| for losing the babies. She was right. The real cost of an abortion is much more than the lousy three hundred bucks at the clinic.” “I’m sorry.” “Ten years to the week after Screamer and I made our little road trip to Atlanta, my wife had the second miscarriage. A little boy.” “I really want to leave now.” “I’m sorry.” They sat on the front steps again. The lights were off. Mr. and Mrs. Lane were asleep. It was after eleven. “I think you should go now,” Cameron said after a few minutes. “You’re right.” “You said earlier that you think about me all the time now. I’m curious as to why.” “I had no idea how painful a broken heart can be until my wife packed up and left. It was a nightmare. For the first time, I realized what you had suffered through. I realized how cruel I had been.” “You’ll get over it. Takes about ten years.” “Thanks.” He walked down the sidewalk, then turned around and walked back. “How old is Jack?” he asked. “Thirty-seven.” “Then, statistically, he should die first. Give me a call when he’s gone. I’ll be waiting.” “Sure you will.” “I swear. Isn’t it comforting to know that someone will always be waiting for you?” “I hadn’t thought about it.” He leaned down and looked her in the eyes. “Can I kiss you on the cheek?” “No.” “There’s something magical about the first love, Cameron, something I’ll miss forever.” “Good-bye Neely.” “Can |
shot, and he fell like a bag of cement.” “Knocked him out?” “Cold. Coach Upchurch rushed forward, yelling, cussing, like he was going to finish me off,” Neely said. “I couldn’t see, there was blood all over my face.” “Silo stepped up and grabbed Upchurch by the throat with both hands,” Paul said. “He lifted him up, threw him against the wall, said he’d kill him right there if he made another move. Rake was dead on the floor. Snake Thomas and Rabbit and one of the trainers were squatting beside him. It was chaos for a few seconds, then Silo threw Upchurch to the floor and told all of them to get out of the locker room. Thomas said something and Silo kicked him in the ass. They dragged Rake out of the room and we locked the door.” “For some reason I was crying, and I couldn’t stop,” Neely said. Mal had stopped eating. All three were staring straight ahead at the little lady by the stove. “We found some ice,” Paul continued. “Neely said his hand was broken. His nose was bleeding like crazy. He was delirious. Silo was screaming at the team. It was a pretty wild scene.” Mal slurped down some coffee, then tore off a piece of a biscuit, which he dragged across his plate as if he might eat it, or he might not. “Neely was lying on the floor, ice on his nose, ice on his hand, blood running down his ears |
