Page 130 of Hard to Score

“I’m so very glad to hear that.” I close my eyes and breathe for what feels like the first time in a week.

“I’m at the beach.” He pauses. “Want to stare at the stars with me?”

My smile is slow but steady at that simple question. “I’m in a hotel in Chicago,” I say, repeating his phrasing. “I’d love to stare at the stars with you.”

And we sit in silence on the phone with the steady rhythm of each other’s breathing to keep us company.

I think of the utter loneliness I’ve felt over the past week with his absence and marvel how a simple phone call, the sound of his voice—his breaths—has erased it and then some. I can imagine he’s hurting, but I’m more than thrilled he turned to me when he wanted to process whatever happened.

When he wanted to wish on the stars.

When he didn’t want to be alone anymore.

The silence feels a little less lonely with him to share it with.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask softly after some time has passed.

“I finally got answers, Brex. I’m not sure how they make me feel, but I finally have answers.”

With a pillow hugged to my chest, a tear slides down my cheek. “It took you ten years to get answers, so it might take ten years to understand them,” I whisper.

“I need to tell you about it, but later. Right now I just want this. I just need this.”

“I’m here, Drew.”

“I miss you.”

That one tear turns into more at those three words. “I miss you too.”

I love you, but then again, I always have.

CHAPTER SEVENTY

BREXTON

Dekker: Where are you?

Me: On my flight back home. Why?

Dekker: Buy the Wi-Fi.

Me: WTF?

Dekker: Trust me. Buy the damn Wi-Fi. Turn on the Raptors game.

My pulse begins to race when I read my sister’s text. I scramble to grab my laptop and power it on.

Me: Okay. Why?

Dekker: You’ll know the minute you see it.

It feels like it takes forever for my computer to turn on and to navigate the slower-than-shit process to get Internet on the plane.

But when I do, when I pay the extra fee for faster Wi-Fi and finally get the game to stream, I’m vibrating in my seat in anticipation.

The score is seven to nothing in the Raptors’ favor as their defense tries to stop a fourth down-push from the Steelers. They succeed, and I stare at the screen expecting Hobbs to be running on the field and am surprised when I see Drew.

He’s starting. Again. Oh my God. This is huge. Two starts in two games.