My Best Friends Brother

Chapter 76

Work has been so crazy over the last few days that I’ve hardly had a chance to speak to anybody, when Miles sent me a message at lunch to tell me that Coach had cleared him to play today I had the most sinking feeling in my stomach that I wouldn’t be able to make it.

Luckily, I have an auburn haired little American leprechaun who seems to be willing to do anything to make sure that Miles never has anything but a smile on his face. Although Charlie made me promise to pay for drinks for the next month, he did agree to cover all my calls so I could be here.

Parked in the back corner of the car park, I managed to slip out of my suit and pull on my jeans just before a hand batters its way against my back window.

I get ready to jump out and attack whoever made me flinch out of my skin hard enough that I now realise exactly how Bruce Banner felt being smacked in the chest by the Sorcerer Supreme back in Endgame, until I see an abundance of dark curly hair wearing a cheshire-cat grin leaned down into the blacked out windows.

“Fucking hell Josh, if you're going to crash a high school basketball game at least put a fucking shirt on. You're going to give those boys a fucking complex looking so good when all you do is slump in an office chair shoving hamburgers down your throat.”

Taking my shirt out of the bag, I step out to find Brie sucking on a lollipop and leaning back against my car whilst typing away on her phone.

“I didn’t have time to change before I left the office,” I proclaim whilst pulling my shirt over my head. “What are you doing here anyway? I thought that Miless-oo, Milo, made you promise not to come to anymore of his games after that time you sat in the front row and bent over to pick up a basketball without wearing your fucking panties.”

She snaps her eyes up from her phone to try and give me that killer look that makes lesser men crumble, but I’ve seen this girl covered in greasy kebab, throwing up into a bush whilst repeatedly telling me that she loves me, so her visual threats no longer have the same effect they once did.

“That was one fucking time! You’d swear half of those guys had never seen a fat ass before from the way all their fucking dicks just sprang up in their shorts! He has to let that go.”

Off in the distance behind her I can see May leaning up against the side of the bug and typing away in virtually the same stance as her sister. I know they both hate it when we compare them, but sometimes I think that Brie accidentally cloned herself when May came along.

“Have you at least remembered your underwear today?” I joke, waving at May when she glances over at us. “So, why are you here?”

She finishes up typing before responding to me, Brie has never been too good at multifunctioning.

“Al made me come. She thinks mini Thompson is going to smash the record and Jayce is probably going to have a mental break-down when that happens, so I’m here to split them up when they start throwing punches. You?” She discloses, reaching into her purse and pulling out a bag of chips before beginning to munch away on a family sized portion of Funions.

Anyone would swear that she is the pregnant one, but it's just that freakishly insatiable appetite of hers.

“I told Coach that I would come.” I lie. “Why is Jayce being such a fucking dick about this? You’d think he’d be happy for his brother.”

Brie lets out a large breath of air, offering me some of her chips as we begin to walk over towards the hall.

“It’s not really about Milo or the record. He's angry at himself more than anything. Physio is taking a lot longer than it was last time, and I think he knows deep down that his time on that court is getting really limited. Watching the mini him running around in his prime is just another reminder of what he had... Being in constant pain and not being able to do everything you once could can turn you into a person you don’t recognise... Have you spoken to Milo much since you guys went to camp?” She asks, paying particular attention to my eyes until I give her my ‘what the fuck are you looking at’ face.

“Yeah, I’ve seen him around.” ...My house. My car. My office... And in all of my fucking dreams. “He told me about Jayce running them until he fucked his shoulder, I’m surprised that Coach is letting him play.”

Brie nods, reaching her arm out and looping it around May’s, dragging the poor girl with us no matter how much she shouts and screams that this is embarrassing.

“Coach wouldn’t let him play if he thought it was bad, why are you so worried about him?” She narrows her eyes at me and I can feel the heat beginning to rise all over my body at the intensity of her scrutiny. Why the fuck is she looking at me like that?

Luckily May decides to take it upon herself too distract her sister from whatever weird line of questioning she was beginning.

