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Xander

When we got back to the Bennetts’ residence after we’d taken a walk around the neighborhood, we saw Connor holding a controller, but his focus was not on the video game he was playing. His brow furrowed with worry lines that were too deep for his age. Ry shot me a questioning look and I subtly tilted my head towards the door – maybe I should give them some space. But Ry shook his head, motioning for me to stay put.

“What’s up, ConTract?” Ry said, sitting beside his brother.

I sat on Connor’s other side.

“Just thinking, you know?” He swallowed hard. “I don’t think I should go to college.”

Ry’s eyebrows furrowed. “Is there a reason why?”

“We can’t afford it.”

His words hung in the air. The family”s financial struggles weren”t news to me, but hearing it from Connor – it was different.

”B average won”t get me a scholarship and working part-time just means splitting focus.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. ”And then there”s student loan debt...”

I glanced at Ry; his face reflecting the weight of Connor”s words.

I could cover Connor’s college fees several times over. God knows a PHL paycheck could barely cover housing, much less college tuition fees, so it would probably take more than Ry’s savings to meet the cost. Yet something held me back from voicing these thoughts out loud; it didn’t seem right; Ry was a proud man. In the meantime I would be a comfortable presence.

Ry looked Connor straight in the eye. ”You will go to college and get your degree in game design. Get me?”

Connor met his brother’s gaze unwaveringly. “Got you.”

“Let me worry about college. Your job is to study hard and get good grades. Promise me that.”

“I promise.”

The brothers hugged and my heart was filled with relief. Connor’s focus should be on being a teenager and not adult issues like paying bills.

It wasn’t long after that Ry and I headed upstairs to get ourselves ready to head back to LA.