Chapter 138 AIN'T SHIT
Chapter 138 AIN'T SHIT
DANTE'S POV
He doesn't answer for a long time, but I am seeing that he now understands the predicament he's finding himself in.
Good.
I let him speak so far and say all what he wants to.
Because now it's my turn.
“On the other hand, I think you'll be the one interested in what I had to say about you, Max.”
He tilts his head with confusion, but I continue speaking.
"You want to know what I have on you, Max?"
Something changes in his face, a tiny fleck of hesitation, but I instantly notice it.
"When you threatened Micah earlier on..."
I pause for good measure. The best way to threaten someone is to make sure you drag it out, and make them fill in the gaps with their own active mind.
"I had someone look into you, you know."
His face drains slightly, but he still remains silent.
"There was nothing unusual about you at first."
"You went to your usual training, classes and games over and over. But then I noticed something strange about you."
His breathing changes as I continue speaking.
"You've been visiting a hospital more frequently than usual"
I watch his pupils contract, before letting out a cold smile of my own. I am already having a shitty week, so if he wants to be the sacrificial lamb, why not.
His mouth opens, but nothing comes out of it, making me smile.
"Are you feeling all right, Max?"
He swallows thickly z before clearing his throat loudly.
"Of course."
"That's good."
I nod slowly, before releasing his shirt.
He immediately straightens it, and takes a step back.
"It's just my elbow acting up, that's all."
I raise an eyebrow in his direction
"Your elbow?"
"Yeah. That's why I was in the hospital"
He says it too quickly, but continues spinning up a new tale.
"It's nothing serious but just a sprain."
I almost feel sorry for him, but the bastard had to pick the one person that's my reverse scale.
"Interesting."
I tilt my head.
"Because from a nurse there, I heard something quite different."
His face goes pale.
"You're bluffing, Dante."
"Am I though?"
"You don't know anything you're talking abou–!"
"I know you're taking medication." I calmly shut his outburst.
His breathing becomes shallow as he forgets to continue breathing.
"I also know you didn't want treatment, and are currently risking your own life."
It's his turn to freeze up.
"And I also know you've been trying to make it through the season before doing anything about it or going for surgery."
His eyes widened, as I let the silence stretch on for another couple of seconds.
I can practically hear the cogs in his brain panic and crash.
"Even I am not stupid enough to gamble my life away for a stupid NBA career, but that's just you."
The color drains completely from his face.
Then almost suddenly–
"Fuck you!"
He lunges at me, but I catch him before he can reach me.
His shoulder crashes into the wall once again and this time it's even harsher.
Max is a little bigger than me, and stronger than most people, but blindless rage like this makes most people predictable.
I hold him there for a moment, tightening my fist as he struggles to break my grip.
"Let me go!"
"No."
"You don't know anything about me, you selfish prick!"
His voice cracks with emotion, and suddenly his anger isn't just mere anger anymore.
He's desperate.
“Rich bastards like you don't know what it's like for me!"
I stare at him dully, waving off the concerned look coming from other students across the hall.
"You don't know what it's like waking up every morning knowing you have to be perfect and work twice as hard!"
His fists pound against my chest, but I keep my grip on him firm.
"You don't know what it's like fighting for everything! When pricks like you already have everything at your disposal!”
His voice breaks, but he still goes on.
“You have wealth, connection and you'll never need to toil for a scholarship any day in your life! You all have parents who'll buy you whatever the hell you want!”
"How the hell am I supposed to compete with that?"
I don't say anything, I just let him continue speaking.
"Do you know what it's like to work until your body itself can't move but you pick yourself up and keep on going?"
He laughs bitterly, sighing softly.
"I wake up every day and train, over and over until I can't feel my hands. I eat disgusting slop just to remain in top form, I study even when I can't remember shit for the life of me, I give everything!”
His eyes are wet now, but he stubbornly doesn't let any tears fall.
“And somehow it's never enough! I was playing as hard as I could, ready to stake it all for my one final chance, but now…”
He nods to himself, admitting quietly. “Now I have cancer.”
His voice drops, as he comes to admission for the one truth he's been hiding all along
"So what anyway?"
He looks at me, smiling as I raise a brow.
"If everything is going to fall apart anyway for me anyway..."
"Then let it fall."
My expression doesn't change even though I can guess what his next words would be.
"Let everyone know I'm sick and can't play properly anymore. Let them also find out about their star rookie kissing a man. Let everything burn together.”
His eyes are wild now, not focusing on anything anymore.
"Maybe none of us deserve anything, so no one should have anything."
He spits the next words that cause me to narrow my eyes on him.
"Maybe I'll make sure Micah never gets into the NBA either if I can't make it."
Something cold instantly settles over my ears, as Max's words become muffled, drowning itself out beneath the roaring sounds in my ears.
"You keep blaming everyone else." My voice quietly shuts him up. “You blame me because I'm wealthy, blaming me because Dante King was born special.”
His eyes narrow on me.
“I understand being angry with me, but you seem to have forgotten something crucial, Max.”
I lean in closer to him.
"This world doesn't owe you shit.”