Page 94 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Two

“And you don’t know how it burns,” he says, the wordsseething from hundreds of miles away, “to see someone you know is less talentedget it all. Get the scholarship that was meant for you. Get drafted instead ofyou. Win a ring instead of you. It’s like he’s living my life, Tee.”

“I understand but—”

“He got it all,” he plows over my protest. “And now you tellme he even got my sister?”

“Our relationship isn’t about you, Cliff,” I say, trying tokeep my tone even, reasonable, even though panic and frustration and anger andfear whir inside me like a typhoon.

“Of course it’s not about me. It’s about him. My whole lifeseems to always come back to him. Scrub ass, taking everything meant for me.”

“Look, I’m coming home next week. We can talk about it morewhen I get there.”

“Oh, yeah. I heard he was coming to the ceremony. The bigballer who made it coming to share a few words withthe little people he left behind. What? You his date?”

“No, I’m not coming with him. I’m…I’m coming for you. Mamathought—”

“Mama thought I might start usingbecause I just couldn’t take Naz’s success? Seeing himagain?”

“I’m coming because—”

“I may not be a big-time baller, a millionaire like your newboyfriend, but I have my job and my kids. I ain’tjeopardizing that for him.”

“Good.” Even though this went as badly as I’d thought itwould, I take some heart from that reassurance. “I’m glad to hear that. When Icome next week, we can—”

“Don’t bother.”

And the line goes dead.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Naz

It feels strange being here again.

Houston hasn’t felt like home in a long time. When I wasdrafted to Seattle, Mama moved out West to be closer to me. My sisters allmarried and settled with their families elsewhere. So there’s nothing here forme.

Well, there’s one thing in this city for me right now.

Takira is at her mother’s house. Even though her brother,that motherfucker, went off on her and told her not toattend the ceremony, she made the trip anyway. She opted to stay at herparents’ house instead of with me at the hotel, which is probably wiseconsidering the circumstances but still pisses me off.I’m not sure if Cliff even knows she’s here. When I talked to her earlier, shehadn’t seen him. He hadn’t come by the house.

I walk the halls of St. Catherine’s, and it’s like I’ve beentransported back to that year when I felt so out of place, felt like I didn’tfit anywhere, not even with the team I had come to play ball with. The closer Iget to the gym where the ceremony is being held, the more I’m ready to get outof here. I’m doing this to honor Coach Lipton and for no other reason. Hebelieved in me when I barely believed in myself. I’ll see him, say a few words,and get out.

When I reach the gym, I stare at the glass display case justbeyond its doors. The retired jerseys hang in that case. From our senior class,there are only two. Fletcher’s because he broke every record any baller everset in this place. And mine because I’m the only guy from our class who went onto play in the pros.

“Strongarm!”

No one’s called me that in years, and I turn toward the namewith a frown.

“Myron?”

“Yup.” He preens, rubbing the goatee on his chin. “Look thesame, huh? Ain’t aged a day.”

He actually hasn’t. Seeing him sounchanged makes me feel even more like I’ve gone back in time.

“Glad you could make it,” he says. “It’ll mean a lot toCoach.”

“Wouldn’t miss it.” I nod toward the open door of the gym.“He in there?”

“Yeah. Let’s get this party started.”