Page 44 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Two

“And you chose basketball.”

“Basketball kind of chose me.” I shake my head, still unsurehow I got here sometimes. “Coach Lipton saw me play and recruited me to St.Catherine’s.”

“He recruited Cliff, too. Mama said there was no way Cliffwasn’t going. Free prep school education, not to mention their reputation forplayers going division one.”

“Yeah. It’s hard to turn down.” I hesitate but go on, forsome reason willing to share with this girl what I haven’t shared with manypeople. “My, um, mom’s got some health issues. Reallybad arthritis and it’s getting worse. I want to see her retire early if shecan. Get her medical bills paid. Maybe buy her a house someday. Make sure mythree sisters are set up.”

I laugh self-deprecatingly and say, “Stereotype, huh? Ballermakes it out the ’hood. Gets a fat contract. Takes care of his mama.”

“You live in the ’hood?”

“Nope. The 'burbs.”

We laugh together at that.

“What about your dad?” she asks.

“Died when I was in fifth grade.”

“I’m sorry.” Her brows bunch up, and her dark eyes hold aworld of sympathy.

“Yeah, it was unexpected. Stroke. He was young, but…” Ishrug. “Took him out, and even though two of my sisters are older than me, Ifelt like the man of the house, ya know? Like I’msupposed to take care of them or whatever.”

I look down at my hands, unused to talking this much butfinding it too easy to stop.

“I love basketball, but not the way Cliff and some of theguys do. It’s a means to an end. I don’t breathe ball like your brother.”

“No one does,” she says dryly. “Ball has been his whole lifefor as long as I can remember.”

“So why hair?” I ask, changing the subject because weprobably don’t have much time. Who wants to talk about her brother when I couldbe learning more about her?

“Why not hair? I like to make people look good. It makes mefeel good seeing how just getting her hair done can boost a woman’s confidence.Maybe one day I can be in the thick of things. New York City. Hollywood. Makingfamous people beautiful. Regular folks, too.” She laughs. “You gotta start somewhere.”

It’s getting dark now with only the moon and a few fairylights strung on the roof for illumination. The darkness softens the lines ofher body, but I can see her turn her head and look at me—sense her searching myface in the dim light.

“You think you’ll get some looks from colleges?” she asks.

“Playing backup for the best baller in the city?” I chuckle,leaning back on my elbows. “Probably not. My old coach offered to put somefeelers out to a few football programs. I may not make it to the NFL, but I gotgood tape. Even if I just win a scholarship, play for four years, get abusiness degree—that’s better than nothing. I’d actually bepretty happy with that.”

“A backup with a backup plan,” she teases.

“I guess. I’m not Cliff. I need options if I expect tosucceed.”

“You’re not like Cliff, no,” she says. “But that doesn’tmean you don’t have ambition. Things you want. They’re just not all about you.”

I nod slowly because she’s right. I amambitious. The need to help my mom, to provide for my family and set up theirfutures—it burns in me.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to help my family,” I say. “If Ithought digging ditches was the best way to make that happen, I’d grab ashovel. If it’s not ball, it’ll be something else.”

She giggles at that, and it draws a smile from me, too.

“I know Cliff would have nothing without ball, but that’snot me.” I shoot her a sharp glance. The guy may be an assholeeighty-five percent of the time, but he is her brother.“Sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“No, you’re right. He probably would shrivel up without ball. He can’t imagine a life where thisdream doesn’t come true.” She tips her head back and stares up at the sky. “Ijust hope it does.”

The smooth line of her neck is exposed, and her breasts riseand fall with easy breaths under the shirt cropped at her belly button.

“Are you checking me out?” she asks, flipping onto her sideand propping her head in her palm. “Because guys have drawn back a nub forless.”