but...”
“...less obvious than making up a reason to call in his roommate,” Damon finished easily. “So what’s the hook with Merry?”
“A C grade in art class.” Rian tilted his head, daring a look back at Damon from the corner of his eye—only for his heart to twist inside out in the most annoying way when he caught those brown eyes still locked so steadily on him. “It’s not criminal, something for his parents to deal with when report cards come around, but considering he’s maintained As and Bs in all other courses, it’s a valid excuse for a brief chat. A welfare check. Nothing to raise the alarm and let them know we may be suspicious of anything.”
Damon remained silent for a moment, then said, “That’s workable,” very slowly. “Question is...why would I be there? Valdez ain’t in any of my classes.”
Because I want you there, Rian thought, before he could stop his mind from wandering down those paths. Because we’re working on this together, and...and... I want you there as backup. As support.
As if he could say that to Damon Louis.
As if he could expect anything other than mockery or cold rejection if he did.
So he just spread his hands with a weak smile. “He probably won’t even think to ask,” he said. “We can wing it. Maybe you’re there to keep me from getting lost.”
He wished he hadn’t said it the moment it came out.
Because all he remembered was standing beneath the school’s tall spires, looking up at that bright-lit window, his phone in his hand, seeming to speak in Damon’s gruff, rolling voice.
Don’t get lost.
His skin shivered, prickled, as if he could feel that voice washing over him, submerging him, completely immersing him on all sides in its heat.
How could someone with eyes so cold have a voice so warm?
Yet Damon hadn’t said anything, he realized—letting the silence hold between them, heavy and waiting. And when Rian lifted his head...
Those dark, clear brown eyes weren’t cold at all.
Instead they simmered with something strange and burning-bright and demanding, a spark lit in the darkness like that single light remaining pale against the night to guide Rian back home.
“So,” Damon drawled softly. “Did you get lost?”
Rian’s mouth went dry.
He couldn’t seem to tear his gaze from Damon, his skin burning under his jaw and beneath the collar of his tunic, and he didn’t—he didn’t—he couldn’t breathe, he—
“No.” He forced himself to look away, taking a step back and folding his arms over his chest, his stomach, tucking in on himself. But he could barely get out a strained mutter as he said, “I found my way back just fine on my own.”
“Yeah?” Damon asked a little too sharply. “If you like doing things on your own, why do you need me there with Valdez?”
“Are you coming, or not?” Rian shot back, and braced himself for an argument.
But instead Damon only said, “Name the time.”
Rian lifted his chin—but still avoided looking anywhere at Damon. “Tomorrow afternoon, after last bell,” he said. “I won’t make you late for practice.”
“No. You won’t.”
With a muffled curse, Rian closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He didn’t know what he’d been expecting. They just—they—God, Damon was such a blunt, rude asshole.
Whatever. He’d said what he needed to say, and now he could leave.
But when he opened his eyes to force out at least a perfunctory polite goodbye, he found... Damon wasn’t looking at him anymore.
He was watching the boys again, a faint smile playing around his lips as the next set of six crossed the finish line of the obstacle course, shouting and whooping joyously as they tumbled around like an excited litter of puppies.
And one of them thrust his arms in the air, calling out, “Hey, Coach! Were you watching? Think that was my best time!”