“I’ve been rethinking that dress, I’m not sure the blue was the right choice after all.” Brie halts her footsteps immediately and pulls her entire sister around to face her by her arm. She begins to scream about how they are not looking for any more dresses, so busy waving her arms around in annoyance that she doesn't even see May look over and wink at me. Brie may be a queen, but that little sister of hers is well on her way to starting a dominion of manipulation all of her own.

I spot Al in the front row, trying to keep the seats around her empty whilst simultaneously beginning to drool when she spots the bag of chips in Brie’s hand.

“Honestly May, change your mind about those fucking dresses again and I will be sending you down that aisle wrapped in one of Granny’s fucking tea-towels held together with pissing string... Don’t forget that we’ve got that suit fitting next week, I want to see all you boys together before we make the final decision.” She directs towards me as Al snatches the chips from her hands before Brie even gets her ass down in the seat.

Al looks nervous, she always gets quiet when she's nervous and she hasn't attempted to say a word to us, just flickering her eyes from the floor to Jayce and back again. I slot myself down in the seat on the other side of her whilst May wonders up the bleachers to go sit with her friends. The way she looks at the court is fucking painful to watch, she clearly misses it.

Me and Aleah have developed an unspoken language over the years. There were times when we were first living together in college where she would go for days without being able to talk under the weight of her grief. We never pushed each other to be okay, one of the most comforting things about our friendship is that we both have no expectations of each other, we just accept that sometimes we are having good days and other times we’re having bad, trying to force someone to smile when they're sad or cheer someone up when they just want to cry doesn't help, all you have to do is be there.

“It's going to be okay, he’s achieved so much more than this now, it's just bad timing. He’ll get over it.” I squeeze her hand and she leans over to rest her head on my shoulder, the anxiety radiating off her at such a rate that I can feel it seeping into myself.

Jayce stands on the other side of the court chatting with Coach and it's taking everything in me not to go over there and set him straight. I know he prides himself on being the best in everything, but after he fucked Miles’ shoulder he never even bothered to check in and make sure he was better, I know that pain can change you but being pissed off that your little brother is taking a high school record from you when you’re a full on NBA player is kind of fucking pathetic, no matter how sorry you're feeling for yourself.

My phone buzzes, I glance down quickly to see a message from Miles.

‘My stars: Did you seriously have to come here looking so fucking good? Are you purposefully trying to distract me?😉  X’

Where the fuck is he? I try to spot him but there’s nobody on the court yet, and I’m pretty sure he isn’t standing in the crowd.

‘My stars: On your left X’

I turn to the left and glance straight through the open doors down towards the changing rooms, only to see him stood leaning back against the wall, his whole delicious body on display as he stands in just his basketball shorts whilst smirking directly at me. He’s clearly just got out from doing his warm up, the sunlight pouring in through the doors is glistening as it bounces off his perspiration covered chest.

Fuck. Stop looking at him... Jesus Christ... Josh stop fucking looking at him...

He nods his head to the right then wiggles his eyebrows at me and my whole stomach ruptures with butterflies. Oh fuck no, we can’t do anything, not here.

I begin to shake my head at him but he only smirks more widely before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone.

‘My stars: Coach’s old office. Now.’

Fuck, fuck, fuck. I look up from the message ready to protest again but he’s already gone. I can’t... I can’t, right?

I mean... I could... But...

“I’ll be right back.” I gently guide Al’s head from me onto Brie’s shoulder, moving quickly before they can ask me any questions and slipping through the doors towards where Coach’s office once was.

Shit my hands are shaking. There are people fucking everywhere here. This is asking for fucking trouble... So then why are my legs working fucking overtime to get me there.

I approach the door for Coach's office, his name still on the plaque attached even though I’m sure he stopped using this one a few years ago. It’s closed, but when I push down on the handle the door springs straight open. It’s very different in here than it used to be, his old desk is still in the centre of the room but now it's become more of a storage closet for all of the left over equipment.

Looking around, I try to spot the reason I’m here, but the room appears to be empty, until suddenly something grabs hold of my wrist and pulls me in entirely before slamming the door shut.

Fuck I thought he looked good from far away, but up close...

“Miles...”

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