I roll my eyes hard. Of course Charles did.
He probably handed Jin a textbook instead of sunscreen and told him, 'Son, knowledge is your summer tan.' I don’t say it out loud. Instead, I grab another flashcard and wave it in his face.
"Okay, let's get this over with. I skipped a car meetup for this. I hope you know the sacrifice I've made."
Jin crosses his arms. "Well, I was supposed to go out with a girl from school today. I've been trying to ask her out for like three months. But now I'm freaking stuck here."
I raise an eyebrow. "She must be thrilled you ditched her for me." He groans. "This is a disaster."
"A romantic tragedy," I say, fake-sighing.
"Star-crossed lovers torn apart by the Treaty of Vienna."
He throws a cushion at my face. I catch it and laugh.
Just then, his mom, Mrs. Eden, appears in the doorway, hands on her hips, and looks straight at Jin. "Really, Jin?" she says, exasperated. "Not only is Gio the only one who offered to help you, while your siblings have all abandoned you, but you're also complaining? Sit down and stop making his life harder!"
I give her the most angelic smile of my entire existence. "Thank you, Mrs. Eden," I say sweetly. "Your children yell at me all the time. Onlyyoucare. I'll remember this while writing my will. I promise."
She actually laughs. "There's food in the kitchen," she says. "You've got time to eat before Charles gets home."
"Oh, perfect," I grin. "Just what I need. A meal before I get murdered by Napoleon reincarnated."
She snorts and walks off. I turn back to Jin with renewed focus. "Alright, let's go. Say it. What happened in 1848?" Jin flops onto the cushions like he's dying. "Kill me."
I lean in, lowering my voice just enough. "Read a little more," I murmur, "and I'll take you for a ride on the bike. For real. Just you and me. No speeding though."
His eyes light up. "Seriously??"
I nod.
"Helmet's already in the back. But if you mess up again, I'm making you walk." He immediately sits up and reaches for his notes. Goddamn right he does.
"Going to say hi to your donkey of a brother," I mutter as I get up from the couch. Jin doesn't even look up.
"Try not to choke him. With your tongue."
I freeze. "What did you just say?"
He flips a page, calm as ever.
"Nothing. Something in the book."
I smile. The hallway is quiet. My shoes barely make a sound on the wooden floor as I approach Rava's door. My fingers are already at the handle before I even realize I'm smirking.
I don’t knock. I just open it, step inside and stretch.
"I’m here. Lock the door. I've been hard since forever."
Silence.
Not Rava turning to look at me. The second my mouth closes, the air shifts.
Embarrassing.
There’s… a guy. A fucking guy. Sitting on Rava's bed, legs crossed, phone in one hand. He slowly raises his eyes from the screen. Looks at me.
Oh, God. The smile. The biggest, brightest, most terrifyingly unhinged grin I've ever seen in my life.
