Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 80986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
When the sun rose, I went to get us some coffee. I bought a donut for Ian, but he turned it down.
I had class this morning, but for Ian’s sake, I’d miss it. He needed me.
Still, as I curled up next to him, my head on his shoulder I couldn’t help worrying. I was already struggling in my class, and exams were coming up.
But then an hour before class, Theo arrived. Ian had finally drifted into a light sleep, so I eased myself off the sofa and went over to him.
“I heard what happened,” he said softly. “Thank you for being with him. Are there any updates?”
I told him what little I knew.
His eyes narrowed as he took it all in. It was a serious situation. “You can go now,” he said.
“What?” Apparently now that he’d arrived, I was dismissed.
“You have class, right?”
“Oh, Yes. Are you sure?”
“Of course. Do you need a ride to campus?”
“No.” Miller Hall wasn’t too far from here. I regretted my misunderstanding about Theo’s intentions. He wasn’t dismissing me at all—he was helping make sure I got to class on time. “But thanks. Can you keep me updated, please?”
“Sure.” He gave me a one-armed hug. “Be a good student,” he whispered in my ear.
I’d try. But that sure didn’t seem like the most important thing right now.
The next two weeks were busy. Ian went to his classes and then rushed over to the hospital. His advisor didn’t have any remaining family. John’s wife had died years ago, and they didn’t have children. He was eventually upgraded to a regular hospital room, but it sounded like the situation was still pretty grim.
Whenever Ian came back to the house, which wasn’t often, there were dark circles under his eyes.
Theo was just as concerned as I was, but there wasn’t much we could do, at least not until John was moved to a nursing home very much like the one my grandfather had been in. Then we were able to visit the older man for short amounts of time and bring flowers and chocolate.
I was glad it seemed like he’d eventually recover, but I still worried about Ian. He looked like he’d aged ten years in a few weeks.
Perhaps because of how painful it was to go to the nursing home here, I skipped my Saturday volunteer shift at my grandpa’s old nursing home for the second week in a row.
I explained it all to Naomi by text, and she suggested we meet for coffee. To be honest, I didn’t really have time. The coursework for my class was getting more intense as the summer semester headed into the final stretch, and at the house, the guys kept me hopping. But I valued the friendship I was developing with Naomi, so I agreed to meet her on a Thursday morning when I didn’t have class.
We met at the coffee shop on campus, the very one Theo had been coming out of when he caught Sunny’s leash. I suggested it since I’d be able to walk the golden retriever right afterwards.
Naomi was at the counter. “Good timing,” she said. “What do you want to order?”
I ordered a latte, and she insisted on paying, which was nice of her. She also got us each a Danish. A few minutes later, we were settled at a table by the window.
Naomi looked cheerful and serene, the sun hitting her dark hair as I admired her fashion sense. She was dressed casually, but she looked like she’d just stepped out of a magazine. Maybe Bennett was right, and I did need to dress better.
My friend always had a smile for everyone, but she looked extra upbeat today. Or maybe it just seemed that way because I’d been thinking a lot about Ian, who was always down these days.
As we sipped our drinks, she asked me how I was doing, and I tried to think of how to answer. I could tell her about my class, but it still wasn’t going great. I could tell her about life in the frat house, but things were tense there because we were all worried about Ian. But I was also concerned about someone else, and it seemed like a safe topic. “I’m worried about my friend Tori.”
“What’s the problem?” Naomi had never met Tori, but I’d talked about her a time or two on the drives to and from the nursing home.
“It’s her roommates. They always let their boyfriends sleep over, and they keep her up late at night, they eat her food, and she really hates it there.”
“Sounds rough,” Naomi said. Then she grinned. “Good thing you don’t live in a house full of inconsiderate guys.” Her smile turned sly. “Me either.”
I had to laugh. “There are a few considerate ones there, too.”
“Want to tell me about them?”