Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51193 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 171(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51193 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 171(@300wpm)
I push myself up from the bed. “I’ll leave you to it, then.” Opening my mouth, I hesitate with my next words. “Don’t shut everyone out, Prez. We all want to help you. It doesn’t have to be like this.”
He steals his eyes away from mine, avoiding me. “There’s nothing anyone can do for me.”
Irritated with his attitude and the general shitty mood in the house, I sigh. “Okay. You know where to find me if you want to talk or play Mage Wars. I beat level fifty-five last night. You should’ve seen this wizard I had to face. I called my dad after I beat it to curse him out for making the game so fucking hard.”
He laughs for the first time in over a week. “Did you have to answer another riddle? I hate those fucking questions.”
“Nah, this time I had to save up enough magic dust to break through an enchanted fortress. I died at least a hundred times before I figured out how to defeat the mages in each room.”
He sits up, one leg crossed over the other, interested in the game. “What rooms?”
Grinning, I sit back down on the edge of the bed, thrilled to see him slowly going back to the old Preston. “After you defeat the giant that guards the enchanted fortress, steal the magic from the mages in each room.”
I rehash every level I beat. For once, Preston listens without interrupting me. And I know in this moment, Preston will be okay. We’ll all be okay. And after I get my act together, I need to fix what I’ve broken with Shannon.
Chapter Eighteen
Shannon
I hurry into Broad Street Beans to get a break from the chill outside. The scent of coffee brewing smacks me in the face. Rubbing my hands together, I tip my nose in the air and take in the delicious aroma. I try to save my money for more important things than expensive coffee drinks, but it’s too damn cold outside to wait for the bus without a warm cup in my hand.
I order a hot chocolate and then move over to the counter where the barista is setting down mugs. Most of the campus appears to be inside, not an open seat in the house. So much for hanging out here until the bus comes.
After my drink is ready, I spin around to leave when someone calls out my name. It’s a woman’s voice, one I don’t recognize until I turn around. Taylor Bradshaw has her hand raised in the air, waving to me from across the crowded space.
Smiling, I wave back. She gestures for me to come over to the table where she’s sitting with Bex Bryant. Bex flashes a closed-mouth smile in my direction. She looks upset, her gaze lowering to the table in front of her.
“Hey,” I say as I approach their table.
Taylor pulls out an extra chair and pats the wooden seat. “Sit with us. We have some room.”
I swat my hand to refuse her offer. “No, that’s okay. I have to take the bus soon. Gotta get to work.”
“Hang out for a minute,” Taylor insists, tapping her fingers on the seat. “We haven’t seen you in forever.”
“I broke up with Jamie,” I admit.
Taylor nods. “I heard.”
Bex sniffs and rubs the corner of her eye. “Preston’s suspended,” she announces. “Which means his college hockey career is over. And now, he won’t even talk to me. Because he blames me for everything that’s happened.”
I sit between Taylor and Bex, drinking from the Styrofoam cup in my hand. Clueless, I ask, “What happened?”
Taylor’s head snaps in my direction. “You haven’t heard?”
“I thought everyone on campus knew by now,” Bex says. “I’m surprised it’s not on Dethroned.”
“I hate that bitch,” Taylor growls.
“Me, too,” Bex adds. “She’s such an asshole. Like our lives aren’t hard enough, we need someone with nothing better to do than sneaking around behind our backs to report on us.”
“Jamie’s been looking for her since her first post,” I offer. “He couldn’t handle being bested by a girl.”
Bex snorts. “Typical man. They can’t deal with a girl doing anything that trumps their accomplishments.”
“That’s not what Preston is doing,” Taylor says. “You just need to give him time to process.”
She rolls her eyes and then takes a sip from her mug. “I have never met a more complicated man in my life. I never thought Preston would act like such a baby. Just because I was the reason he fought Kellan doesn’t mean I should suffer for his stupid decision. I love him even more for standing up for me, but I really wish he’d have backed down to him and just let it go. Now, my past could ruin our future. And it’s all my fault.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Taylor says. “You didn’t force him to beat the shit out of Kellan. And Kellan deserved more than a beat down. I’m surprised your dad didn’t jump in, too.”