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)
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?”