CHAPTER THREE
J eremy
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F or one delirious moment Jeremy thought he d make it out of the room first. It was always a toss-up, since the longstanding seating arrangement at the table put the Wilshire-Knox kids in age order. Joshua s chair was basically decoration, so Annalise was the only real obstacle. Most days she was in a hurry to vacate his side and the drama his presence inevitably started, but today she was distracted answering some texts. Jeremy was able to get up before her, and he made it all the way to the dining room door before his mother stopped him with a brusque,
Jeremy.
It was as effective as an anchor, snapping him to a halt two steps from freedom.
Jeremy turned to face her, but Mathilda was already distracted helping Warren with his cufflinks. Warren was off for drinks with some of his colleagues tonight. Jeremy wished they d gone for dinner instead and saved him some of tonight s stress, but luck was running a bit scarce these days.
Annalise impatiently motioned Jeremy out of her way as she caught up with him. Warren was right behind her and gave no sign he noticed his stepson off to the side. Bryson remained seated at the table. Mathilda turned a cool gaze toward him as the others left.
Did you need something else?
I m finishing my tea, Bryson said, but made no move to sip it.
Lingering for the sake of eavesdropping, and they both knew it, but Jeremy couldn t call him out on it and Mathilda wouldn t waste her time doing it for him. She accepted Bryson s lie in silence and turned a shrewd look on Jeremy.
Your LSAT guides are still wrapped, she said.
Sealed, yes, and tucked away in the bottom drawer of his desk. That she d been digging around in his room was not as surprising as he wished it was. The years spent rebuilding her trust were all for nothing; one call from the police and she would always assume the worst from him.
He hesitated too long; her tone was stern when she said, Explain yourself.
It s too early to worry, Jeremy reassured her. I still have time.
The earlier you apply, the better your chances, Mathilda said. You should have taken the test this spring; barring that, you should have signed up for a summer slot. Admissions will open soon, and you are nowhere near ready. This isn t the sort of test you can just roll out of bed for. You do understand that, don t you?
Bryson tipped his cup toward Jeremy. I told you, didn t I? He s planning on failing so he can embarrass us again.
Mathilda pursed her lips in disapproval. Jeremy.
I m not, Jeremy argued. I won t. The summer just got away from me because I ve been helping Jean adjust to Los Angeles. It took a moment too long for recognition to set in, no matter that Jean s assault was what had forced this meeting. Jeremy couldn t keep the impatience out of his, Jean Moreau, the transfer student who was attacked on campus yesterday.
The newest Trojan faggot, Bryson said. Have you slept with this one yet?
Jeremy rounded on him to demand, Why? Is Warren shopping for another Beemer?
Mathilda s voice was like a whip: Jeremy Alan.
Looking away from Bryson s cold sneer took everything Jeremy had. He s out of line.
Bryson, stop antagonizing your brother, Mathilda said. Go on, now.
Bryson drained his tea, pushed the empty glass aside for someone else to deal with, and left the room with a last sly smirk for Jeremy. Jeremy wished the dining room had a door he could slam in Bryson s wake. He had to settle for crossing his arms over his chest so hard his ribs ached. When he turned on his mother again there was no sympathy or warmth in her eyes, only disappointment. One day he d stop looking for more than that.
She said nothing for a few moments before reluctantly asking, Did you?
No. When she looked unconvinced, he said again, No . He s not even my type.
A complete lie, but the truth was a complicated mess she couldn t handle. She was so discomfited by the reminder that Jeremy had a type that she didn t bother to push it. Jeremy looked away as she struggled to find an emotional landing point somewhere between regret and disgust.
I wish you would work things out with that girl. The mixed one you re always visiting, whatever her name is. A diplomat s daughter would be a good match for you.
It s never going to happen.
Would it really be so terrible to try? She s pretty enough, all things considered.
Jeremy knew exactly what she meant by all things considered and it was enough to make his stomach roil. Jesus, Mom. Can we please not do this today?
Mathilda was relentless. The war is taking a toll on public opinion. We need to make a statement: we have no quarrel with our Muslim neighbors here at home, just with the terrorists threatening our safety and sovereignty overseas.
She s not even practicing, Jeremy said.
Even better.
