Chapter Seven
940 Words
The room was silent except for Liam’s groans and Asher’s ragged breathing and the other boys exchanged shocked glances while Damon’s face was filled with shock and when Asher didn't respond, the coach turned to the others.
“Get Liam to the infirmary, Now. And the rest of you, clear out. I don’t want to see another damn fight in this locker room again, Understood?"
"Yes Coach!"The boys chorused except Asher and he was about to storm out when Evangeline suddenly appeared in front him with a shock and worried expression while staring at him.
"What?!"Asher snapped and she flinched at his harsh tone.
"Gabriel wants to speak with you"She mumbled, stretching out her phone and he snatched it from her then stormed into the changing room, slamming the doors shut then locked it.
"W-What happened to him?"Evangeline asked, turning to Damon and he sighed.
"You first have to promise that you wouldn't say word to his brother about it"
"I won't, I promise"She assured and he held her wrist, leading her out then began to narrate what happened to her.
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[ MINUTES LATER ]
Asher sat in silence with chest rising and falling like he’d just run a marathon. His fists still ached with his knuckles burning and blood drying against the ridges of his rings.
He held the phone to his ear but he hadn’t said a word.
“How are you doing, Asher?”Gabriel asked in a calm, gentle tone but there was no response from him, Just the sound of Asher’s rough breathing.
“Asher"
“I’m fine"Asher muttered finally in a hoarse tone and Gabriel exhaled slowly.
“Why does your voice sound like that? What happened?”
Asher didn't respond, his gray eyes were just burning holes into the floor.
“Asher, Talk to me. Don't shut me out."
Asher let out a bitter, humorless laugh.
"You want me to talk? Fine. I lost it, alright? I beat the living shît out of Liam in front of half the team. Coach had to drag me off him. My captain’s band? Gone. My spot on the team? Gone. I’m suspended, Gabriel. Suspended until further notice, There. You happy now?”
Gabriel’s silence lasted a moment too long then he decided to speak again.
"This temper of yours.....”
“Don’t. Don’t you dare start with me. Don’t act like this isn’t what you’ve always wanted. For me to be off the team. Don't act like you're disappointed when deep down, you're relieved"He snapped, interrupting Gabriel's words.
"You think I'm relieved? Then you're f*****g right! You know the damn reason why I don’t want you playing hockey, Asher! You fûcking know it!”Gabriel responded, raising his voice with his blood boiling in rage.
“And I don’t fûcking care!”Asher shouted with his veins straining in his neck.
"Do you hear me? I don’t care about your reasons! Hockey is all I've got. It's the only thing that makes me feel alive! It's the only thing that makes sense in my fûçkèd up life! It's the only thing I love and I'm not going to give it up just because of your goddamn fears when I should be the one scared! You hear me? I won't quit!"
“Asher…You know I want the best for you. I want to a good older brother towards you, I’m trying to protect you because I don’t want your....”
“Spare me the bullshît!” Asher roared, cutting him off so viciously that Gabriel actually went quiet.
“Spare me the fûcking sermon about you being a ‘good brother.’ If you were such a good brother, you’d be standing by me instead of against me. You’d go to Coach, talk to him, help me fight my way back into the team but you won't, You won’t because deep down, you don’t want me there!”
"Ash.."
Asher interrupted him again.
“If you were a good brother, you wouldn’t just stand there like some spineless coward while your wife insults me every fûcking time I visit. You wouldn’t let her make me feel like an outsider in your fûçkîng family while you sit there silent, pretending you don’t hear her. Do you have any idea what that feels like a stranger in own your blood brother’s home?”
“Asher....”
“No! Let's fûçkîng talk about this too"Asher barked with his throat tightening and his hands trembling as he gripped the phone tighter.
"You let her sister move in, treat her like family but me, your own blood. I'm told to call before I even come over, I'm told 'not today' because she dosen't want me there, you let her push me out, Gabe. You let her come between us as brothers. And you say you're a good brother?"
Gabriel went silent over the phone and Asher's grip on the phone tightened until his knuckles whitened.
"Exactly. You have nothing to say because you know I'm right"Asher muttered in bitterness.
“You don’t get it, Asher. Everything I do and why I don't want you playing, it’s not because I don’t love you, Asher. It’s because I do and it kills me that you’ll never fûcking see it"
Asher’s throat tightened but his pride wouldn’t let him give Gabriel the satisfaction of a response even though a part of him felt the sting of his brother’s words and without a single word, Asher pulled the phone from his ear.
He stared at it for a second then pressed the red button and ended the call before he smashed the phone against the wall.
- Writer
