Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 87395 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 437(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87395 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 437(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
He stopped in front of Andrew's door but couldn't make himself knock. His hand was shaking when he looked at it, so he balled it into a fist. He'd almost gotten up the nerve to move when the door opened without warning.
"Oh, he made it," Andrew said. "That's interesting."
He pressed two fingers to Neil's throat, checking his pulse. When Neil tried to bat him away, Andrew caught his wrist with his free hand. His smile was small and fierce as he leaned forward into Neil's space.
"Remember this feeling. This is the moment you stop being the rabbit."
Neil was too startled to answer, but Andrew didn't wait. He slid past Neil, using the weight of his body and his grip on Neil's wrist to pull Neil with him out of the way of the door. He let go in the middle of the hallway and slipped his hands in his pockets to wait.
Nicky was the next out of the room. When he saw Neil his grin lit up his entire face. Aaron looked skeptical when he followed, but he glanced at Andrew and said nothing. Kevin's expression was the hardest to read as he stepped out and closed the door behind him. Neil looked from Kevin to Andrew, who was still watching him like he was waiting for something.
Movement two doors down gave Neil a reason to look away from Andrew again. Five strangers were knocking on his suite door. Seth stepped out to greet them, slapping backs and high-fiving as he moved into their ranks. Allison wasn't far behind them. She pressed against Seth's back and slid her hands down his sides to his pants. Neil watched as she systematically dug through all of his pockets. She came back with just a lighter and a crumpled stick of gum.
Seth sent her an annoyed look over his shoulder. "I'm not stupid."
She kissed him to shut him up and put his lighter back where she'd found it. The gum she tossed behind her as worthless. She almost hit Matt with it as Matt and Dan stepped into the suite doorway. When Matt turned to avoid it, he spotted Neil. The relief on his face was unexpected.
"Neil, you made it," he said, loud enough even Allison and Seth turned to see. Neil looked from one face to the other, wondering what he'd missed. "Seth and Allison are going bar-hopping downtown, so the rest of us are prepping a movie marathon. Any requests or recommendations?"
"You're leaving campus?" Nicky asked Allison. "Are you serious?"
Allison scowled at him and wound her arms tighter around Seth. "It's none of your business."
Matt glanced at Allison, expression tight, but kept talking to Neil. "Renee should be back with drinks any second. She said she'd get something nonalcoholic for the two of you."
"Oh, what a waste," Andrew said. "I'm buying Neil's drinks tonight."
It took them a couple seconds to catch on. When they did, Dan lurched out of the doorway with a hard, "You're joking."
Andrew laughed at her outrage. "You wish I was."
"The last time he went out with you he hitchhiked his way back," Dan said. Seth's friends looked from her to Andrew with blatant interest, but Dan didn't seem to notice the attention. She stabbed a finger at Andrew and said, "He is not going out with you again. He'll probably wind up dead this time."
"Jesus, Dan," Nicky said. "When you say things like that it makes me think you don't trust us."
"No one trusts you," Matt said. "What are you playing at?"
"It's not really any of your business," Aaron said.
"I said he's not going," Dan said. "Neil, don't let him push you around."
Andrew nudged Neil with his elbow and said in German, "Hey, Neil. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that touching? Look how they weep over you. Ah, such misplaced concern. Tell them you can take care of yourself."
Andrew was daring him to cross a line, to give up a little more of the lie that was Neil Josten. It went against everything Neil knew to give in, but he'd chosen this path. He'd chosen Andrew. He buried his fear as deep as he could and answered in German.
"They're not stupid enough to think it's only a drink."
"Oh shit," Nicky said, switching languages in a heartbeat. "Since when do you speak German? Andrew, you knew about this? Why didn't you tell us?"
"Boring," Andrew said. "Figure things out for yourself once in a while."
Nicky waggled a hand at Aaron. "Quick. Have we said anything totally incriminating these past few months?"
"Aside from your endless inappropriate comments about what you'd like to do to him, I don't think so. Looks like you've managed to completely embarrass yourself in both languages." Aaron looked at Neil. "When were you going to tell us?"
"I wasn't," Neil said. "After everything I've put up with from you this year I figured I didn't owe you any favors."
Aaron shrugged and let it slide. Nicky rubbed at his face and muttered under his breath. Down the hall the upperclassmen stared at them in disbelief. Matt was the first to get his tongue back, but the best he came up with was, "I thought you spoke French. That was French this morning, right? At Kathy's?"
"I'll see you tomorrow," Neil said in English.
"We're going," Andrew said, and went down the hall with Kevin on his heels.
"Neil, this isn't a good idea," Dan said.
"I know," Neil said, and turned after Kevin and Andrew. Aaron and Nicky fell in behind him. They went down the stairs as a small procession, a line of black with Neil the sore thumb in the middle. He ended up in the same seat as last time, tucked between the brothers in back. He'd just buckled when Nicky reached back and dropped a bag in his lap. Neil poked it open and saw dark cloth inside.
The last time they went to Columbia it was a quiet ride. This time it couldn't be, since Andrew still had a bit over an hour's worth of energy from his medicine. Nicky and Andrew talked the whole way there, Nicky bouncing topics from movies to music and Andrew cheerfully arguing with almost everything he said. They were almost to Columbia before Andrew's answers started slowing down. Nicky started dominating more of the conversation, and Andrew's silences stretched a little longer.