Level Hands: Bend or Break, Book 4 by Amy Jo Cousins Read Free Book Online

didn’t dress to impress, but he somehow managed to carry sharpness with him as he walked.
    That was a dangerous quality.
    Getting pop from a vending machine shouldn’t have felt momentous, but Rafi was intensely aware of them being alone together for the first time. In the tiny room Denny led him to, the overhead lights flickered on as they entered.
    Denny hadn’t said a word the entire way down, although Rafi had felt his attention hovering, like maybe he was waiting for Rafi to say something first. But as soon as they stopped in front of the vending machines, Denny proved that theory wrong.
    “Are you mad at me or something?” Denny demanded.
    “No.” Why? But he didn’t say that last part, because he was pretty sure he knew what vibe Denny was picking up on, and he didn’t really want to talk about it. Regardless of what Cash had said, he pulled a five out of his wallet and fed it into the slot.
    “Because you’re acting kind of weird.” Denny wasn’t half as hesitant.
    “I’m just freaking out a little.” Rafi grunted as the machine rejected the bill. “Damn it.”
    “Here. Give me that. They’re finicky.” Denny hip-checked him out of the way. He scraped a thumbnail against the corners of the bill, flattening every curled-up edge or bent crease before feeding the five carefully back into the machine. “Ha. Got it.”
    “Thanks.” Rafi punched the button for Coke, and Denny grabbed the change the machine spit out and started feeding it back in. They could tag team it. Maybe this would distract Denny too.
    “What are you freaking out about?” Or not. Rafi pulled more cans from the machine, wishing he hadn’t felt the need to volunteer for something. Look where it landed him: smack in the middle of a conversation he really hadn’t wanted to have an hour into his new college career. “You’ve got a killer scholarship, and I know it’s a new school, but you know me. I can show you around, introduce you to people. It’s not like you’re coming here a total blank slate, you know?”
    “It’s not that simple,” was all Rafi could find to say, tipping his head forward against the glowing front of the dispenser.
    He’d been looking forward to this for months. Almost years. At the beginning, he’d never really believed it would happen. Even when Denny had promised Rafi it would, in late night texts or occasional emails, Rafi had figured he was mostly wishful thinking it. Now the day was actually here—Rafael Castro was on this campus, holy fucking shit—
    “When we came back and Austin was there, you acted like you barely knew me,” Denny burst out, before Rafi figured out what to say that would make sense without revealing exactly what a mess he was. Hurt rang hard in Denny’s voice. Like someone had punched him yesterday, and the bruise was only now becoming visible.
    “I know. Sorry.”
    “Great. Really. Thanks.” Denny was bitter, and Rafi couldn’t blame him. A short laugh that held no joy accompanied the brush-off when he tried to pass Denny more money. “Don’t. Cash wanted to buy.”
    Shit. Rafi was screwing this up so badly. He knew Denny had been excited for him to arrive. Had heard it in his texts and emails, even as those had fallen off over the summer as Rafi stopped responding, wrapped up in his own anxiety. He knew Denny had been looking forward to lots of things. To giving him the tour, showing Rafi around and hooking him up with all the inside info.
    In his secret heart, Rafi could admit he’d been picturing it too. Imagining Denny walking him around campus, then offering to show Rafi his room, so he could see where Denny lived. Where they’d maybe be hanging out a lot, studying or whatever, during the year.
    And if he had imagined the zing of heightened awareness that would crackle between them when they stood alone in Denny’s bedroom? Well, that was nobody’s business but his own, right?
    Rafi struggled to explain. He owed Denny that much.
    “Listen. It’s