The relief in her smile irked him into saying, Nabil s Muslim. What about him?
He regretted the cheek immediately; the revolted look she gave him had him fixing his stare on the floor. Mathilda didn t waste her breath acknowledging his comment, but she did need a minute to get her temper under control. When she trusted herself to speak, she picked up right where she d left off:
Welcoming her into the family could be a good look for your grandfather, if his team can sort out how to safely spin it. He s losing ground with younger voters. They have more opinions than common sense.
He is not my-
Enough, Mathilda warned him. We ve been over this a hundred times.
Jeremy dug his nails into the starchy sleeves of the shirt William had set out for him. Silence stretched between them, terrible and brittle enough to cut. Jeremy cast about for anything that would get him out of here and settled on the easiest lie: I ll think about it.
Good. That s all I m asking.
She didn t understand what she was asking, or she didn t care. Jeremy didn t want to know which. He tried to drag the conversation back on track with a peace offering: I ll bring the guidebooks back to campus with me.
Don t bother. We ordered you a second set so you can keep one at either end. William knows where they are; see him before you head out. At his weak nod, she finally crossed the room toward him. Gentle fingers smoothed his hair out of his face, and she hummed thoughtfully as she studied him. It s growing on me, but you ll need to touch it up soon. I ll tell Leslie to expect the charge.
Thank you.
Go on, she said, letting go of him. That s all for now.
He should have gone looking for the butler, but Jeremy made a beeline for the stairs instead. It was unsurprising to find Bryson waiting at the top for him. With him square in the middle of the landing, Jeremy had no choice but to stop two steps down and stare up at him. Bryson considered Jeremy with a heavy-lidded stare of lofty arrogance, his hands tucked deep in the pockets of his gray slacks.
Personally, I m glad you re going to fail the test, Bryson said. It d be disturbingly out of character if you finally got something right.
Let me by, Jeremy said. I need to get back to campus.
Bryson s smile was slow and oily. I said, I m glad you re going to fail. The first few times you sit for it, anyway. When Jeremy opened his mouth to argue, Bryson neatly spoke over him: Tit for tat. You do this for me, and I ll make sure Mom doesn t find anything unexpected in your room the next time she goes on a scavenger hunt. What do you think?
That s an empty threat. There s nothing to find.
I wouldn t be so sure. I bet I can find just about anything in there if I look hard enough.
It took only a moment for Jeremy to understand. Don t you dare.
Please, Bryson prompted him.
I ll tell her it s yours, Jeremy warned him.
The sudden weight of Bryson s hand on the back of his neck jarred him to stillness, and Jeremy stared up into his brother s face. Bryson s expression was deceptively calm, but Bryson never touched him unless he was ready to put Jeremy back in his place.
Blaming me didn t save you last time, but sure, let s try the same old trick again.
It was enough to knock Jeremy s heart into his spine. I never blamed you.
But you took me down with you anyway. Bryson held on a moment more to make sure Jeremy had nothing else to say, then clucked his tongue in disapproval and withdrew. We ll make the best of it, one way or another. Tell you what: I ll even reinstate your friends and family discount. You ll need it to fall back on when you ve ruined your life beyond repair.
Jeremy didn t need to get changed that badly; he could pick up his clothes the next time he came home. He retreated a step, fighting to ignore the victorious smirk that cut his brother s face in two, and turned to go. His escape route was blocked by William, who was halfway up the stairs with a package in his hand. Jeremy froze, wondering how much William had heard. Bryson took advantage of his hesitation to elbow him into the railing and start down the stairs.
I ll have my travel arrangements soon, I expect? Bryson said.
William turned sideways to allow Bryson by. I ve set the envelope on the mail drop.
Jeremy didn t stick around to hear Bryson s response but made a beeline for his room. He left the door open since William would be by in just a moment and set to work on his buttoned shirt with unsteady hands. He threw his shirt in the general direction of his hamper and was yanking his belt free when William rapped on his doorframe.
Yeah. Jeremy heard the rough edge in his voice and swallowed hard.
Your books, William said, entering to set them on his nightstand. He collected Jeremy s shirt from the floor, briefly studied it to see if it could be salvaged after only an hour s use, then draped it over his arm to wait. As soon as Jeremy stepped out of his pants, William took those too and carried them away.
