Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 109903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
How Neil was supposed to tell any of them his plans had changed, he didn't know. There was no way he could tell them the truth. None of them would let him go through with it. It was a small miracle Kevin was going along with this. Kevin knew more than any of them what Riko was capable of, so he knew what was waiting for Neil in West Virginia. Maybe he trusted Neil to hold his ground; more likely he knew what Riko would do to the Foxes if Neil refused. Neil didn't know and didn't care so long as Kevin kept his mouth shut.
Neil pushed his blankets aside and sat up. He lifted his pillow to get his phone but hesitated at the sight of Andrew's armbands. Nicky's voice in the other room jarred him from his thoughts. Neil dropped his pillow again, then realized he had a way out. He grabbed his phone, flipped it open, and put it to his ear. When Nicky pushed the bedroom door open without knocking, Neil struck up a conversation with no one at all.
"Yes, I saw it," Neil said, glancing at Nicky to acknowledge his entrance.
Nicky had his mouth open on a greeting but went quiet when he realized Neil was on the phone. Instead of leaving, Nicky got comfortable against the doorframe to wait him out. Neil had counted on Nicky's curiosity. In the months since they first handed Neil this phone they'd never once seen him make a call on it. Neil signaled to Nicky that he was almost finished and half-turned away.
"What did you expect? You waited this long to figure it out. By now I've already made other plans. I—" Neil cut himself off, listened a moment, and bulled on. "But how long have you known he was coming? You could have said something. I don't know. I said I don't know. I'd have to—" Neil scrubbed a hand across his eyes as if the entire conversation was exhausting to deal with. "Okay. Goodbye."
He clicked his phone shut and dropped it off to one side.
For a minute, silence reigned. Then Nicky came into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. Neil sagged back against the wall as Nicky climbed halfway up the ladder to his bunk. Nicky folded his arms across Neil's pillow and stared at Neil.
"Everything okay there?" Nicky asked.
"I'm fine."
Nicky just looked at him. "We've known each other forever by now. At some point you're going to have to stop lying to my face. That didn't sound fine and you don't look fine. So what's really going on?"
"My uncle's flying to Arizona for Christmas," Neil said.
"Good thing? Bad thing?"
"Both?" Neil shrugged against the wall. "He's a good guy, but he's usually smart enough to avoid my parents. I haven't seen him in years, and he's never come over on a holiday. Something must be up. I just don't know what. I don't know if..." Neil trailed off and gestured helplessly. "I promised myself I'd never go home again, but."
"But you want to see him again," Nicky concluded.
"It doesn't matter," Neil said. "I told Andrew I'd stay with Kevin."
"But Kevin's going to be with us," Nicky said, "and we're going to be with Matt and Matt's mom. The four of us can keep an eye on him if you need some time with your family. You need money for a ticket?"
"I already have one," Neil said, and held up his folded itinerary. "Mom emailed it to me a couple days ago. I just didn't want to deal with it before the banquet."
"You're hopeless," Nicky said. "If you want to go, go. You've done more than enough for us this semester, Neil. At some point you've got to think about yourself. Watch," he said when Neil shook his head. "I'm going to go tell the others, and they'll all tell you to go home. You'll see."
"But—" Neil said, but Nicky was already gone.
Neil swallowed the rest of his argument. It wasn't a fight he wanted or needed to win, anyway. For a moment he pitied Nicky for being so gullible, but Neil took no satisfaction in what he'd just done. He unfolded the itinerary and studied it with a sinking feeling in his stomach. In two hours he'd be on a flight to Charleston, West Virginia, and he wasn't scheduled to come back until the night of New Year's Eve. That was two weeks alone with the Ravens.
The suite door banged as Nicky went back to his room to consult with Aaron and Kevin. When Matt walked into the bedroom a couple seconds later Neil was expecting him.
"What are we going to do with you?" Matt asked.
"Sorry," Neil said.
"What for?" Matt waved that off. "When's your flight?"
"Eleven-ten, if I go."
"You're going. I'll give you a lift to the airport."
Neil grimaced at him but got out of bed at last. He wasn't hungry but he made himself eat some instant oatmeal and toast. Nicky returned to say he'd told all of the Foxes what was going on. Apparently they all wanted Neil on that plane. Neil nodded and said nothing, and Nicky left him in peace to get ready.
Neil showered and dug his duffel bag out of the bottom drawer of his dresser. He had it half-packed when he realized the bag was too small. For eight years he'd never owned more than what could fit in a carry-on. In the past half-year here his possessions had doubled in number. Even when his bag was full there were things in his drawers. Neil was at once confused and heartened, and he pressed a hand to his folded shirts. It was proof he was coming back, something he hadn't had since he was a child.
The quiet tap of a footstep warned him he wasn't alone, and Neil looked up at Kevin.
"Can I give you something to take with you?" Neil asked. "Will you promise to keep it safe? I don't want to leave it here, but I can't bring it with me." When Kevin nodded, Neil unlocked his safe and pulled his binder out. It took everything he had in him to hand it to Kevin. Even when Kevin took hold of it, Neil held fast to one end. "Don't open it."