He sighs. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I wish I was.”
“Let me guess––you need cash, or you need me to cover your ass with the coach again? Because if this is about practice—”
“It’s not about practice.”
“Then what—”
“I’m in jail,” I say flatly.
Silence.
Then a sharp exhale that sounds halfway between disbelief and fury. “You’rewhat?”
“Long story.”
“Jesus, Miles. What the hell did you do?”
“Nothing too bad. Just… stole a car.”
“You—” He cuts himself off, mutters something I can’t make out. “You stole a car?”
“Borrowed it,” I correct automatically. “Temporarily.”
He laughs. “And you calledme?You realize how insane that is, right? You punched me last week.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that.”
“Sorry? That’s your play?”
I close my eyes. “Jamie, listen. I can’t call Rico. I can’t call my uncle. You’re the only one who—”
“You’re out of your damn mind.”
“You’re the only person I trust right now.”
He doesn’t answer. I can almost hear the gears turning in his head.
I take a shaky breath. “Please, man. Just come. I’ll explain everything later. Just—please.”
Nothing.
He’s about to hang up. I can feel it. The silence stretches too long.
So I say the one word I know will stop him cold.
“Avalon.”
Silence again.
I can almost hear him stop breathing.
“I’m late for a family meeting,” I say quietly. “I can’t be late again.”
His voice, when it comes, is low and dangerous. “What did you do?”
“Just come here,” I whisper. “And I’ll tell you everything.”