Bryson will be in Edmonton for the next week, he said as he gathered Jeremy s shoes.
It was a promise of temporary peace, but Jeremy couldn t be comforted. He didn t trust himself to answer but set to work tearing open the package at last. He already knew what William had brought him, but the sight of the LSAT guides turned his stomach inside out. He was distantly aware of William moving up alongside him again, but he didn t look until he saw a flash of blue in his peripheral vision. William was holding up one of his old phones.
William waited for him to take it before saying, Miss Dermott said your phone was temporarily out of service. I was able to find this one, but I haven t reassigned your line to it yet. She thought yours might be salvageable.
I dropped it in my coffee, Jeremy admitted as William backed out of his space. Jeremy chucked his LSAT guides on his bed and inspected the phone. William must have charged it over dinner, because the screen came to life as soon as he tapped the buttons. Jeremy felt his heart creep toward his throat, a warning not to dwell on it, but he couldn t stop himself from saying, Joshua texted me.
He felt the weight of William s calm stare pressing into him, but Jeremy couldn t look up from his phone to return it. William gave him a minute to see if anything else was forthcoming, then said, I do not imagine he was kind.
Jeremy set the phone down on his nightstand so he wouldn t throw it. I don t deserve kindness from him. I just want- Forgiveness was too much to ask for, and reconciliation wasn t far behind it. Jeremy had thought he d settle for Joshua s hatred, at least, because that meant Joshua would be thinking about him enough to have an opinion, but this morning s message had nearly sliced the soul out of him. He finished with a lame, I don t know.
If you don t know what you need, how can he ever provide it? William asked.
Had my therapy session for the month, thank you.
William s expression was calm, but there was a careful rebuke in his, Week.
The correction made Jeremy wince, and he glanced toward his open door. He knew William would never willingly betray his trust, but he d still put the man in an uncomfortable position by telling him the truth last year. Jeremy listened for any sign they might have been overheard, but strain as he might he only heard silence.
Jeremy finally tugged on the white tee and bright gold shorts he d arrived in. The outfit had earned a rather scathing appraisal from Warren, but it was better to be scorned and comfortable than to wear an ironed shirt and starch-stiff pants for longer than was necessary. He stuffed his old phone into one pocket and scooped up the unwanted guides.
He felt restless and out of sorts, worn raw beneath his family s antagonism and expectations. He knew what would solve it-knew a few things, really-but he wasn t sure he could pull it off. He started for the door, trusting William to follow him out.
Over his shoulder he said, I m going to go for a run and clear my head before I deal with crosstown traffic. If anyone wonders why my car s still out front when I m supposed to be gone...
I will explain if they ask, William said when he trailed off.
Oh. Jeremy hesitated halfway down the stairs. I m going to start studying French. Any idea who s got the best program these days?
I will look into it, William promised.
What would I do without you? Jeremy asked.
What would any of you do?
William s usual response for once lacked its prim humor, but Jeremy knew that dour mood wasn t really directed at him. Jeremy took the remaining stairs two at a time and scooped up his keys on his way out the door. He detoured by his car long enough to toss the phone and books into the passenger seat, then set off on a slow jog up the street. It was all for show, as he d seen everything he needed to on the drive in, but it was necessary to pull this off.
Two streets up and one over was Leonard Foster s house. On Friday evenings Tessa Foster hosted a candlelit coffee and crime book club on her front lawn. She d been setting up when Jeremy first entered the neighborhood, but Jeremy had been less interested in her than he was the familiar black car at the head of her driveway.
Jeremy made a meandering lap of the neighborhood, scanning manicured lawns and sprawling decks for prying eyes. Jeremy wasn t supposed to be within fifty feet of the Foster house, and anyone who mattered knew that. Warren was as generous to his friends as he was hateful to his least-liked stepson.
Satisfied by the shuttered windows and empty lawns, Jeremy made his way back to Leo s place. Most of the backyard was framed by tastefully trimmed trees, and Jeremy knew from experience which part of the fence had the fewest flowering vines twisted around it. Shimmying up and over with so little room to work with was uncomfortable enough to put a small tweak in his knee, but Jeremy made it into the yard with no one the wiser.
