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)
"Hello, Jean," Neil said.
"Go away," Jean said, voice raw with loathing. "I have nothing to say to you."
"But you'll listen," Neil said, "because I just told Ichirou where you are."
It was enough to get Jean's undivided attention. Kevin sat down on Jean's other side, white-faced all over again at the sound of Ichirou's name. Neil looked back to make sure Andrew was listening, then told them about Ichirou's visit: why he'd come, how he'd chosen to spare their lives, and what it would cost them to repay his favor. Kevin and Jean listened to all of it without saying a word.
"It's not a pardon and it's not really freedom, but it's protection." Neil looked from one shell-shocked face to the other. "We're assets for the main family now. The King's lost all his men and there's nothing he can do about it without crossing his brother. We're safe—for good."
Jean made a terrible sound and buried his face in his hands. Kevin opened his mouth, closed it again, and flicked a haunted look down at Jean. Neil waited, but neither man seemed able to react beyond that. Finally he slid off the bed and left them to each other's questionable comfort. Andrew preceded him out of the room, but Neil snagged his sleeve as he tugged the door closed behind them. Andrew obediently turned to face him.
"How does it feel to sell yourself out?" Andrew asked.
"Worth every penny," Neil said. "Let him have however much he wants. I don't need the money. All I need is what he gave me: a promise that I have a future. I have permission—no, orders—to live my life how I want to. I'm going to graduate from Palmetto State in four more years and play Exy until they force me to retire. Maybe I'll even die of old age."
"You sound more like them every day," Andrew said.
Neil guessed he meant their more optimistic teammates. "You're going to have to come up with something of your own to hold onto. I'm safe, Kevin doesn't need your protection anymore, Nicky's going back to Erik eventually, and Aaron's got Katelyn. What are you going to live for if you're not playing sheepdog for us?"
"Aaron doesn't have Katelyn."
"Denial doesn't suit you. We talked about this."
"You talked," Andrew said. "I didn't listen."
"Choose us," Neil said. It was enough to shut Andrew up—maybe only for a second, but Neil would take any opening he could get. "Kevin's going to retake his spot on Court before he graduates. He thinks I can make the cut with enough practice and time. Come with us. Let's all play in the Olympics together one day. We'd be unstoppable."
"That's your obsession, not mine."
"Borrow it until you have something of your own." Neil held tighter to Andrew's sleeve when Andrew started to pull free. "Isn't any of this fun? Having a place, having a team, a different city every week and cigarettes and drinks in-between? I don't want this to end."
Andrew yanked loose. "Everything ends."
He pushed his package against Neil's chest and headed down the hall. Andrew had already slit the tape from the ends, so Neil pried the flap open without much trouble or pain. He shook the box over a waiting palm, but nothing fell out. He had to dig the contents out with his fingers and he considered the wadded cloth with some consternation. He didn't understand until he shifted his grip and let the ends unravel. He was holding a set of arm bands identical to Andrew's. They were long enough to hide the bandages and fresh scarring on Neil's forearms.
He looked up at Abby's approach. She glanced from him to the closed bedroom door to the gift Neil was holding. "Everything all right?"
Neil thought about it, but not for long. "Never been better."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The Foxes reacted to Neil's news with almost unanimous jubilation. Even Aaron perked up enough to offer congratulations. Kevin couldn't recover that quickly from having his world upended, though, and was distracted the entire afternoon. He missed shots he should have made with his eyes closed and spent his breaks sitting alone in the stands. Wymack said nothing to him about his poor performance and quieted Dan the one time she tried to say something.
Dan managed to get everyone downtown for a celebratory dinner. They couldn't talk about Ichirou's deal in public, but they could and did yammer about everything else that came to mind. No one missed Neil's new bands, but after a couple good-natured taunts they kept their word to stay out of Neil and Andrew's not-relationship.
Neil spent most of the meal watching Kevin and Andrew. Kevin said nothing to anyone but stared at his plate as he played with his food. Andrew sat forward in his seat between the two strikers, fingers laced and propped against his face to hide his mouth. He watched everyone with a hooded gaze and had nothing to add. When someone made the mistake of trying to include him he stared them down until they moved on. Neil saw the tired look Matt and Dan exchanged, the disappointment evident in the frowns tugging at their lips. They'd made real progress in the mountains, or so they thought, but Andrew had closed up again without warning. Neil wanted to say Andrew was conserving all his energy for Kevin's quiet meltdown, but he wasn't sure how to say it without drawing Andrew's ire.
Finally they headed back to the dorm. Neil followed Nicky into the cousins' room. Kevin made a beeline for the bathroom but left the door open behind him. Neil looked from his white-knuckled grip on the sink edge to Kevin's reflection. He didn't know what put that intense look on Kevin's face unless Kevin was staring at the number on his cheek. Kevin had been second-best and second-class all his life. Now he had the freedom to reach for the rank he'd always deserved and always been too afraid to want. Neil didn't blame Kevin for his fear, but he needed to see Kevin overcome it.