Page 110 of My Family

Ethan crosses his arms. "You know what your problem is?"

"I'm sure you're about to tell me."

"You're used to everyone either being afraid of you or wanting something from you. So when someone just doesn't like you, you don't know what to do with it."

Reed stares at him. There’s a long pause. The sign buzzes and it’s a funny sound.

"Hm," Reed says.

"Hm?"

"That's actually not wrong." He says. "You're still annoying. And I know you don't actually dislike me."

"Yes, I do. You're a nightmare."

"Yeah. You suck." Reed tilts his head slightly. "But you're not completely useless. At least you're good for Liam. For what it's worth."

Ethan looks at him for a moment.

"That's genuinely the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"Don't get used to it."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Reed starts toward the hotel. He sighs and gets up from where he’s sitting.

"Fuck you, Farley, for ruining my evening. Thanks, Liam, for worrying about me. Good night, fuckers."

He walks inside.

Ethan and I stand there for a second.

"Huh," I say.

"Yeah," Ethan says.

"You gotta admit he's not that bad, Daddy," I tell him.

He shrugs and rolls his eyes, something he almost never does.

"Fine," he says. "Don't ever tell him that, though. Come on. We can't let Griff see us out here."

He puts his arm around my shoulders, and we walk inside.

Chapter 34. Liam

The next day, after the tournament and the hotel and the pizza and the long drive back, Aspire is right where we left it.

Unfortunately, it didn't disappear.

We file out of the van and, after a brief, awkward group shuffle in the lobby where nobody is quite ready to be back, we go to lunch.

It's all the same.

Fuck, I had hopes that Aspire only lived in my imagination, but it's real. I force myself to stop complaining, though, remembering how bad the guys from the other academies have it.

But something is off.