From there it was a practiced climb: up the patio steps to the lower deck and an almost-too-far jump to the second-floor balcony. Luckily the metal railing there was hooked and swirled, giving him plenty of places to grip as he dragged himself up. The trickiest section was going from the second floor to the third, as there was no direct path up. Jeremy had to get over to the private balcony outside the master bedroom before making his way up to the one outside of Leo s, and he crossed his fingers for luck before making the jump.
At last he was where he needed to be. The sliding door to Leo s bedroom was unlocked, as usual, and the yellow curtains were drawn tight. Jeremy eased the door open a few inches and put his ear to the crack to listen. A minute dragged by without any discernible sound, and Jeremy risked poking the curtain open an inch. Leo was propped up on an obscene amount of pillows in bed, headphones jammed tight against his skull as he flipped through a magazine. The bedroom door across the room was open, but when Jeremy saw no movement in the hall, he tugged the curtain further open.
It took a couple waves to get Leo s attention, and the other man jumped so hard he dislodged his headphones. Leo gaped at him for a minute, then threw himself out of bed and ran to close his bedroom door. He was smart enough to be quiet about it, and Jeremy let himself in as soon as Leo turned the lock.
Jesus, Knox, a little warning? Leo asked. What if Mom saw you?
She s nose-deep in some sordid story with her friends, Jeremy said. Want me to leave?
Fuck no. Leo was already peeling his shirt over his head, and Jeremy laughed as he followed suit.
A long run would ve been the safer bet, but losing himself in Leo s hungry kisses and familiar embrace was infinitely more satisfying. Summer was boring when Jeremy s usual hookups were all out of town. He d found a couple new faces at coffee shops and bars this May when going back and forth from home to Laila s, but he d spent June utterly distracted by Jean. He d missed this. Leo too, if he was honest, but there was as much bitterness wrapped up in Leo as there was nostalgia.
Leo waited until after they d worn each other out before pressing a cheshire-cat grin to Jeremy s temple. Not that I m complaining, but what s the occasion?
I can t visit an old friend? Jeremy ducked in for a last, lingering kiss and was rewarded with a nip at his lower lip.
Leo s heavy-lidded gaze tracked him as Jeremy rolled off the bed. Jeremy could almost hear the gears working as Leo thought, and he knew it wouldn t take long for the other man to draw the right conclusions. They d gone to the same high school, after all. They d been teammates for four years and clumsily unsubtle lovers for most of one. Then Warren offered Leo a car if he climbed out of Jeremy s bed, and Leo needed only two hours to choose his side.
Whenever he was home for school break, he parked the BMW where Warren was sure to see it. Jeremy had considered keying it beyond repair for a while there, and for two years the sight of it was enough to make him ill. Last year he d run into Leo by chance at the beach, and Leo had taken him up the coast to desecrate the backseat. After that the car was a little less of an eyesore, but there was still a chasm between them neither man could fix.
Bryson s in town, Leo decided. When is that cocksucker going to move out for good? Annie did.
Annalise, Jeremy corrected him, never mind his sister wasn t around to take offense to the nickname. Jeremy pushed around Leo s jeans with his foot, looking for his other sock, and finally found it near the baseboard. Glass houses, anyway. We re still living at home.
Leo sat up just to immediately slump back against the headboard. He scratched idly at his bare chest and watched with keen interest as Jeremy tugged on his clothes. We re in undergrad, he said only after Jeremy s ass disappeared into boxers and too-bright shorts. How s he ever gonna get picked up by a firm in Manhattan if he s back here so often? I can call around, maybe, see if I can namedrop him to the right people. Not that a Wilshire needs my help getting placed, I mean.
He is not a Wilshire.
Leo was unmoved by the flat tone but beckoned Jeremy back to him. Jeremy waited until he d yanked his shirt on before letting Leo pull him in. Ah, there you are, Leo said, tracing the hard line of Jeremy s mouth with his thumb. His grip on Jeremy s wrist went bruising when Jeremy tried to pull free, and he kissed Jeremy to take the sting off his words: Denial didn t save you then and won t save you now. He made his choice, and you made yours, Knox .
Let me out.
What s the rush? Leo let go and put another pillow behind his head. Let s chat a bit. You ve been holding out on me.
