Page 43 of Diverge

We make our way inside, and the atmosphere is buzzing, all the seats are full. I spot Noah’s coach on the sidelines talking to the boys, probably preparing them with the game plan and giving some elaborate motivational speech. Fuck, I think I need one of those, too, right now.

I look around the court and notice two middle-aged men with baseball caps on, holding clipboards. They must be the scouts. Slapping a hand on Noah’s shoulder, I whisper in his ear, “Give ’em hell, Noah.” Then I make my way up the stairs, picking an available seat somewhere in the middle of the spectators.

If Noah plays well and catches the eye of the scouts, he’s got a one-way ticket out of here, straight to the US. I feel a sadness creep into my chest as I realise I may not have much time with him left. Growing up, I always thought we would be two brothers against the world, just me and him, and now that he’s all grown up, has his own ambitions and dreams, I almost feel alone. Maybe the only way out of the double life I live is to follow Noah across the world and start a new life with him there. My fists clench when I think of moving. What about Billie?

What about her? It’s not like she loves you back, you saw how she reacted to Finn.

My hands clench tighter, the muscles on my forearms rippling, but I force the thoughts out and put all my focus on Noah tonight. He’s the priority right now.

The first half of the game goes by in a flash. Noah played well, and considering one of their players is still recovering from an injury, they played well as a team. Noah shined through the last five minutes of the half, scoring three-pointers. This will most definitely get the scouts’ attention. I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket.

BILLIE

I don’t respond. I don’t know what to say after how we left things.

It’s nice of Billie to message for Noah’s sake, though. One thing I love about Billie is how selfless she can be with others; she always has been from the moment I met her. Stuffing my phone back into my pocket, I spot Noah on the sidelines taking a big gulp of Gatorade.

He finds me in the crowd and gives me a thumbs up with a stupidly big grin on his face. I know he’s jittering with nerves right now, but he hides it super well. Second half of the game begins, and I’m starting to get nervous for Noah. The teams are head-to-head with only one point separating them in favour of The Guardians, Noah’s team.

There are eight minutes left on the clock when Noah dribbles from one side of the court to the other and makes a slam dunk. The whole place is up on their feet, cheering and whistling as am I. His team surrounds him and picks him up, one guy placing him on his shoulders. Their coach is probably telling them not to celebrate too early as he waves Noah down. The Guardians end up winning the game by five points. It was a close game through and through. I make my way down to Noah as the team celebrates their win. I see one of the scouts talking with their coach near the entrance and try my best to hear what they’re saying or read their lips somehow, but it's no use.

“Good game, man! Well done!” I give him a bro hug, slapping his shoulder.

Noah’s face is visibly anxious. “Do you think they saw something in me? Something worth pursuing?” He wipes the sweat off his forehead.

“I don’t doubt it for a second, little brother.”

*****

Music plays throughmy headphones as I pump through my set in the gym. It’s leg day, and I usually fucking despise leg day, but today, the pain is welcome. I’ll do anything so I don’t have to think about how much I fucking miss Billie.

Maybe I should have fucked Finn up for kissing her, show her how much she means to me.

Maybe I shouldn’t have given her space because let’s face it. I’m not rich, I don’t come from a respectable family, and I sure as hell don’t abide by the law, let alone fight alongside it, so what chance do I really have with a woman like Billie?

Sweat rolls down the side of my face, dripping from my jaw to the ground as I stare at myself in the floor-to-ceiling mirrors. I’m such a fucking disappointment. I should have listened to Coach Tyson all those years ago when he offered to get me out of the enforcer scene, but I didn’t.

What the fuck was I supposed to do?

I had a little brother who had no one but me to rely on. I had to do what I had to do, and I did. I gave him a life I never had and what he deserved. Soon he will be living his dream, and that’s all that fucking matters, so fuck that I must sacrifice my life for his.

I’ll do it ten times over just so he never knows the struggles I went through.

Maybe the best thing to do is leave the life we lived behind and move to the US for a fresh start. Maybe I should be taking a page out of Noah’s book. I see my phone light up on the floor, and my blood instantly curdles. It’s midnight, and the only person who could be calling me right now is Joe. Reluctantly, I answer.

“Speak.”

“Tomorrow night, he will be at the office. Wait for him to leave, then fuck him up.” He hangs up the phone without saying anything else.

I guess tonight is the last job I do for this prick.

*****

Iwait outside in thedarkness, leaning on a column outside the office building.Fuck.I’m pretty sure this is where Finn works, given the huge sign out front readingMackenzie Law. I grit my teeth. Maybe today will be my lucky day. Maybe Finn is the one with the gambling issue. Let’s fucking hope so because I would love to give him a broken nose or arm. Joe never gives much detail about the person. It’s always about getting in, fucking them up, and getting out.

It’s almost one thirty in the morning, and my patience is wearing thin. When the fuck is this guy going to appear? Out of the corner of my eye, I notice the large glass doors opening.

Here we go.

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