Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 117363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
“Like Laila said, it’s just fear,” Cat promised. “Cody doesn’t want to be a third wheel and is terrified of committing and then getting left behind if they change their minds. That’s why they’re at a stalemate, see? Pat and Ananya are trying to convince Cody it’s forever. It’s just taking more time than I thought it would for them to figure it all out. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I am not the most patient person in the world, and I’m a sucker for happy endings.”
Jean trusted her because he needed to, and when he nodded Cat finally let him step away from her. She snagged his wrist for just a moment and waited for him to look her way before saying, “Thank you for worrying about them. You’re a good man, Jean Moreau.”
“A ridiculous sentiment,” he said.
“I mean it,” she insisted, then freed him so he could find dishes for the group.
He had to scrounge together plates from three different sets to have enough for everyone. Finding enough glasses was the harder task, but Cat and Cody were drinking beer and could stick with cans. Before dealing with the headache the silverware was bound to be, Jean took his own glass to the sink for water.
Why Cat waited until he was drinking to drop the next bomb on him, he would never know, but in no universe was it not a thousand percent intentional: “Speaking of happy endings, has Laila bought you a sex toy yet?”
Half of his water ended up in his lungs; the rest went down the drain when his glass slipped from his fingers and shattered in the sink. Jean thumped a fist against his chest, coughing and wheezing, as Cat propped herself against the counter at his side. He didn’t have to look at her to feel the smugness radiating off her in waves.
“What the fuck,” was all he could gasp out before he started coughing again.
“Something-something about learning to be comfortable with intimacy in a safe and controlled environment,” Cat said. “It sounded nice and logical when she said it, but I was really distracted thinking about what I wanted her to buy me if she went shopping and I didn’t retain it verbatim. Not yet? Huh. I guess it’d be a little harder now that Jeremy’s in your room, though they do make ones with remo—oh hey Jeremy, what’s up?”
“We heard glass breaking,” Jeremy said from across the room. “Are you guys all right?”
“Yeah, of course.” Cat waved him off and gave Jean a solid whack on the back. “I made Jean try my ghost pepper sauce, is all. I knew the French were dramatic children but damn, this guy takes the cake. My theory that the Ravens think salt and pepper are exotic spices is starting to hold water.”
“Not everyone enjoys dying,” Jeremy said. “That stuff is awful.”
“Shush, white boy,” Cat said. “Wait, I take it back. Tell the others they can come grab their food and then be quiet.” She waited until Jeremy left before giving Jean a last pop in the square of his back. “Anyway, if she goes through with it and brings you one, attempt to act surprised.”
Jean shrugged her off. “Don’t you dare.”
“And stop blushing before everyone else gets in here,” Cat added.
“I’m not.”
“You totally are,” Cat said with glee. “It’s cute. Sometimes I forget you’re just a kid.”
“I will check you so hard at practice you will feel it for a month,” Jean warned her.
“Not for another week,” Cat reminded him. “No-touch jersey. All right!” she yelled, launching off the counter as the Trojans caught up to them at last. “Who’s ready for some food?”
Jean took his time picking glass out of the sink and very carefully not thinking about Cat’s crass joke. It was a joke; it had to be a joke. He wasn’t going to think about it. He was going to count glass shards as he set them in his left palm. Seven, eight, nine. He saw a bit of blood on his fingertips where he cut himself, but he couldn’t feel the sting yet, so it didn’t matter.
“A paper towel would be safer,” Jeremy said at his side, and it was all Jean could do to not clench his hand shut in surprise. Jeremy shooed him off to one side and used a wad of damp paper towel to scoop up most of what was left. He showed the sparkling paper to Jean in triumph before setting off for the trash can, and Jean ran out of reasons to avoid the rest of the Trojans. He followed Jeremy across the room, upended his hand into the trash, and went back to wash his hands as carefully as he could.
Luckily the Trojans had brought their noise with them, and their conversations filled the space with enthusiastic cheer. Jean took what Cat served him, scowled at her unrepentant smirk, and found a place to stand and eat where he could watch everyone. Cody ended up alongside him at some point to gossip about the missing members of the defense line. Eventually the conversation drifted to the Ravens’ and Trojans’ most recent matchup, and inevitably they bickered about playstyles versus penalties.