Someone Like You by Kathryn Shay

deck or in his yard, he pretended she wasn’t even outside, thirty yards away.
    “See, you do miss him.”
    “Of course I miss him. But he was very clear he’s done with me. I made a mistake, I reacted badly to how he handled the situation with Matt, but he won’t forgive me. End of story.”
    “What about the dreams?”
    “They’ll go away. Eventually.” 
    Annie shrugged. “Fine, if you’re too chicken to go after what you want…”
    “I did that once with him. It didn’t work out.”
    “Maybe he needs time.”
    Brie stopped searching through the racks. “Annie, he accused me of pushing Matt over the edge, of putting him in danger of committing suicide.”
    “What? That’s stupid. A whole host of things led up to Matt’s actions.”
    “I’m trying to believe that. But Nick never will. So can we please not talk about him anymore?”
    “Yes, I guess.”
    “I’ll try the mauve one on.”
    “A good choice. It’ll go well with your coloring.”
    o0o
    Nick played like the Furies were after him. The school had built two racquetball courts off the gym proper with a specified endowment by a fitness nut who’d gone to Crystal Corners High School years ago and made a lot of money as an adult. Nick had used them before, but never this viscously, and rarely alone.
    Every time he whacked one of the blue rubber balls he’d collected in a bucket, he let off a little steam, got rid of some of the tension and resentment that had built up inside him for weeks.“This one’s for you, Mr. Fucking Mayor,” he spat out as he smashed the ball forward into the wall.
    Even after all that had happened, the mayor hadn’t budged. True to his word, the asshole refused to give his insurance information to pay for Matt’s two week stay in the hospital. Nick had offered to foot the bill, but since Matt was eighteen and could declare himself as an emancipated minor now, he qualified for assistance.
    And true to his word, Nick had brought Matt home with him when the boy was ready to be released. Matt was indeed calmer, less anxious, but still extremely sad. He would see Rich three times a week and return to school tomorrow.
    Nick picked up another ball and slammed it into the wall. “This one’s for losing our first game.”
    Without Matt, the team had floundered. But then they’d rebounded and won the next game. He knew Matt’s welfare was more important than football but he was only human and in his heart of hearts Nick had wanted an undefeated season.
    “And, this,” he said tossing yet another ball in the air, arcing back his arm and whipping it forward to send the sphere into the front wall, “is definitely for you, Gabrielle Gorman.”
    For her and her beautiful violet eyes that, when he did get a glimpse of them, were almost as sad a Matt’s. Trying to outrun thoughts of her, he chased after the ball this time, managed to get to it and hit the thing again.
    “That’s for your skinny skirts and blouses,” which still drove him wild, “and for the memories of us in bed together” which he couldn’t seem to forget no matter how hard he tried.
    When he dove for the same ball, he rammed into the side of the court and pain shot up his shoulder. So he stopped, leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. “Damn it,” he said banging his racquet on the wood. “Damn it to hell.”
    “Hey, watch that, will you? You’ll scrape our newly refinished floors.”
    Dylan had come into the court and stood in the doorway. They’d become friends after sharing a traumatic experience together. They’d had a few beers now and again and talked about life, a lot like he and Jared used to do. Thank God, Dylan was agreeable not to bring up Brie.
    “I waited until you were done.” In a suit and dress shoes, the man walked around the outside of the floor and over to Nick. He propped a shoulder against the wall. “You were playing pretty hard there.”
    “Demons to outrun.”
    “Yeah, well, I think I’ve slain one for you