Chapter 25

The door finally swung open, a full half hour later than they were scheduled to start. They all paused what they were doing to watch Paul’s entrance. His hair, always carefully combed, was mussed and sticking up at odd angles, like the most he had done that morning was try to run his fingers through it. The shirt he wore was a trifle too tight, like he had snagged it from somebody else’s closet, and his eyes were red.

“Sorry, everybody,” Paul greeted. “I overslept.”

“Overslept?” Stating his incredulous thought aloud surprised even Jack. “You don’t look like you’ve slept at all, mate.”

“I slept,” Paul snapped. “I’m just running a bit behind this morning. I guess we’re even now for all the mornings you came in late.”