Heartbreaker.
His own too disfigured to love me back.
FORTY-TWO
CASH
SEVENTEEN YEARS OLD
Cash pushedout the doors at the back of the locker room with the rest of his team and headed for the bus that idled at the curb.
Anticipation filled the air, every one of his teammates vibrating with nerves. Confidence and circumspection. The state championship was a big fucking deal, and you could feel the weight of it woven with the thrill that buzzed through the group.
They all filtered toward the bus, wearing dress pants, button-downs, and ties, their duffel bags slung over their shoulders.
School didn’t let out for another hour, but he knew most of their classmates would show for tonight’s game to cheer them on to victory.
He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Daisy tucked into the mix, trying to hide when she was the brightest flower he’d ever seen.
He followed the line of his team as they gathered in front of the bus that was painted with a panther running down the side, which was their team logo.
He was about ten guys back from boarding when he felt the stir of a presence to his right, over close to where Cash had parked his truck near a chain-link fence.
Matthew.
He could feel the anxiety radiating from him. Could feel it in the way he paced back and forth and yanked at his hair.
Damn it.
Was this ever going to end? His brother getting himself into constant trouble. Making things difficult for their parents.
Cash felt bad for him, but this was getting ridiculous.
He glanced around, making sure his coach wasn’t paying attention, before he went jogging that way.
“Matthew, what are you doing here?” He kept his voice low and controlled.
Matthew spun toward him, his voice just as low. “Fuck, Cash. I’m in trouble.”
Dread sank like a stone to the pit of Cash’s stomach. “What’s going on?”
“I need your help.”
“Anything.”
He regretted the offer the second it left his mouth.
Because Matthew fisted both hands, taking two steps in one direction, then two in the other, before he was flying toward Cash and begging, “It was the only thing I could do.”
Agitation burned from his brother.
“Do what?”
Matthew kept pacing, ranting below his breath, “You guys are favored to win by negative ten. The most valuable bets are ones that go against you. It was the only thing I could do. Only way I could get out of this.”
Confusion whipped a storm through Cash’s brain. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“You have to lose, Cash. You have to throw this game. Otherwise, I’m dead. I’m fuckin’ dead.”
