Zenon's Game Chapter 159

A few months ago, Zenon made me come here. Back when I was running errands in exchange for ruining his laptop. That feels like a different lifetime.

I saw them before they saw me. They were talking and taking turns shooting.

Zenon was under the hoop while Layton took his shot. The ball soared through the air and in with a predictable swish. Zenon effortlessly caught it and the boys exchanged places.

My heart fluttered at seeing him. Sometimes I forget how handsome he is, and it takes one look like that to remind me.

He was dressed casually in a sweater. It was winter and they hadn't played too seriously to warm up. Playing basketball was his element.

"Candy?" he said in surprise, his blue eyes gravitating towards me. I was surprised he saw me as quickly as he did.

"Candy?" Layton repeated.

"Don't call her that," Zenon told him.

Layton turned around with ball in hand and they both watched me step onto the asphalt.

The pitch was just as I remembered it. Chalk on the ground and a creaky basketball hoop. The last time I came here, the backboard had broken. Now a new one was in place.

I waved, "Hi."

"You remember Candace, my girlfriend?" Zenon asked, while his eyes stayed firmly planted on me.

"She's your girlfriend now?" Layton laughed, "About damn time. You two had so much drama going on, it could be your own TV show."

The two boys met me near the side of the court. I felt very short in this basketball player sandwich.

"You remember that," I remarked awkwardly, still embarrassed for the events that led up to the street fight.

Layton had been at the bar when my showdown with Julia turned into a bar fight and got caught up in Zenon's street fight before we showed up with the biker gang. It made us look crazy.

"I'm not forgetting it," Layton assured me.

Zenon kissed me on the lips, surprised but happy to see me. His smile made me smile and forget the scrambled emotions I had in my mind before I saw him.

Chis interrupted, "Why are you here?"

Great question Layton. Great question.

"I don't actually know," I confessed, feeling comforted by the warmth of Zenon's arm around me, "But it's urgent."

They waited for me to continue. I could see how strange this looked. I looked like a mad woman turned obsessive girlfriend. Where were Axel and Bryce?

I really thought they would've gotten here by now. They had a 30-minute head start to me.

I didn't want to say anything about the blackmailer or the dead cat in front of Layton. He'd just been saying how crazy we were, and now I come with this?!

"They know how Art's jersey ended up on my bedroom door," I told Zenon, giving him a subtle wink.

"Why is your eye twitching?"

Oh my-

"Zenon Albert," I exhaled and repeated the sentence, stressing every word, "They know. How Art's jersey. Ended up. On my bedroom door."

Layton intervened, "Why is there another guy? Aren't you dating Zenon?"

I can see how my phrasing led to that interpretation. Oops.

Zenon's expression turned ice cold. "Layton, you try making that joke one more time."

"Keep your drama away from me and I will," Layton shot back, "I don't ask for this. You bring your business to me."

He had a point.

Layton and Zenon's rivalry was still visible and they were ready to flip from friends to rivals at any given moment. I stepped out of the basketball player sandwich, feeling like they were about to chuck the ball.

"ZZZZZZENNNNNNON!" A giant yell sounded across the block.

Zenon didn't need to see who it was, to know who it was. "Why is Axel here?"

"And that guy?" Layton pointed at Bryce, standing worriedly by his expensive car. "Are they everywhere you go?"

I forget that they don't get along.

Zenon led the way towards Axel and Bryce. He knew something was up for us all to have crashed his session with Layton. He must've guessed I told them where he'd be.

Layton slowly followed. He looked done with the drama – and he didn't even know what it was this time. When Layton finally joined, Axel was already telling Zenon everything.

"Rich kid came back?" Layton muttered, bouncing the basketball slowly against the concrete, glaring at Bryce, "Brave."

"I'm not afraid of your neighborhood," Roland Chadwick III retorted.

"Why don't you step away from your car then?"

The bouncing stopped.

"Listen, Layton, I didn't start that fight," Bryce snapped, "And I don't like your attitude. Zenon crushed you in the last four games-"

"Okie dokie," I tried to intervene, and pointed at the shadow in the back seat, "Who's sitting in the car?"

100% there was a guy in the back seat of Bryce's car that no one has mentioned.

"Art," Axel answered, "That's why we're late. We picked him up on the way. We wanted him to tell you what he told us."

"So why doesn't he get out?" I asked, trying to wave at Art.

"He's afraid."

I looked around at the guys for some kind of explanation. Why would Art be afraid?

"As he should be," Zenon answered, walking over to the back door. He pulled the door handle and the butterfly door spread open.

Layton whistled at the expensive car, "He isn't the only one who should be afraid now."

The last time Bryce drove into Alpine with a flashy car...

"No one is taking my car," Bryce swore, raising his hand to show the wrench he was holding.

There was too much negative energy. Layton vs. Bryce. Art vs. the world.

"Get out," Zenon ordered at Art cowering in the back seat. "I'm asking nicely."

Art responded aggressively, "You're friends kidnapped me, Zenon. What the flying f*ck man?!"