Read Thirst for Free Online

possible” into each of the start dates. Tarun was smart enough that he could balance all of the classes at once, if need be—He had, after all, finished them all with flying colors before.
     

     
    He hurried home to help his father with his ambitious and illegal renovations. When Tarun returned to his house, Vish was drenched in water.
     
    “Dad! What happened?” Tarun asked in his native Hindi tongue.
     
    “The manual said to turn off the water and give it two hours to drain before changing the main stack. I saved two hours.”
     
    “You’re going to kill yourself, you know that—right?”
     
    “A wise man once said that you can live a lifetime in a minute. I just bought myself one-hundred and twenty lifetimes.”
     
    “Did the same wise man say to rip piping out above your head that could be filled with boiling water?”
     
    “Why would it be boiling? I’m not running heat to anything.”
     
    “We have a tenant, dad! He could have been taking a shower or doing the dishes.”
     
    “Oh, right.”
     
    Tarun walked into his suite to grab a towel for his father.
     
    “So are you official an SBU student?” Vish asked.
     
    Tarun handed his father the towel. “Not exactly.”
     
    “What do you mean?”
     
    “They need me to finish a few courses first.”
     
    “A few courses? But you’ve finished every course there is to finish.”
     
    “It’s complicated.”
     
    “So they said no?”
     
    “Yeah—For now.”
     
    Vish stared at his son for a moment. “So why do you look so happy?”
     
    “Huh?”
     
    “You’re grinning like Charlie Sheen in a whore house,” Vish said.
     
    “Do you even know what you just said?” Tarun asked, laughing.
     
    “Yes,” Vish said sternly. “I watch TMZ.”
     
    “Since when?”
     
    “In The West it’s important to stay up to date with the celebrities—Very important.”
     
    “Right…”
     
    “Do you know who Jennifer Aniston is currently dating?”
     
    “No, dad. I don’t.”
     
    “You need to know these things here, son.”
     
    Tarun tried his best to hold back his laughter.
     
    “Did you know that George Clooney is getting a divorce? That didn’t last long, did it?” Vish said in a shockingly serious tone.
     
    Tarun burst into laughter.
     
    “What?” Vish said, confused. “I’m just trying to embrace the culture.”
     
    “You’re doing a great job, dad. Really—you are.”
     
    “Come help me move the hot water heater,” Vish said, ignoring his laughing son.
     

 
    CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
    A BURNING REMINDER
     
    Hanna’s eyes slowly opened up. As her waking vision unblurred, she realized that she was not in her own bed. Startled, she swiftly looked around the room. It was filled with hockey memorabilia, men’s clothes, and schoolbooks. The room was messy and disorganized.
     
    Then, Hanna noticed the heavy arm that was resting on top of her small light body. Connor was asleep behind her, cuddling her with his warm body. Quickly, the memory of the previous night came rushing back to her, and she relaxed. She had thought everything had been a dream.
     
    Careful not to wake Connor up, Hanna nudged her body back, snuggling deeper into Connor’s comfortable warmth. The sleeping hockey player adjusted his body, pulling Hanna in tightly to his body, like a child nuzzling a teddy bear. Hanna smiled and relaxed into Connor’s body.
     
    A dark curtain, blocking most of the sunlight from entering the room covered the lone window. Only a sliver of light crept into the room from the gap between the curtain and the wall.
     
    Hanna did not want the moment to end. Never in her life had she felt so safe, so comfortable, and so happy. For once, she did not care about all of the hardships of her past. She could not care less about the mean names people called her.
     
    Connor suddenly yawned and stretched out his arms. He propped himself up onto his elbow and looked down at Hanna through his sleepy eyes.
     
    “Hey,” he