Page 20 of Hard to Break

“How much?” Jay asks.

“Five hundred?”

“That’s a lot for you to lose.”

“I’m not going to lose.” I nod to Miles, doing a fist pump.Let’s go, I mouth.

The next time they put him in, he locks it down. One of his teammates finds him near half court, and he takes it all the way down into the key for a dunk.

I’m out of my seat hollering. He must hear me, because his gaze finds me as he’s running back on defense. I turn to show Miles the back of my jersey.

He flashes a heated grin in my direction.

Miles’s team gets up by halftime.

“If you Venmo me tonight, I might even buy you a drink at the club later,” I inform my brother.

“Can I have one?” Nova asks.

“You’re my friend. You can have two,” I say generously.

At halftime, Rookie and Jay float around the crowd to talk to other players and friends from the league who are watching. Nova and I grab food. On the way back, I find myself in my seat next to Jay.

“Where’s Rookie?” I ask.

“Bathroom. Nova?”

“Same.” I nod.

We’re quiet a minute.

“Popcorn?” He holds it out.

“Only if there are M&Ms in it.”

“Obviously.”

It’s a peace offering. I reach in and pop a few pieces of popcorn and candy into my mouth. The sweet and salty flavors collide on my tongue. It reminds me of summer nights in high school, watching movies with friends or tagging along to my brother’s games.

“I like these nights,” I say. They’re a reminder of what’s fun in the league.

“They don’t change anything. It’s for the fans, the owners, the guys who make money. Next week, we’re back in the gym and playing for the same stakes we’ve been going after all year.”

“That’s what makes this matter more,” I decide.

As the game resumes in the second half, the crowd flows back into their seats. On the far side behind the bench, I catch sight of a man who makes me do a double take. But the moment I think I’ve seen him, he’s gone.

The game resumes, and once again, we’re focused on the court.

By the time the final whistle blows and the confetti descends from the rafters—Miles’s team wins by five, and the crowd goes crazy—I’ve nearly convinced myself it was just my imagination.

6

MILES

You’ve never partied if you’ve never been out after a Vegas all-star game.

Dozens of clubs and bars on the Strip are ready to welcome fans and players, and we have an invite to the best of the best.

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