Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 145402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 582(@250wpm)___ 485(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 582(@250wpm)___ 485(@300wpm)
Neil thought about her clawing at the air and choking for one last breath. He remembered the tear of her body where her blood had glued her skin to the vinyl. Neil's fingers twitched with the need for a cigarette, for the smell of smoke that was as awful as it was reassuring. Fire was all he had left of her. There wasn't even a hint of her in his reflection; he was every inch his father.
She was gone. Even if she was here, she wouldn't have comforted him for this. She wouldn't have held him like he was a hard breath away from shaking apart. She'd have cleaned his wounds because they couldn't risk being slowed by infection, but she'd hit him for choosing the Foxes over his own safety. Neil could almost hear her harping at his ear. He wouldn't survive long enough to forget the sound of her voice. It was at once reassuring and depressing, and a sudden swell of grief threatened to swallow him whole.
"I need to go," Neil said. "Are we done?"
Abby slowly let go of him and helped him get dressed again. He could have tied his shoes, but Abby did it for him. Neil let her and focused on smoothing down his sweater. Abby moved so he could get down from the bed and didn't follow him out.
Instead of heading down the hall to the lounge, Neil went out the back door into the court. He couldn't breathe until he was in the inner ring with his hands crushed against the wall, and then the first real breath he managed almost tore him apart. Neil could feel every wall he'd put up to survive at Evermore crumbling around him. He clung to control with his fingertips, knowing he'd drown if he let himself go. His heart felt like molten stone, but every breath soothed the heat a little. Neil willed his shaking fingers to go still and headed back to the locker room.
Wymack and Andrew were missing, but Matt and the girls had shown up in Neil's absence. He didn't want to look at them yet, so he stalled by looking for an open outlet. He found a spot on the surge protector behind the entertainment center and plugged his phone in to charge. When the light on his phone turned red, he headed for the couch. His casual act worked only until he had to sit down. Nothing he did could disguise how carefully he needed to maneuver onto the cushion.
That was where Dan's temper finally snapped. "That motherfuckâ"
She cut off so abruptly Neil had to look at her. Renee had a hand on Dan's shoulder. Renee smiled when Neil looked her way and said, "We were just debating what to order for lunch. Abby said she'll call it in and pick it up for us so we don't have to wait on delivery. Any suggestions?"
"I'm fine with anything," Neil said.
Allison raked him with a skeptical look. "Can you even chew?"
"Yes," Neil said. "Where is Andrew?"
"Saw him on our way in," Matt said. "He and Coach are talking at the far end of the parking lot. Getting to know each other all over again, I guess. Here's hoping it goes better than their last first meeting."
"I'm still talking to you," Allison said.
Neil rewarded her persistence with another dodge. "Have you seen Seth's banner yet?"
It took a moment for the words to sink in, and then Allison was out of her chair and striding toward the court in six-inch rainbow heels. Dan looked for a moment like she'd go after her, but she changed her mind with a short shake of her head.
"Sandwiches or Chinese?" she asked Neil.
"Either one is fine."
"I'm with Allison on the chewing thing." Nicky gestured at his own face, indicating the bruises staining Neil's cheeks and jaw. "Noodles and rice are softer than subs. Let's go with Chinese."
Matt got up and went to relay the decision to Abby. He was on his way back when the outer door thumped closed. Across the room Dan sat up a little straighter and shot Renee a meaningful look. Renee dropped her hand and laced her fingers together in her lap. It wasn't the eager response Dan was looking for, judging by Dan's disappointed frown, but Dan didn't have time to push it before Andrew stepped through the lounge door alone.
Matt made the mistake of stopping to look. Andrew didn't even hesitate but punched Matt hard enough to knock him off his feet. It should have been impossible to topple him; Matt had more than a foot on Andrew and could out-press any of them at the gym. Andrew had the advantage of surprise, though, and didn't stop when Matt fell. He smashed his fist into Matt's face as soon as Matt hit the ground.
Dan was on her feet in a heartbeat, but somehow Neil made it to Andrew first. He didn't even remember deciding to move. He used his body and momentum to shove Andrew back. He expected Andrew to hold his ground, but Andrew let himself get pushed and flicked Neil an unconcerned look. Neil put his hands up between them in case Andrew tried to go around him.
"Enough," he said. "Matt didn't do anything wrong."
Andrew flicked his fingers in dismissal. "He knew what would happen if he laid a hand on Kevin, yet he was stupid enough to do it twice. If he does it again I will not be as friendly."
"You're not seriously threatening him," Dan said, incredulous. "Who do you think paid Aaron's bail? If it weren't for Matt, Aaron would still be in prison waiting for his trial."
"Doesn't matter," Aaron said from his chair.
Yesterday Nicky looked guilty when he warned Matt to lie low. Today he closed ranks with his cousins and shrugged expansively at Dan. "Matt helped Aaron by doing that, not Andrew. You can't count a favor for one as a favor to both just because they're twins, you know. That's cheating."
"Nice to see you too, monster," Matt said, a little sourly. Neil looked back as Matt got to his feet again. Matt dragged a hand through the blood sliding from his nose, gave a thick sniff, and grimaced a bit at the taste. "Good to see you're still fuck-all crazy."