Page 237 of Once in a Lifetime, Part 2

Ody stepped forward, hand lifting. It was too late.

Mano rushed down the stairs, not stopping until the first floor. He lowered his head, chest rising too fast.

The next morning, Mano got a call from his brother, confirming the day and time of his flight. He offered to pick him up from the airport, but Mano told him Dominic had already arranged it.

He packed his gym bag and left for training. Anything to keep his mind occupied. Working out helped. When he finished, he wiped the sweat from his face and got on his bike to head home.

Chris and Steve were at the university, retaking one of their exams. Chris was on the phone, trying to convince Ody to come by so they could hang out afterward. Eventually, Ody agreed.

As they headed toward the building, they spotted Kash, Pablo and Brandon in the distance.

“Damn, we’re gonna see them again in October?” Steve muttered. “I swear I wanna smash their faces in.”

“We already did that,” Chris said. “And it was epic! When you yelled and Mano went—” He dropped his voice into a ridiculously low, scary tone. “‘You’re fucking dead now’. I almost ascended, bro!”

Steve shot him a look.

Chris grinned. “Don’t look at me like that, you felt it too.”

Steve looked back at the three of them. Something about them felt off.

“What do you mean you didn’t have time?” Pablo shoved Kash in the shoulder. “All summer you had no time, Kashy?”

“Yeah, I had no time. What’s your problem?” Kash shoved him back.

Brandon stepped between them. “Something up with you lately?”

“Nothing’s up.” Kash held his gaze. Fuck… how do I get them out of my life? Summer was easy when we didn’t see each other. But now…

“Come on, forget him,” Pablo said to Brandon. “I saw the nerd’s bodyguards. Wanna go mess with them?”

Brandon turned, but Kash’s voice stopped him.

“Leave them alone. All of them. And Ody too.”

Pablo smirked. “If you’re scared of Mano, just say it.”

“I’m not scared of anyone. I just don’t want to mess with people anymore.”

“Oh wow. Look at you.” Pablo laughed. “You gone soft on us now?” He tapped his forehead with two fingers.

Kash grabbed his collar and yanked him forward.

Brandon stepped in again.

“Come on, I dare you,” Pablo said.

“If you touch them, you deal with me.”

Brandon let out a short laugh. “That a threat?”

“Yeah, Kashy?” Pablo sneered. “You gonna play hero now? You’re the one who planned going after Mano and Ody. You’re the one who hit that little faggot from my class.”

Kash’s fists clenched.

“What, you think you’re better than us now?”

Pablo’s smirk didn’t quite hold. He knew Kash could fight. The problem was the rest of them. Who’d take whose side?