“Look, I’m not at liberty to share her plans.”
“Dad, listen, I know she might have told you not to tell me, but—”
“Shane, don’t ask me to break her confidence. I won’t do it.”
For fuck’s sake. “I’ll talk to you later.” I swipe a finger over the screen to end the call. “Fucking hell,” I mutter.
Declan raises his brows.
“Sorry. I’ve gotta go back.”
At this point, I won’t reach Boston until three or four in the morning. It’s a complete pain in the ass. But at least Avery and I will be alone for our reunion.
Declan falls in step with me as I start toward the terminal.
“What’s going on, Shane? Seriously?” His tone is as grim as a fucking reaper. “She’s coming eventually. Why wouldn’t you wait for her here? Erik’s at the house. I convinced him to come. The three of us can talk business. He and I have to go back for practice in a few days, so this is really our only chance.”
“Yeah, the three of us will talk, but it’s not urgent.”
Declan scowls. “Now business isn’t a priority? The thing that’s urgent is that you see your little stepsister because she’s in a snit about something? What’s her problem? And why can’t you just fly back tomorrow?”
“Snit. There’s a word you don’t hear every day. You have been hanging out with Sorensen. Has he been at the GRE test booklets between plays?”
Declan laughs, despite himself.
Sorensen once let slip he plans to go to grad school. And, between extended bouts of silence, he occasionally quotes obscure literature. The guy’s an enigma.
“C’mon, man,” Dec says. “Stay.”
“Can’t. I don’t want her there alone.”
“Where? Granthorpe?”
I nod, hustling across the street while traffic’s light.
“Term’s over. What the hell does she need to do on campus?”
When I don’t answer, Declan blows out a frustrated breath. “You just got off the fucking plane.”
“Yeah. Sorry for this bullshit pick-up. And listen, we’ll still talk. I’ll call you once I’ve booked a new flight.”
Declan stops on the sidewalk just outside the terminal’s sliding glass doors. “It’s not a conversation for a public place. We’ll talk when I see you next.”
“All right.” I shake his hand briefly before I walk back inside.
Not great to blow Declan off for Avery. I need to be better about that once things are back on track with her.
Inside, I get a seat on an outbound red-eye flight to Boston that’s departing within the hour. Good. I want to see Avery tonight, and I’m going to. By the time I get back through security and to the gate, the flight is boarding. Also, good. I’m not in the mood to sit around in Colorado when she’s in Massachusetts.
Once I’m seated, I start texting, knowing I don’t have much time before the phone will have to go into airplane mode.
Shane:heard from my dad you got an interview for your internship. Congratulations. proud of you.
Shane:don’t go to campus alone, Ave. not for any reason. if you have to go, let me be there.
The doors close,and the flight attendant starts taking drink orders.
Shane:i wanna see you. i’ll be in boston in the morning.
