Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 145402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 582(@250wpm)___ 485(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 582(@250wpm)___ 485(@300wpm)
"You had no right to drag her into this!"
Dorm doors weren't made to be soundproof, and the loud German finally got the Foxes' attention. Nicky was the first out into the hallway, but the upperclassmen weren't far behind him. Soccer players stepped aside to let them closer, but Dan and Matt held back to watch. Neil expected a lecture, but Dan looked from one to the other and said nothing. Neil didn't know if she was too surprised they were making a spectacle to intervene or if she was still mad at Aaron for whatever role he'd played in Allison's close call.
Nicky got as close to Aaron as he could and sent a bewildered look at Neil. "Do I want to know?" he asked in German.
Aaron made another rough attempt to get free. This time Amal let him go, though he kept his hands out in case Aaron went after Neil again. Aaron took a half-step back instead, like he couldn't stand to be this close to Neil. "Katelyn's refusing to see me or talk to me until Andrew and I get counseling."
Nicky's jaw dropped, but he sounded more admiring than anything. "Damn, Neil."
Aaron shot him a livid look. "Don't you dare take his side."
"Why not?" Nicky asked. "It's not like you've ever let me take yours."
Aaron shoved Nicky aside and stomped for his room. Nicky grimaced at Neil and went after him. Kevin was standing in the doorway, but he stepped into the hall to let them by. He hadn't understood a word they'd said, but the hard pull of his mouth was displeased. Neil stared back at him, trying to silently convey how little he cared about Kevin's bad mood.
Dan motioned to the athletes hanging onto Neil. "Thanks. We'll keep an eye on them."
Neil was released into her custody and the small crowd slowly dispersed. Dan gestured for Neil to take the lead, so he headed for his room with Matt and Dan on his heels. Renee and Allison were inside still, and they watched Neil's return with interest.
Neil wasn't hungry, but eating gave him something to do. It also made him easier to corner. Dan propped her hip against the counter and watched him rummage through the fridge. She was trying to outlast him, Neil thought, but Neil wasn't going to be the first to speak. He popped his takeout container into the microwave, twisted the dial, and returned her heavy stare. Dan managed the silent treatment only until the timer dinged.
"Are we going to talk about this?" she asked.
"You might want to avoid Aaron for a couple days."
"That was already the plan," Dan said. "What the hell is going on?"
"I'm doing what you asked me to do," Neil said. "I'm fixing them."
"That's not what it looked like."
Neil shrugged, poked his noodles, and restarted the timer. "If a bone isn't healing straight, you have no choice but to break it. They'll be fine."
Matt leaned against the doorframe and arched a brow at Neil. "That's not exactly reassuring. From you 'fine' could mean anything from 'I'm going to hitchhike across the state' to 'I'm beaten to a bloody pulp but I can still hold a racquet'."
"Did you bet on them?" Neil asked. Realizing Matt couldn't follow his train of thought, he said, "Aaron and Katelyn."
"Everyone except Andrew bet on them," Matt said. "It's not a matter of them working out. It's a matter of when."
Neil considered that. "Then they'll be fine."
Dan didn't look convinced, but she left him to eat in peace and took Matt with her. Neil spent the rest of the afternoon staring at his textbooks instead of getting any real work done. Dinner was delivery because Allison didn't want to see anyone in the dining hall, and dinner was followed by complicated card games and a lot of shots.
Dan, Matt, and Allison played like the only way to win was to be the first one tanked. Allison was the first one to nod off, but Matt and Dan didn't last much longer. Allison claimed the couch, so Dan and Matt stumbled into the bedroom to share Matt's bed. Neil straightened the mess they'd made of the living room while Renee fetched an extra blanket from the girls' room. She was back in time to clear away the last of the trash. They washed sticky glasses side by side in the kitchen and were finishing up when Renee spoke.
"Thank you," she said, "for reaching him when I couldn't."
Neil glanced at her. "He asked you to protect them?"
Renee nodded. "Kevin told Andrew the truth about the Moriyamas first. Andrew knew letting Kevin stay could mean serious consequences for the rest of us. He was willing to protect his own against the backlash, but he didn't care enough to fight for the rest of us. He gave them to me instead." She tipped her head to indicate her sleeping friends and held a glass up for inspection. "One of the first things I asked him last June was who was keeping you. He said he'd know after a night out in Columbia."
Neil took the cup back and gave it a second scrub. "He regrets keeping me now, I'm sure."
"Andrew doesn't believe in regret; he says regret is grounded in shame and guilt, neither of which serves any real purpose. That being said, I tried taking you off his hands at one point." When Neil looked at her in surprise, Renee affected an innocent look that for once was not entirely convincing. "Andrew refused on the grounds he wouldn't wish you on anyone except a mortician."
"Drama queen," Neil muttered.
Renee gave a quiet laugh and traded him a hand towel for the glass. Neil dried his hands and passed it back. Renee hung the towel off its hook on the front of the fridge and stepped out of the kitchen to survey the living room.
"Will you be all right here?" Renee asked.
Neil cocked his head to one side, listening for noises from the bedroom, and heard only silence. "I'm fine."
He saw her out, locked the door behind her, and headed to bed. Morning came too soon, and with it came more bad news. Wymack called them early to say the campus was defaced. Black paint covered buildings and sidewalks in thick sloshes and the pond was stained bright red from dye. Rude graffiti tarnished the white outer walls of the Foxhole Court. Wymack didn't want the team stopping by to see it but didn't want them hearing about it secondhand, either. The facilities department was out and about trying to restore everything as fast as possible. Wymack vowed to shred campus security as soon as he got them on the phone.