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)
Jeremy’s smile froze on his face. “You just saw one of them.”
“I didn’t recognize him.”
Asking if she could recognize any of the Trojans was a surefire way to get on her bad side, so Jeremy only said, “A friend introduced us. I’m pretty sure he has a crush on Laila,” he added, before she could ask him what sort of friend Jean was. He waited a bit to see if she’d call him out on it, but either she hadn’t been paying nearly enough attention to the news or the night and distance had hidden Jean’s tattoo from her. “Before all this happened, I’d agreed to take him to the hospital this weekend, so he needed to know if I was still free. Won’t be steady enough to ride afterward,” he added.
“There and back again,” she said as she turned toward the door.
He should take his victories and let it go, but Jeremy had to try. “I’ve only got one week left of break, and then it’s my last year at university. Can’t I spend it with Laila? Not the school year,” he was quick to say when she flicked him a severe look, “but just this last week.”
“That foreigner teammate of yours put your brother through a windshield,” Mathilda reminded him.
“Supposedly,” Jeremy said. “All of Laila’s neighbors say differently about what happened with Bryson.”
“He needed stitches,” Mathilda reminded him. When Jeremy said nothing, she continued, “You shouldn’t associate with a criminal. It reflects badly on us and your grandfather.”
Jeremy bit off his kneejerk rejection in the nick of time: “He is—not his parents. Jean came to America to get away from his family’s crimes and carve out a life of his own. Doesn’t that play into the narrative Arnold’s always leaning into? The American dream,” he emphasized when Mathilda paused to think it over. “The chance to become more than what you’re born with. If we’re part of that success story, doesn’t that make us look good?”
“It doesn’t change the fact he’s dangerous.”
“If he was, USC couldn’t have signed him,” Jeremy reasoned. “My team has fought to maintain a legacy of kindness and acceptance. We wouldn’t have brought him onto the line if we thought he’d ruin our reputation and undo years of hard work.” He waited a beat for her to make up her mind, then motioned toward the stairs and said, “Can I help you with anything before I head back up? If not, I’ve got a chapter left to get through before bed.”
“Have you signed up for any exams yet?” she asked.
“I set an alarm for tomorrow morning so I wouldn’t miss the next registration period.”
“Good.” Mathilda straightened his shirt with a neat tug and briefly cupped his face in her hand. “Show me the confirmation email and you can stay with that girl next week.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank me when you’ve done it,” Mathilda said, and gestured toward the stairs. “Go on.”
Jeremy headed back upstairs to his room and grudgingly traded out his French book for his LSAT guide. Despite what he’d told his mother downstairs, he only made it two pages further before he was so bored he had to call it a night. He was up at eight the next morning so he’d make it to practice on time, and he refused to think about how his first alarms would be set to four o’clock once the school year started.
His laptop went with him to the stadium. The increased presence of reporters wandering around campus and Exposition Park this week had them taking their lunches in the locker room. Today it worked in his favor, as he could use the wi-fi to find an exam slot. He forwarded his mother a copy of the confirmation email and tried not to notice the look Cat and Laila exchanged. Jean’s heavy stare was a harder weight to shake, but Jeremy only smiled as he put his laptop away. He’d be back at Laila’s house tonight; did it really matter that he couldn’t taste his lunch?
They stayed up far too late that night playing card games, but Jeremy got the best sleep he’d had all week. On Saturday morning Jean showered while Jeremy brewed coffee, and Jean put together breakfast burritos while Jeremy washed up. Cat and Laila slept through breakfast, which meant there was more than enough coffee for Jean and Jeremy to take with them. Only when they were buckled up in Jeremy’s car did he ask where they were going, and Jean checked a printout for an address.
It was an easy drive, up Vermont to Olympic then over, and Jeremy found parking in an associated garage. He lingered long enough to drain the last of his coffee before collecting his study guide from the backseat. They took the side exit out of the garage and went around to the front of the building. Jeremy held open the front door to let Jean precede him into the lobby.