Page 74 of The Fake
“Missed you, too,” Joel says.
We’re sitting outside, just the four of us. Wes and Blair already left and Katrina’s home with her son Christian. Joel doesn’t stay at the house very often anymore, he splits his time staying at Katrina’s, ninety-ten in her favor, but with Zeke in town for the night, we all dropped any other plans so we could see him.
I discreetly check my phone.
“Heard from Chloe?” Gabby asks with a smirk that tells me she’s on to me.
“No.” My tone is strained but upbeat. “She’s out with the girls celebrating their win today.”
She chuckles. “I like her.”
“We know,” Zeke and I say at the same time.
“What, like it’s a crime to be excited that Nathan found someone that I really like? Can you imagine if one of us was dating someone the others didn’t like?”
“You mean like when Zeke started dating you?” Joel asks, somehow keeping a straight face.
Gabby’s mouth falls open, but Joel can’t stop himself from busting out laughing. Zeke wraps his arms protectively around his girl. “He’s kidding, baby.”
She stands, glaring and trying to pout but her lips tilt up into a smile. “I’m gonna go get a drink.”
Joel jumps up. “I’ll come with you. Guys?” He lifts his beer to ask if we want another.
I wave him off.
“How’ve things been?” Zeke asks. He’s going for casual, but Zeke never makes small talk. He wants to know if I’m still a mess, drinking to excess and waking up to nightmares that have me tearing apart my room. He had to deal with both on more than one occasion. He saved my ass more times than I’d like to admit.
“They’ve actually been good.” Which isn’t a lie. Things are good. The nightmares haven’t magically gone away, but I’ve stopped using booze to try and escape them.
“Did you get the money situation figured out?”
I blanch for a moment. Being the guy who always needs help gets old, but wait, I never told him about that. Then it hits me. “Gabby told you.”
“She tells me everything, man.”
I shake my head. I should have known. I guess it’s no secret. I’ve been struggling for as long as they’ve known me and looks like that’s going to continue to be the case.
Giving Chloe the money back was the right thing to do, but it puts me in a bind. I had to borrow half of it from Joel and the rest I got from a cash advance on my credit card. Neither of those feel super but owing Chloe and thinking any part of her was still with me because of it was something I just couldn’t live with.
“She worries about you. And I’m sorry about your dad. I wish you would have told me.”
“Talking about it made it real.”
He nods. “Well, if you’re looking for a job, I might have something for you.” I cringe inwardly, but before I can put my hesitation to words, he holds up a hand. “Hear me out. I met this guy.”
25
Nathan
Coach leans backin his chair and swivels to the side so he’s staring at the Michael Jordan poster on the wall. He hasn’t said a single word since I unloaded on him.
I told him about my situation, leaving out the parts about my mom failing to keep a job but ensuring he understood it was imperative that I have income coming in.
And I told him about Lincoln, the guy Zeke introduced me to. I’d been hesitant, but I’m actually excited about the possibility of working for him after talking to him on the phone this morning.
“This isn’t only my decision. I’ll need to follow the chain of command, but I’m inclined to allow it as long as you and Lincoln are both crystal clear on the rules set by the NCAA and follow them to the letter.”
My pulse quickens. Is this what it feels like to get a break? It’s been so long since everything in my life felt so in order.
