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“That’s another reason she’s brilliant. She didn’t.”
“Bryce!” I try to sound offended but can’t.
“Remind that Asno I did him a favor by hauling your birthday present into another country and making sure you got it,” Quinn rumbles from her bed, clearly hearing me.
“I heard her. Asno means jackass, right?” He chuckles. “Tell me more about your schedule. Remember, I’m going to be in specialized training the next eight days.”
“Don’t remind me. I hate it.”
“Devon—”
“I know, I know. I have to be strong. Get used to it. Suck it up. All that bullshit.”
“Devon, this is our life. Eight days is hardly anything. I warned you about this. What are you going to do when I’m gone for months?”
Punch to the gut.
“I’ll hate every minute, but I’ll deal.”
“Good girl. Now, what’s on the agenda?”
“Wrestling, beach volleyball, and archery. We have a few trips about an hour away to interview surrounding city officials. Shana was able to pull some strings, and we are doing an economic perspective on the effect of the games. It’s been done before, but she’s planning a new spin.”
“Jesus, this woman’s a mastermind. Do the other teams get to do anything, or are y’all spearheading the trip?”
“No, fucking Bill Tames did the unimaginable. He got his team inside the gymnastics training facility. Quinn gets to meet some of the gymnasts. Bitch.”
A pillow hits the back of my head, and she growls.
“Not sure what you two are going to do next summer to beat this,” he says.
“Solve world hunger?” I say playfully.
“Probably a good goal. I’d better go, babe. Love you.”
“Love you too. Be safe.”
He hangs up, and Quinn turns on the light between our beds. She looks at me sleepily but also with worry.
“Dev, I hate to bring it up, but what are you going to do when he’s gone for long lengths of time?”
“I’m going to rely on you, as I always do, to get me through.”
She nods and gives me a small smile. “And I will get you through.”
“Love you, Quinn.”
“You better because I got permission to bring you
to the gymnastics arena Thursday.”
And that is why she’s my best friend.
Chapter 8
My palms are slick with sweat when I knock on the door. Shana’s voice rings out for me to come in, and I inhale deeply, trying to calm my nerves. She’s on the phone, standing by the window, and gives me a sign to hold on. I try to hide my smirk, taking in the mess in her room. Besides the bed being unmade and covered in clothes, the desk in the corner looks like an explosion of electronics, wires, and loose papers. Her tablet is set up on top of a portable printer that is currently spouting out paper.
She catches my look and rolls her eyes, causing me to giggle. Finally, the knot in my stomach starts to unravel.
