Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 163209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 816(@200wpm)___ 653(@250wpm)___ 544(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 163209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 816(@200wpm)___ 653(@250wpm)___ 544(@300wpm)
He was almost out of the garage when he finally heard from Kevin. Jeremy stopped off to one side to send an enthusiastic message back, and he picked up his pace as soon as his phone was safely tucked away again.
Even now, it felt impossible that Kevin was coming here. Theirs had always been an unconventional friendship, in large part due to the sheer distance between their schools. He’d been face-to-face with Kevin a half-dozen times at most: last spring against the Foxes, and then in semifinals and finals against the Ravens his freshman and sophomore years. Every other conversation happened over text, checking in on each other after games and sharing insights on the opponents they would both face in their climb to the top. Kevin had dropped out of contact for over a year after breaking his hand, but Jean’s transfer had brought him back in force.
This was the first time they were meeting when there wasn’t a game to play, but it still wasn’t a social visit. Kevin was here to help introduce Jean to the world and assist with overdue damage control. He was in town for two nights only, and Sunday morning he’d be on his way home again.
Jeremy understood why it was such a tight turnaround, but he wished Kevin would stick around longer. He wanted to show Kevin the best Los Angeles had to offer. If this trip went well enough, maybe he could convince Kevin to fly out again. Maybe he could go out to South Carolina, though the last time he’d looked up Palmetto State there’d been a genuinely impressive lack of things to do in the area.
It was a short walk to baggage claim. Jeremy had a printout in one pocket with Kevin’s flight information on it, but he’d skimmed it so many times he had the details memorized. He scanned the screens over the luggage carousels out of habit, knowing it was unlikely Kevin had checked anything for such a short trip, and moved to where he could get a better look at the incoming crowd. It was a funny bit of déjà vu, as Kevin was on the same airline Jean had used a few months back.
Thoughts of Jean had him checking his phone for any individual texts from Cat or Laila. Jean had been moodier than usual this week, and Jeremy honestly wasn’t sure if he was more uptight about the interview or Kevin’s visit. Jeremy had almost asked a half-dozen times, but every time he had the chance, he remembered the angry honesty in Jean’s “I wanted him to die.” The best he could do was keep an eye on them both and hope they made it through the weekend unscathed.
Jeremy forcibly turned his attention to the incoming crowd instead and was rewarded a minute later when he spotted Kevin coming down the tunnel. Jeremy knew Kevin wasn’t alone, but he couldn’t yet tell who’d been assigned as his traveling partner. Even if Kevin hadn’t admitted this summer that he wouldn’t travel off-campus by himself, he’d said “we” this morning when he was boarding his flight at Upstate Regional. Jeremy hadn’t asked because it honestly didn’t matter; he’d happily chauffeur the entire Fox lineup around the city if it meant Kevin was here with Jean for this.
He raised a hand to get Kevin’s attention, and Kevin motioned to his companion before changing course. The crowd finally shifted enough to reveal the Foxes’ impossibly short goalkeeper. Jeremy clapped Kevin on the back as soon as he was within reach and offered Andrew Minyard a cheery nod. Andrew’s bored gaze slid past him almost immediately, so Jeremy turned his full attention on Kevin guilt-free.
“Good to finally have you here!” he said. “How was your flight?”
“Unremarkable,” Kevin said. “My phone hasn’t updated yet. What time is it?”
“Half past seven, give or take a few. I can swing you by the hotel first if you want to check in, otherwise you’re welcome to come unwind with us. Not sure if you were able to eat on account of what time your flight was,” he said, and waited for Kevin to shake his head. “Great! Dinner it is. We’ve got water and beer at the house, or do you prefer something else?”
“Vodka, generally,” Kevin said, “but I can work with beer.”
“I know where we can get some,” Jeremy assured him. “No other bags? All right, car’s out this way.”
The two had a single hard-sided carry-on between them, and Andrew took it from Kevin at the crosswalk so it could sit in the backseat with him. As soon as Kevin buckled up in the passenger seat, Jeremy got them on the road back to USC. He started the AC but motioned for Kevin to adjust the vents as he liked. Jeremy tried to keep his attention on the road and not the pale scars on the back of Kevin’s left hand, but knowing now who’d broken Kevin’s hand two years back put an anxious knot in Jeremy’s chest.