Page 104 of Ink & Ambition

Alex pouts but opens it up again. “What if I write about what I’m actually going to do once I leave here.”

“You want to make a speech about working for your dad? That’s neither your goal nor your aspiration.”

Alex rubs a palm down his face. “You’re right.” He lets out a breath, pulling the screen closer to him. “I can do this.”

“You can do this. I’ll make more coffee,” I say, moving off the bed and padding toward the little coffeemaker on the desk in the room.

“Thank you, baby,” Alex says absentmindedly, his eyes now glued to a blank document. I hear the typing begin on his laptop and I smile to myself. Even if it’s not what his father wants him to do, Alex deserves to have dreams of his own.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Alex

Iftherewasaway to stay in Oceanside forever with Margot, I would’ve done it. Unfortunately, we had a semester to finish and one more podcast to film before she submits her final project to theNew York Timesinternship contest so rushing back to campus was a necessity. Dropping Margot off at her apartment, I gave her a lingering kiss before she slid out the door with a promise to see me tomorrow in class. Who knew that public speaking would become my most anticipated class of the year.

General noise of frat brothers settling back after a long weekend hit my ears as I walked into the house. A beer comes flying toward my head and I catch it with my non-bag holding hand.

“It’s not even cold,” I remark to Devon who laughs as he meets me in the entryway. He grabs my bag, throwing it toward the stairs.

“Don’t whine. That’s fresh from the Narragansett brewery, as requested.”

I nod in thanks, opening the room temperature beer and taking a sip. Even warm, my favorite beer always hits. “Good break?” I ask as we walk into the living room. Two juniors vacate the couch as we enter and we take their empty spots.

“Not bad. My little sister is a real dick,” Devon remarks, taking a sip of his own beer.

I choke out a laugh. “Dude, she’s like six.”

“Yeah, a six year-old dick.”

I shake my head, grabbing for the remote but it’s swiped from my hand before I can reach it. Keith gives me a shit-eating grin as he holds the remote above my head.

“Hey, fuckers,” he says, pushing us to the side to sit between us. Him and Devon wrestle for control of the space and I look around for his brother. With everything going on, I haven’t really had a chance to sit down with Kai and help him through his troubles. I hope that being home helped a little bit.

“Where’s your brother?” I ask as the room remains empty besides us.

Keith only shrugs his shoulders like he has no idea but also doesn’t give one crap. I place the beer on the table and head upstairs, grabbing my bag on the way up. Kai has been my best friend for too long for me to let this trouble bring him down. He needs to know that I’m still here for him, new relationship or not.

After tossing my bag in my room, I shut the door and head toward Kai’s, hearing the sounds of ACDC flooding down the hall. I enter without knocking, not that he would’ve been able to hear me anyway. Kai startles when he sees me walk in but then he sighs, as if he knows he’s in for a long conversation.

Kai uses a remote to lower the music and then it’s just him and I and this big obstacle between us.

“How was your break?” I ask, starting slow.

Kai nods. “Yeah, it was good. Yours?”

I nod. “Good. good.”

Kai nods again. “Good. Cool.”

Sighing, I plop down on the foot of his bed. “Have you been able to sort out this whole paying-for-school issue?”

Kai’s quiet for a minute. “I’ll get the money. It’ll be fine.”

“How? How are you gonna get the money? Because I swear, Kai, clearly this gambling shit is what got you in this mess in the first place. It’s not going to be the thing that gets you out.”

“Fuck,” Kai mummers. “You think I don’t know that?”

“I think you’re a fucking idiot.”

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