I ve stayed too long as it is. Jeremy crossed the room and motioned at the curtain. Come on.
Love him and leave him, Leo mocked him.
Jeremy leveled a cool look at him. You made that choice for both of us.
And I d do it again, Leo said, without an ounce of guilt or shame. He was at least smart enough to get up, knowing his words were likely to send Jeremy out onto the balcony unattended. He gave a half-assed attempt to find his briefs before moseying over to Jeremy in the nude. Jeremy stepped out of view as Leo tugged the curtains wide open, but Leo didn t bother to slide the door open yet. Don t be stingy. You ve got a Raven on your lineup. How d you pull that off?
Luck, Jeremy said.
Leo waited, but Jeremy gazed back in silence. Leo gave an exaggerated shrug and said, It s about time the Trojans gave up the gag, honestly. It ll be good to see them get dirty this year. Good for you, too. You tried it their way for four years, and what did it ever get you except failure right at the finish line?
Our way. Jeremy tilted his head away from Leo s kiss. Signing Jean doesn t mean we re changing how we do things. I wouldn t want us to.
You can t be serious.
I believe in us, Jeremy insisted. We can win without sacrificing who we want to be.
Leo s smile was too amused to be pitying. You couldn t even beat the Foxes when it mattered most.
Jeremy regretted the loss, but not the choice his team had made that night. Trying to explain himself to Leo would only start a fight, so Jeremy gazed back at him in silence until Leo turned away at last. The other man tugged the door open and stepped out onto the balcony. He made a show of stretching and yawning, his head on a slow swivel as he checked the neighbors windows for any witnesses.
Leo motioned an okay when he was done, and Jeremy stepped out alongside him. Leo propped his elbow on the railing and said, Mind the roses when you drop. Mom ll kill me if you fuck em up.
Yeah, yeah.
Jeremy hoisted himself up on the railing. Getting down from the third floor was marginally easier than getting up. The fall from three to two was the iffiest, a half-second longer than Jeremy always expected it to be, but he managed to not hit the patio set outside the sunroom when he landed. Dropping to the garden was easier, a hand-over-hand shimmy down and a push off the railing so he wouldn t land in the bushes. Leo would be back inside by now, so Jeremy snapped a white rose off its stem and booked it for the far side of the yard.
It was a short jog back to his house. Jeremy checked his pocket for his keys as he reached the looping driveway out front. The rose was tucked into his cup holder for safekeeping, and Jeremy glanced toward the front of his house as he turned the key in the ignition and pulled away.
Tumbling with Leo this close to home was risky, but it had been the right move. The inevitable ache from a family meeting now sat no heavier than a bruise on his heart, easily ignored beneath the memory of Leo s eager hands.
Jeremy drummed his fingers on the steering wheel in an uneven beat before cutting the radio on to drown out his thoughts. He couldn t carry a tune to save his life, but he belted out whatever lyrics he knew with all the enthusiasm he could muster. It was enough to settle him, and by the time he reached Laila s house he had put dinner completely behind him. He parked at the base of her driveway, neatly blocking her car in, and brought his things inside with him.
The TV was on, but from here he couldn t tell what was playing. He toed out of his shoes and went in search of his friends, only to hesitate in the living room doorway when he realized the girls had fallen asleep there. Cat was slouched against the back of the couch while Laila used her thigh as a pillow. Jeremy dug up the remote to mute the TV. Neither stirred at the abrupt silence. He wondered if he ought to wake them, as it was too early to be in bed, but there was plenty of time this weekend to fix their schedules.
Jeremy found Jean in the kitchen. The gray-eyed backliner was perusing one of Cat s tattered cookbooks, and the relaxed line of his shoulders was reassuring. Jeremy studied his calm expression and tried not to think about Leo s unkind assessment. Jean put a finger to the page to mark his spot and looked up, and Jeremy smiled apologies for interrupting him.
Any idea how long they ve been out? he asked.
Jean glanced toward the clock and said, An hour at most.
Jeremy set his things aside and went in search of a makeshift vase for his rose. He collected a clean glass from the cabinet, filled it halfway with water, and dropped the flower in. There was room on the windowsill for it, so he set it between a picture of Barkbark von Barkenstein and an empty terracotta pot. He framed the view between his fingers as he took a few steps back.
