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)
"I am not a coward."
"You're a spineless asshole," Neil said. "You let the world happen to you and don't bother to fight back. You let other people dictate how you can live your life and who you can spend your time with. Remind me why you put up with your mother's abuse for so long. Did you actually love her despite her madness, or were you just too afraid to walk away?"
"Neil," Dan said, shocked. "That's not—"
"Fuck you," Aaron said. "I'm still waiting for an answer to my question."
"And I'm still waiting for a thank you," Neil said. He slanted a look at Andrew. "From both of you, to each other. You're even now, aren't you? So why can't you just wipe the slate clean and start over? Why do you have to drag it out another three years when you can fix it right now?"
"You don't know anything," Aaron said, low and acidic.
"You don't want me to be right," Neil guessed, "because if I am it's your fault she's dead."
Andrew finally joined the argument. "No. It is always going to be her fault."
"She didn't kill herself, Andrew," Aaron said, savage with grief.
Andrew flicked him a cool look. "I told her what would happen if she raised her hand again. She had no right to look so surprised."
"Oh, Jesus," Matt said. "Did you just—?"
Wymack pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled noisily. "Could you at least let us leave the room before you confess?"
Aaron glanced from Wymack to the upperclassmen, then turned back on Andrew. Neil half-expected him to take Wymack's warning as an order to silence. Instead Aaron switched to German and said, "That's not why you did it. Don't lie to me."
"She was nothing and no-one to me," Andrew said. "Why else would I have killed her?"
It took Aaron a minute to find his voice again. He still sounded angry, but there was a muted edge to his, "You wouldn't even look at me. You wouldn't say a word to me unless I said something first. I'm not psychic. How was I supposed to know?"
"Because I made you a promise," Andrew said. "I did not forget it just because you chose not to believe me. I did what I said I would do, and fuck you for expecting anything else."
There it was again: a hint of that infinite anger at Andrew's core. Aaron opened his mouth, closed it again, and dropped his eyes. Andrew stared at his brother's bowed head for an endless minute. Aaron had given up the fight, but every passing second seemed to put more tension in Andrew's frame. Neil watched Andrew's fingers curl against his thighs, not into fists but a mimicry of crushing the life from someone, and knew Andrew's temper was nearing a breaking point.
He put his hand up between them, trying to block Andrew's view of Aaron, and Andrew cut a vicious look at him. A heartbeat later Andrew's expression went dead. Neil regretted his intervention immediately. No one could let go of that much rage that easily; Andrew had simply buried it where it could hurt only him. It was too late to take it back, so Neil dropped his hand to his lap in defeat.
"Is that it, Coach?" Neil asked.
"No," Allison said. "As enlightening as this little diversion was, it doesn't answer the original question. What does Riko have on you?"
Lying at this point wouldn't work, considering Aaron's bold accusations. Neil opted for honesty in its simplest, most unhelpful form: "He knows who I am."
It took them a moment to realize that was it, and Matt prompted Neil with, "Uh?"
"Neil's family has a reputation," Kevin said, unexpectedly coming to Neil's defense. Neil looked at him, willing him to silence even as he tried to keep his expression as neutral as possible. Kevin didn't return his stare, but all he said was, "Riko is trying to use it against Neil."
"Is it going to be a problem?" Dan asked.
"No," Neil said.
Allison arched a brow at him and gestured over her shoulder, presumably toward the wrecked changing room. "Are you sure about that?"
"Yes," Neil said, but no one looked convinced. Neil weighed his words carefully, looking for the right balance between truth and lies that would get them off his back. "Riko knows who I am because our families operate in similar circles, but he is a Moriyama in name only. He doesn't have the resources to do more than threaten me."
"Damn, Neil," Matt said. "Your parents must be something else if even Riko's got to follow the rules. Aaron was right, then? This is what you're supposed to look like?"
"Yes," Neil said.
"But why lie about your age?" Matt asked. "I don't get it."
"I don't want anyone tracking me back to my family," Neil said. "The harder it is for people to put two and two together, the better. Being eighteen in Millport meant my teachers and coach didn't have to consult my parents for anything. Telling you the truth meant having to explain why I lied in the first place, and I'm not used to trusting people. I don't want you to judge me for my parents' crimes."
"As if we have room to judge anyone," Dan said, and Neil shrugged a silent apology. She looked like there was more she wanted to say, but somehow she stifled her curiosity and let it go. She looked to first, then to Matt and Renee. When no one had anything to add, Dan said, "Yeah, I guess that's it for now, Coach."
Wymack nodded. "Cameras okay with everyone? Yes? I'll have them up over the weekend. We'll talk about their locations and the game on Monday afternoon. Before then figure out what you have to do to resolve these personal issues," he said with a meaningful look at Aaron. "Don't any of you dare bring these attitudes to my court ever again. Understand?"
The Foxes mumbled assent, and Wymack motioned for them to clear out. "Dismissed. Drive safe."
It was chaos outside the stadium. Drunken fans hollered and ran about like madmen; the rest of the crowd danced and sang triumphant cheers. Policemen were out in full force trying to control the mess. Security guards kept an eye on the Foxes until they made it to their cars. Aaron went right past the rental car and climbed into the back of Matt's truck. Nicky started to say something, but Andrew sparked his lighter an inch from Nicky's face in silent warning. Nicky silently climbed into the backseat with Neil and spent the ride staring at his lap.