“You’re always fighting with him, provoking him. Like you did today. On the field.”
“So you were watching, huh?” he murmurs instead.
“Of course. I watch every game. For Ledger. And for Con.”
He stares at me for a beat before chuckling softly. “Of course. Well, yourbrothermakes it easy. To provoke.”
“Why can’t you just get along? You’re on the same team.”
“You tell him to quit the team and we will.”
“He’s the captain,” I tell him like he doesn’t know.
“Not for long.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
He shrugs, his mountain-like shoulders rising and falling. “It means that he must be getting tired.”
“Of what?”
“Of doing a shitty job of it. Of losing to his forward.”
Right.
Of course.
The stupid contest.
So after Reed provoked Ledger, he lost his head for a while and in that while, Reed scored and won their contest, along with winning the game.
“Yourteamwon,” I say, exasperated. “So he didn’t lose. And neither did you.”
“You’re right, I didn’t.”
“You know it’s a stupid contest, right? It doesn’t mean anything,” I say.
He nods sagely. “Yeah, you should say that to your brother. It might help him sleep tonight. After losing, I mean.”
I study him a beat, all proud and handsome.
Arrogant.
A wrecking ball really.
“Is winning that important to you?”
“Winning is everything,” he replies gravely.
“And what about team spirit?”
“Fuck team spirit.”
“And love of the game?”
He scoffs. “Yeah, the only thing I love is being the best.Andmy Mustang. I love that too.”
Oh, his Mustang.