Satisfied with the setup, Jeremy turned back to Jean for his opinion. Jean didn t notice, as he was staring at Jeremy s study guides with a look of palpable disdain. Jeremy forgot whatever he d been going to say but quietly went to the island and turned the guides over. Jean slanted a cool look at him, but Jeremy only said, Did anything happen while I was gone? Any updates or calls we need to deal with?
He expected Jean to allow the change in subject. With one or two exceptions, Jean had avoided their personal business all summer long. Even this afternoon s fiasco with Jeremy s phone had gotten little more than a fleeting dig. This should have followed the pattern-except of course it wouldn t, because law school and an Exy career could not coexist. Jeremy should have taken that into account, but Jean s annoyed, These aren t yours, caught him off guard.
Yeah, Jeremy said. I m taking the exam this fall.
Jean gave him a minute to come up with something better, then said, No.
Family tradition, Jeremy said. He meant to leave it at that, but the look on Jean s face told him that wasn t good enough. Jeremy pushed the books in slow circles with his fingers. That s why I m studying English, you know? It s a decent starter degree for getting into law school.
It hadn t been his first choice by a long shot, but it was better than his mother s suggestions of political science or criminal justice. It had taken weeks to wear her down even after he brought home articles to justify his choice. He didn t dislike it as much as he d thought he would, but it helped that he offset his classes with fun electives each semester. Equally helpful was watching his teammates in more ambitious degrees suffer through sleepless nights and lethal levels of caffeine at exam time.
Your traditions are irrelevant, Jean said. You are going to play after graduation.
There s no harm in at least taking the test. A transparent lie, but one Jeremy couldn t afford to linger on right now. He pushed his books aside and leaned against the island with a bright smile. You ever think about where you ll be signed? I imagine you ll get offers from just about everywhere.
Jean considered it for only a moment. No.
Really? No preference at all? Jeremy waited a beat but was undeterred by Jean s reticence. I used to think I wanted to stay here in California, but Oregon or Arizona might not be that bad. I m not sure how well I d do on a southern team, but I guess anywhere but New York or Texas would still work. Not that I d turn them down if they were the only offers. Any port in a storm, and all that.
Jean made a derisive sound in the back of his throat. You waste our time pretending to be modest. We both know your statistics and records. They will fight to the death for you, and Court will be waiting in the wings.
He d heard such reassurances from his friends over the years, but they were his friends; filling in the holes his family carved out of him was something they d always done because they loved and supported him. It was different, from Jean-not that Jeremy didn t consider Jean a friend, but that Jean said it with such impatience. Jean didn t know or care about the rest, the Wilshires or their expectations or the ugly manipulations happening behind the scenes. He saw only Jeremy Knox, captain of the USC Trojans, and he knew what Jeremy was worth on his own.
There you are, Jean said.
It was jarring enough to shake the warmth out of him. Where Leo had said it with hungry satisfaction, Jean only sounded thoughtful.
Jean? he asked.
Jean turned a considering look on him. You go away when you go home.
Jeremy studied him, but there was nothing curious or prying in his expression. He didn t want to get into it after the day they d had, but he risked saying, You never ask.
Ravens do not have families. It wasn t the first time he d said as much, but Jeremy was sure he d been calmly dismissive before. The sharp edge biting at his words now was startling, and Jeremy couldn t miss the way Jean dug his fingernails into his bandaged wrist. You are my captain and my partner. You are my teammate. Who you are outside of that is irrelevant.
You are not a Raven, Jeremy said.
Jean nearly tore the bandage off as he dragged his grip loose. Take me to the court.
You ve been sidelined, Jeremy reminded him, as gently as he could. Would you settle for a run around campus?
Bad idea, Laila said as she joined them.
Rather than explain, she gave Jeremy her phone and smothered a jaw-cracking yawn behind one hand. A text from Xavier was open for him to read: the news was out that Grayson Johnson was dead. He d apparently been found in his hotel room by housekeeping when he failed to check out on time, though Xavier said cause of death was still being withheld. All the article had said was he d passed away sometime in the middle of the night.
