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I gave a weak smile. Jared and I had pretty opposite politics. His family was all old-money Libertarians, and from what little I knew of them, his father was the most conservative of them all. Mine, on the other hand, was a crazy amalgam of blue-collar New Yorkers who tended to vote Democrat if they voted at all.
"You all right back there?" Jared interrupted me again. "You seem pretty in your own world today."
His face was so frank and open that I couldn't help but smile back, genuinely this time. "Yeah," I said, "I'm good."
"Are you guys planning to take the train every day for the next two months?" Jared asked.
"Yes," Eric replied with obvious loathing. "I don't know why there are no decent classes actually in Boston. It's not like there aren't about four hundred J.D.s graduating every year here."
"How long does it take you to get to the prep center?"
"What do you think, Cros?" Eric asked, turning back at me. "Was it an hour or an hour and a half today?"
"Including getting to North Station and wait times for the train? Probably closer to two."
Eric turned back into his seat, shaking his head. "Bullshit," he muttered.
"Well, hey, if you guys need a ride..." Jared offered.
He glanced at me again in the mirror and raised an eyebrow. I smiled again, even though a part of me felt a little uncomfortable accepting his offer, considering our awkward past. I didn't like to feel indebted to anyone, and I knew that Jared wasn't really the type just to offer handouts, nice as he might seem.
"Absolutely!" Eric rushed in before I could say no. "Dude, you are a lifesaver. Seriously. We got gas money if you'll drive."
"Don't you live in Cambridge, though?" I asked, ignoring the glare I got from Eric over the seat back. "That's basically twenty minutes out of your way."
Jared grinned. "It's no problem," he said. "I get up early. Plus, company will make the commute more enjoyable."
"Well, there you have it," Eric said definitively. "Right, Crosby?"
"Sounds good," I murmured, not sure what else to say. Apparently, everything was settled.
"Sounds good," Jared echoed, and continued on to Boston.
~
I spent the rest of the afternoon mostly as I'd planned, lounging on my bed with my study materials and a cup of tea until I developed a kink in my neck that couldn't be rolled out. Time for a swim. I gathered up my things and grabbed my gym bag, eager to take a break.
Two hours later, I walked out of the gym and straight into Jared.
"Hey!" he said loudly, seemingly as taken aback by my presence as I was with him. "What's going on, stranger? I must be a lucky guy, running into you twice in one day."
I hoisted my bag over my shoulder and shifted uncomfortably in my flip-flops, which squeaked loudly under my still-wet feet. "Yeah, I guess. What are you doing in this neighborhood?"
Jared pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "My mom's got a thing for Mike's. She sent me into town to pick up dessert before I head to Newton for family dinner."
I followed his gesture toward the pasticceria. It was a famous spot, but also a place that held special memories for me, considering the number of times I'd been there with Brandon. I hadn't been there since moving to the neighborhood last week, and I probably wouldn't go for the foreseeable future.
It wasn't hard to imagine a dinner with Jared's family. I had only seen them in passing at various student events over the years, but everyone knew who his father was, a paunchy, bland-looking politician whose wife was clearly the source of Jared's good looks. I could see them all perfectly, surrounding a doily-covered colonial table, eating roasted chicken and mashed potatoes off pastel-colored china. They would look like a J. Crew ad while they tucked into their Italian cheesecake, which would probably be the most exotic thing at the table.
Don't be a bitch, Crosby.
"So, where are you coming from?" Jared looked over my casual leggings and the damp hair tied in a messy bun. "I'm going to guess the gym."
I nodded. "Yeah. Pool." I didn't know what else to say. The gym had worked out my muscles, but not my bad mood.
"So hey, I wanted to say again: I'm really sorry about you and Sterling."
My stomach clenched at the name. I had been trying not to think about him all afternoon, or the fact that I would have to see him again in three more days. Today had been a start in the process of moving forward with my life, hard as it was. I wasn't being destructive, but productive. The awkward conversations with Jared felt like the wrong direction.
