“Yeah,” I mumbled, and everyone else joined in.
“Good. Now let’s enjoy some music.”
Monty put on a mix, and I drifted off to James Taylor’s Carolina in My Mind.
***
Hours later, I struggled to fight through the haze of sleep when I heard Jason talking.
“What’s the deal with them?”
“What do you mean?” Monty asked.
“Charlotte and Liam, why don’t they just get together already? I mean, have you seen them?”
I pretended to still be sleeping but wondered what Jason was talking about. I didn’t dare open my eyes, but realized that I was leaning on Liam, holding on to his shirt, and it felt like he had his hand on my leg. I guess it wasn’t all that strange, considering we were crammed in the backseat together. Besides, everyone knew Liam and I were just friends, and even the friend title was still pretty new. Before last year, I had just been Kevin’s little sister.
“It’s complicated,” Monty said.
“How is it complicated?” Jason sounded confused.
“Leave it be. Their relationship is what it is right now.”
Liam stirred and yawned, and I forced myself to open my eyes. Jason and Monty had stopped talking, so they must have realized we were waking up. Liam smiled at me before noticing where his hand was. He moved it quickly. “Sorry.”
“No problem, it’s pretty close quarters back here.” I let go of his T-shirt.
“Well, sleepyheads, we’re almost there.” I could hear Monty smiling even though I couldn’t see his face.
“I can’t believe we’re going to watch Kevin play tonight. I’ve missed watching him so much.” I never realized how big a part of my life Kevin’s basketball was until he left.
“It’s so good to see you this excited about something, Charlotte.” Monty, like Liam, worried about me constantly, so I was glad that my enthusiasm was obvious.
“Yeah, it feels good.” Grinning, I stretched once more and watched the scenery as we pulled into Chapel Hill.
Chapter Four
Kevin
The buzzer sounded, marking the end of the time out. There were only four seconds left in the game. We were down two points to Clemson, and Coach had designed a great in-bounds play that would hopefully win the game.
I made sure everyone was in position and took the ball from the referee. Marcus set a screen for our best shooter, Matt, that allowed him to get open at the three-point line. Passing the ball, I watched as Matt squared up for the winning shot. I quickly slid into the lane under the rim to get into position for the rebound. As the ball spun through the air, silence fell over the crowd, and I felt myself being shoved away from the goal. The ball hit the rim abruptly and flew into the air. I jumped up to retrieve the ball, and in midair, was able to quickly tip the ball into the basket, but then I was thrown to the floor by another player. The buzzer sounded as the ball fell through the net, and the referee blew the whistle, indicating a foul.
The game was tied with no more time on the clock, and the crowd roared as they realized I still had one free throw left that could possibly win the game. Sweat dripped into my eyes, briefly blurring my vision. Clemson’s coach called for a time out, likely only to allow enough time for my nerves to set in. My teammates all congratulated me on the way back to the bench, but I was unable to celebrate. As I sat down, I couldn’t help but glance up at the jerseys and banners hanging from the rafters high above the court. It still felt surreal at times to be playing college ball for the same team as Michael Jordan and James Worthy.
As we walked onto the court, the arena again fell silent. I had made thousands of free throws in my high school career and even more on the driveway at my house, but those were nothing compared to the pressure I faced trying to make the winning shot. The butterflies in my stomach worsened as I stepped up to the line.
Catching the ball from the referee, I bounced it a few times to help relieve my nerves. The feeling of the ball in my hands cleared my focus. I lined up carefully and let the ball loose. The ball seemed to hang in the air for an eternity, but eventually fell into the net. The crowd erupted, and I was suddenly swarmed by teammates and fans. After minutes of chaos, I recognized a voice behind me.
“Wow, Kevin! Way to win the game!” Monty had pushed through the crowd. I spun around when he placed his hand on my shoulder. He grinned, and it felt so good to see him.
“I’m glad you guys made it. Is Charlotte with Liam?” Knowing that Norman could still be around, I didn’t want her alone.
“Charlotte’s fine.” Monty paused a second too long, arousing my suspicions. “Why don’t you hit the showers and meet us outside?”
I shrugged off the temptation to argue. The crowd was far too loud, and I wanted to see my sister as soon as possible. “Sure. I’ll meet you outside in a few.”
***
I took a quick shower, pulled on my warm-ups, and said goodbye to the guys before walking outside into the night. I scanned the area, ready to call Monty to find out where they were waiting. Before I could pull my phone from my pocket, Charlotte appeared in front of me, standing on tiptoes and trying to pull me down to her eye level.
“That was awesome, Kev!” She hugged me, and I laughed at her giddiness. It was nice to see Charlotte so full of life again. Our brief phone conversations had me worried. She always claimed everything was okay, even while she sounded so tired and down.
Liam appeared behind Charlotte with a huge smile on his face. “Nice shot, man! I seriously can’t imagine that kind of pressure.” I knew he was excited for me, but something told me his excitement was for more than the game. Looking behind him, I got a surprise—Henry and James.
“What are they doing here?” Although I used the word “they,” I really didn’t mind that Henry was at the game, but I could have done without James.
“We’re going back!” Liam blurted out excitedly. Monty glared at him, and Liam shrugged.
“Seriously? Now?” The post-game adrenalin started fading, and the reality of what Liam was saying hit me.
“Once you’re finally ready.” Liam grinned. His excitement surprised me a little.
“Okay, are you going to tell me what’s going on yet?”
Monty shot me a warning look. Glancing over his shoulder, I saw some other guy standing with my family and friends.
“Kev, this is Jason, my roommate.” Liam gestured toward the stranger.
“Hey, nice to meet you.” I held out a hand to shake. I thought it was pretty random that Liam’s roommate had made the five-hour drive to watch me play, but there were weirder things in life.