My Brother's Playboy Best Friend

11

Hazel's point of view.

Ever since Neil was there for me at my worst, we have been inseparable. He cheered me up and made me feel better when nobody would, I owe him for that.

"Get them Neil!" I scream as Neil is about to throw the ball at a receiver.

Parker catches the football and runs with it, Neil turns to me and smiles wide. I feel my cheeks heat. He is quite handsome too, I have to admit. The scores are so tight, they can't mess up. Parker gets tackled and the players make another strategy a couple meters away. Neil gets ready, the receivers run and... Neil throws it towards Vince. I cheer loud. For a split second, Vince glances at me from afar. He misses the shot and the opponent catches it. I see Vince swear under his breath. He screwed up. Vince never screws up. Neil comes to pat him in the back and mumble something, probably the encouragement a captain is required to offer his players. Later, after losing the game, Neil joins me. He's all sweaty, burned out, and obviously disappointed.

I smile at him. "Hi," I say.

He drinks water, meeting my eye and smiling back tiredly. "Hey, Haz."

I climb off the bleachers.

"Good game."

He chuckles, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah, definitely. You doing something after?"

"No, why?"

Neil wipes himself with a towel and seems to blush a bit. "I'd like to go somewhere with you, talk a bit."

He looks at me as if he's worried I'll say no. He should know I wouldn't refuse him. Vince passes by me, head down and breathing heavily. It's enough for me to know he's angry at himself. Frustrated of his performance. In the past, I would have cheered him up but it's not my place to do so anymore. Eve will deal with him just fine.

"Go change, I'll think about it," I promise Neil coyly, kicking his butt when he turns to do so.

"You stink!" I tell him as he passes the doors to the lobby.

He turns his head with a smile of laughter. Less than half an hour later, he joins me in the lobby, freshly washed. He's wearing sweatpants and a loose t-shirt. I scoff in disbelief. It is way too cold to be only wearing that.

He reads my mind. "My coat's in the car, don't scold me yet." Neil puts his hands up in defeat.

"Whatever," I say, leaving the lobby to reach the parking lot with Neil behind me.

"You hungry?" he asks, running after me.

"A bit." I shrug.

He ends up driving us to a nearby retro diner, his all-time favourite. The moment he walks in, the main server greets him and tells him she's putting in his usual order. He asks her to add a strawberry milk for me. We sit at the counter, close to each other. Neil seems awfully nervous, playing with the multiple silver rings he wears. I place my hand over his to stop him.

"What's up?" I ask, my eyes in his.

He blinks in suprise but doesn't pull away.

"Yeah, hum... I have a bunch of things to say to you."

"I'm listening." I smile at him, hoping it can calm him.

"Well. There's this thing with mom and dad. Mom has been struggling financially and, well, she's considering moving away." He pauses but seeing the shock on my face, he keeps going hurriedly. "She says that's the only reason but... I think she also wants me to stop hanging on to dad." Neil shrugs as if it didn't matter.

My lower lip trembles. "That's terrible," I say weakly.

"Right. I don't know how to convince her to stay. I've been working hard, part-timing and all, but it's just not enough." He looks away from me and my heart breaks for him.

"We could help you, Parker and I. With the money from the government," I suggest, tightening my hand on his.

Orphans receive a monthly fund to live with, plus Parker insisted on having a part-time job in a warehouse because he doesn't need crazy grades to keep his scholarship (as I do). We do have a foreign family but they refused to put any money on kids they didn't know.

Neil shakes his head vigorously. "No way, Haz. Forget about that."

My strawberry milk is served, as well as Neil's cookie and cream milkshake.

"What does your dad say?" I boldly ask, sipping on my drink.

"He knows what mom's playing and, well, he doesn't blame her. I try not to either but... it's so hard." His voice cracks. I rub his back.

"She wants the best for you."

"I know that, but she can't do this to me. She knows there are things here I can't afford to lose." His eyes fall in mine, deeply saddened.

"Like what?" I know the answer. I just hope I can pretend he can find all those things elsewhere.

"The team. This diner my dad loved eating at and—"

"Neil, those aren't irreplaceable."

"—you. You, Haz. You're irreplaceable." He stares deep into me and I feel my heart beat hard.

"Huh?" I cluelessly say.

He rolls his eyes fondly. "God, you have no idea, do you?"

I raise an eyebrow at him, confused.

"For fuck's sake, I'm in love with you, Hazel. I've been for so fucking long."

"Huh?" I ask again.

"It's always been Vince but now..." He sighs, kind of hopefully.

I frown, still processing the information. He looks at me again and panic suddenly flashes in his eyes.

"I don't want to take advantage of what happened to you though! It was horrible and I'm not here to make a move on you when you're still hurting and—" he blurts, my face softens as I finally understand.

I'm not in love with him but that's alright. Not every relationship needs to be built on infatuation, I tell myself. I admire and adore him and that's enough. I grab his bicep and pull him towards me, kissing his cheek so he shuts up. He looks at me, dumbfounded.

"I get it. It's okay, we can..." I hesitate and avoid his eyes. "We can be something or... take things slow. Whatever you want."

"Really?"

"Yeah, sure." My hand is back in his and he strokes it slowly.

His food comes. The main server, a old nosy woman, wiggles her eyebrows at him. I can't help but laugh. I really hadn't see it coming. At all.

"I'll do things right. I promise," he says and I melt.

"I believe you."

I'm still not over Vince. I don't think I'll ever fully be. But this is worth something, however long it will last. I won't give this up. I don't know how long Neil will be here, with me, so I might as well cherish his presence. We clink our glasses and drink.

"To new beginnings," Neil says. I grin.

"To new beginnings," I repeat and I mean it.