Beneath that was the warning that had Laila urging caution, so Jeremy passed it on to Jean: Coach says the press ve been by the stadium looking for a statement. He turned them away, but Shane saw one or two of them near the dorms. Guess they didn t care for Coach s official statement. He returned Laila s phone and grimaced an apology at Jean. It s late enough in the day they should ve given up, but I don t know if we want to risk it.
They aren t here, Jean pointed out.
Of course not. Cat wandered in and went straight to the fridge to look for her pitcher of pineapple juice. As far as anyone knows, only three Trojans live off-campus during the school year. She twirled her finger to indicate Jeremy and Laila. It s been established that Jeremy lives at home, and no one s going to blindly assume you live co-ed with me and Laila. The team knows to be vague and unhelpful if anyone asks where to find you.
Remember that my uncle owns half of the houses right around here, Laila added. Even if our neighbors have figured out who you are, they know better than to snitch. But once you re on campus you re fair game.
I am not allowed to speak to the public, Jean said. Their presence changes nothing.
You re allowed to talk to people who aren t Trojans, Jeremy said in patient correction. So long as you re careful with how you represent the team, I mean. But you don t have to talk to anyone you don t want to, at least not until your interview next month. We don t mind running interference for you wherever we can. I ll have to say something as team captain this weekend, but they can t make me bring you along.
It might work in our favor in the long run. Cat went to Jean s side and gently pressed her cold glass to his bruised cheek. The official story is still that you left the Ravens mid-championships because you sprained your LCL. That Edgar Allan let you go when you would ve healed up for summer practices raised a few questions, but no one knows what you really went through or what the Ravens are capable of. This is the first real proof we have that they re nasty pieces of work both on and off the court.
It will backfire on us, Laila predicted. Their loudest fans were happy to jump onto the hate train this spring. They don t care that Jean transferred for an injury; they care that Jean left when his team needed him. Riko killed himself when he lost to the Foxes, and two others followed his lead. Their more enthusiastic fans need someone to blame for this absolute disaster. They won t look at Jean s injuries and see what the Ravens are capable of. They ll think Grayson was justified in turning on him, and they ll pin his death on Jean no matter what.
Jeremy thought of how vile spring had gotten. I m inclined to agree with Laila. It s twice as likely to work against you until people have a chance to get to know you.
I do not care what people think of me, Jean said. Their opinion has no bearing on my performance.
Jeremy drummed his thumbs on his hips as he thought. At last he relented with, It s not our reputation at stake, so we can t make the decision for you. If you want to see how it plays out, that s your call. We ll support you all the way either way and do what we can to put out the fires. Do you still want to go for a run?
Yes, Jean said without hesitation.
Jeremy glanced at the girls in silent invitation, but Cat answered with a pitying look. Listen, love you both, but absolutely not. She put her hands up as if they were scales and weighed her options for him: Go for a run or take advantage of an empty house. Easiest choice we ve made all year, right babe?
Make it a very long run, Laila said. Jeremy saluted as he pushed away from the island and started for the door. He was nearly there when Laila somehow noticed the newest d cor in her kitchen. He felt her stare boring holes in the back of his head as she demanded, Why is there a Foster rose on my windowsill, Jeremy?
Jeremy smiled over his shoulder but didn t slow. You always said you liked them!
He put on his shoes while Jean changed into something easier to run in. It didn t take long for Jean to catch up with him, and Jeremy grabbed his keys while Jean knotted his laces. Neither girl came to see them off, likely content to listen for the lock, and Jeremy led Jean down the stairs to the street.
Rock paper scissors, he said, holding out his hand. Jean frowned but did as he was told, and Jeremy nodded satisfaction. North it is! Want to see where the Dodgers play?
Summer team? Jean asked as he fell in alongside Jeremy.
Baseball, Jeremy corrected him. I ll take you to a game one day.
Jean s lip curled in disdain. There is no value in watching other sports.
I m telling Derrick you said that when the Kings season starts.
Now you are making teams up, Jean decided, and Jeremy could only laugh.
For the first time all day-all week, perhaps?-their luck finally held. Jeremy saw no one he recognized, no strangers jumped in their path at the sight of Jean s numbered face, and the only two police cars they spotted turned off before Jeremy and Jean passed them. For now, Jean was safe. The rest they would deal with one day at a time.