Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 95559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Just over three hours and one rest stop later, Adam parks his car outside a redbrick building on a quiet tree-lined road just off-campus. I’ll admit to being surprised at my surroundings. I wouldn’t have pictured Jude living on a street like this, especially since he’s the life and soul of any party. Still, I’ll admit to being relieved we’re not in the middle of all the campus action. I’m hardly out of the car when the door flies open, and my brother comes running down the path toward me. Picking me up in the air, he swings me around before setting me back on the ground.
“You’re here!” he says before turning to Adam and pulling him into a brotherly hug. “How was the drive?”
“Not so bad,” Adam replies. “Good to see you, man.”
Adam and Jude have always gotten along. Jude and Austin, Adam’s older brother, were buddies in high school, so our families have known each other for a while. Unlike Adam, Austin is not invested in the family business and chose his own career path, making him the black sheep of the family. It’s one of the reasons, Adam treats Jude more like his big brother.
“Well, let’s get you moved in and settled, and then I can show you around,” Jude continues as he picks up one of my many boxes and carries it into the house, with Adam and I following behind.
I haven’t seen this house before, so I get a quick tour while Jude shows me to my room. To the left of the hallway is a spacious lounge with a huge flat-screen TV, of course, with various gaming consoles plugged into it, a massive sectional and coffee table, and an armchair to one side. A doorway leads to the kitchen/diner, which has double doors to what I expect is a patio or garden area at the back. In the far corner of the hallway, there are various dumbbells and weights, making a small workout area.
“Boys and their toys, huh?” I say with a laugh.
“Hey, gotta keep ourselves fit and ready for the ice,” Jude replies. “Feel free to use them at any time.”
“The rooms on the second floor are for us guys. Devon and Nolan will be back in about an hour, so I’ll introduce you then. Your room is right at the top.”
Jude leads us up two flights of stairs to the attic room and it’s there I realize how much I’ve lucked out. This room is huge and has a slanted roof and full-length window with a balcony at the back. There’s also an en-suite bathroom and a king-size bed, a desk area, and a couch.
“Wow, are you sure this is mine? Surely, last in should get the smallest room?” I ask as I wander around, still in awe at my surroundings.
“Are you kidding me?” Jude laughs. “You’re gonna be living in a house with four guys. Four guys, who, I’ll add, probably smell most of the time due to all the hockey practice. There is no way I’m subjecting you to sharing a bathroom with any of those fuckers, me included. This way, you get your own little space with none of us leaving our smelly-ass socks lying around.”
“Wait, four guys?” Adam pipes up, “Yeah, you’re staying up here with the door locked!”
I know he’s joking, but it still takes me by surprise. He’s never been the jealous type, but I’m still glad he appears to be finally taking some kind of interest in my move.
“Don’t worry, babe, you’re the only guy I’ll let in here,” I reply with a kiss on his lips, which elicits a groan from Jude.
“Okay, I’m out. Four years on, and I still don’t wanna see that.” He points at Adam and I and fakes a shudder. “Gross,” he says as he walks down the stairs.
We make three more trips and have a break for some water before all my belongings are finally in my new room. Before long, I’m thinking about where I can put everything as I plan how to make this space my own.
“I’d better start the drive back,” Adam says as he walks back down the stairs one more time. “I’ve got a big project to start for my dad tomorrow, so I should make it an early night.”
“Sure, of course,” I say with trepidation moving through me and knowing this will be the first night of many I’ll be away from him. I know this is the right decision for me, but Adam’s quick departure leaves me with an overwhelming sense of sadness at the possibility our relationship will change. He’s going and will be back at Silver Lake doing his thing, and I’ll be here doing mine. It feels like we’ve already arrived at our crossroads, and what we do next will determine our future. I hold his hand and pull him back to me, kissing him with as much passion as I can while I try to let him know everything will be okay.