Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 145402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 582(@250wpm)___ 485(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 582(@250wpm)___ 485(@300wpm)
"He can't be taught," Neil said.
"So you think," Wymack said. "From where I'm sitting, you're making real progress."
It could have been wishful thinking, except Wymack had a way of seeing through all of them. Neil believed him because he wanted to believe Kevin could be gotten to. He needed to see the day Kevin took that number off his face and bested Riko at his own game. He needed Kevin to believe he could usurp Riko's throne and survive. Until Kevin believed that, he'd never fully believe in the Foxes' ability to reach finals.
"Neil," Wymack said after a minute, "it's all over the news. We tried staying in our rooms and out of sight while you were with the FBI, but they waited us out. They have pictures of the bus and all of us loading up to leave. It didn't take them long to put the pieces together. My phone's been ringing all morning between the press, the board, and Chuck. School board's going to want to talk to you before you return to classes."
Neil had known this would happen, but for a moment he thought his breakfast would come back up. "Okay."
"You want me to play the 'no comment' game with the press?"
"If you can. I'll—" Neil faltered, but thought about Allison's advice and Kevin's reluctant promise to help him tackle the storm, "—talk to them next week. You can tell them that."
"Tuesday?" Wymack suggested. "Tuesday or Wednesday would give you Monday to deal with all the on-campus reactions. I'll schedule a time and see what I can do to distract them in the meantime. Maybe I'll let them know you've accepted vice-captaincy for next year."
"I'm not qualified to be that," Neil said. He gestured to the recruits' files that were spread across Wymack's desk. "All of them have more experience than I do, and they're not going to want to follow a gangster's son."
"Andrew didn't want to follow you, either," Wymack said. "Look how that turned out. You'll figure something out one way or another."
Neil looked down at his hands. He'd counted his life and losses on his fingers just a few weeks back. Now it was up in the air, resting solely on Stuart's ability to sway the Moriyamas to his side. Wymack was asking Neil to commit to a future neither of them was sure he would actually have. Practicality said to wait until they knew for sure. After a moment, though, Neil curled one hand into a fist and focused on the path he wanted.
"I'll do my best," he said.
"Good," Wymack said. "Now get going. Dan called to tell me you're all going out of town. Get away from all of this for a bit, get some fresh air in you, and come back ready to make the impossible happen."
"Yes, Coach," Neil said.
Kevin stood up when Neil returned to the lounge. Neil saw the tension in Kevin's shoulders and the hard line of Kevin's mouth and knew Kevin was going to put this off until they returned. Kevin glanced at him, then past him at Wymack's open door, and opened his mouth on an excuse Neil didn't want to hear.
"Don't do this to him," Neil said.
Kevin hesitated, and Neil knew he'd won. Abby looked between them, lost. Neil didn't wait for her to figure it out but went next door to her office. Abby joined him a moment later, still confused. Neil didn't explain but listened for the muffled sound of Wymack's door closing. Only then could he relax and turn his attention back on Abby.
Facing his injuries today wasn't any easier. Neil quickly averted his eyes from the mess on his arms as Abby unwound his bandages. Abby cupped Neil's face in one hand before getting to work. Afterward she packed a travel kit for him to take to the mountains and kissed his forehead farewell. Neil eased off the bed and went out to the car to wait.
Twenty minutes later Kevin showed up looking hollow-eyed and defeated. He started to open the passenger door, then got in back. Neil said nothing to him but turned the key in the ignition. It was a short ride back to Fox Tower, and Kevin didn't get out when Neil parked. Neil waited only a minute before getting the hint and starting for the door. Two steps from the car he turned back and opened his door again. Kevin had his elbow on the windowsill and his face in his hand. Neil rethought what he was going to say.
"I'll tell them so you don't have to."
Kevin gestured with his free hand: "Get out" or "I don't care" but not "Don't you dare." He didn't say anything; Neil didn't think he could. Neil closed the door and left him to his misery.
Neil collected Nicky and the twins from their room and took them all next door to Dan's room. A pile of backpacks and travel suitcases in the middle of the living room said they were all ready to go. Matt and Allison were sitting on the couch while Renee unplugged electronics around the room. Renee went and got Dan from the bedroom when Neil asked her to. Dan sank into the open spot between Matt and Allison and grabbed a mug off the coffee table. Neil waited until everyone was settled before looking across the room at Dan.
"Coach is Kevin's father."
Dan spat her coffee halfway across the table and choked on what little didn't make it out of her mouth. Matt stared slack-jawed at Neil for an endless second before he realized Dan was coughing, and then he gave her an enthusiastic thump on the back. Dan tried to say something, but it was an unintelligible hoarse wheeze. Allison and Renee stared at Neil like he'd grown a second head, and Aaron looked to Andrew like Andrew should have warned them of this at some point. If Andrew noticed the attention, he didn't return it; he had eyes only for Neil.
"No way!" Nicky burst out. "No way! Are you serious? You can't be serious. When the hell did that happen?"