“If you don’t stop showing off for your boyfriend, you’re going to sink us!” Brisco said as he ran past me, and I figured he was right, so I got my head in the game. The St. Loren Gators hadn’t come to play basketball, they’d come for a slaughter, and I found that out fast as they quickly scored on us.
The game was brutal. I had sweat running down my back by halftime, and we were only ahead by two points. We were all winded, and the other team didn’t look like they were ready to let up anytime soon. We’d pretty much walked through our opponents so far this season, and everyone was looking tired when Coach came over to glare at us where we were gathered around the bench guzzling Gatorade—which I was feeling pretty bitter about as I glared at the Gators.
“Okay, we’re switching everyone out.”
The entire team yelled, with some of the guys looking happy and some of them clearly confused. It was almost unheard of to switch everyone at the same time, but that didn’t seem to be stopping Coach tonight. He was on a roll.
“You’re all fucking wasted already. No one takes the running seriously. Now do you understand why I push it?” Coach yelled, and even the men on the other team straightened up as his tone carried. I glanced at Milo and the other guys who had started the game, nodding because what he said was true. We were all spent.
“Okay, Coach,” I said, smiling at him. “We’re a team. Put the other guys in.”
“Damned right,” he muttered, but then he tapped the guys to replace us, and that left me pacing the sidelines for the rest of the game. I caught my second wind, but Coach wasn’t thinking about pulling anyone to let us back in. He was too busy trying to keep track of our guys pounding the court from one side to the other.
In the end, Cohen lost the ball that became the game winning score for the St. Loren Gators, and he looked like he wanted to lie down on the floor and die rather than come back to the bench. 72-70, the game went to the Gators, and it sucked big time.
“They’re going to take it all this year if we don’t shape up,” Coach said quietly as he came to stare at us in abject disappointment. “I thought you were all in better shape than this.” He shook his head.
“We’ll train harder, Coach,” Milo said, looking truly upset, even though we’d barely lost and it had been a vicious game. I snorted, and he elbowed me hard.
“Did you mean I’ll blow you, Coach?” I whispered in his ear, just to be a fucker, and this time Milo did sink his elbow hard into my gut. I gasped and laughed, while he glared at me, and Coach ignored our antics in favor of going over to shake the hand of the other team’s coach whileloudlytelling him whatgreat shapehis team was in.
My mood was sour for about thirty seconds, then Micah walked down the stairs from the bleachers to the court, and I caught sight of him. The world was nothing but sunshine. I grinned at him and ran to his side. I was surprised when Micah gave me a hug because he wasn’t the world’s biggest fan of sweat.
“I’m sorry you lost,” he said, sounding so sincere that I had to laugh.
“Oh, I’m always a winner.” I knocked my hip against his.
Micah tilted his head and had the cutest confused expression I’d ever seen. “What do you mean?”
“I have you.” I leaned up and touched my lips to his ear. “I love you and that makes anything better.”
He blinked at me like a baby owl.
I cleared my throat and was surprised because I’d said that out loud, but I’d been feeling it hard. After losing Micah for a while, I was well aware that any time I had with him was special, and I’d never been a coward. If I wanted a tattoo or piercing, I got it. If I wanted to try a sport, I did it. I put myself out there with new song lyrics. Do or die in the line of fire. Why should this be any different? Of course, I’d never felt like I was drowning while waiting to see if a crowd loved a new song I’d written.
He mumbled something and a pink blush I loved spread across his cheeks.
“What?” I asked, putting a hand behind my ear.
He stepped closer, bumping his front against mine. “I love you, too.”
“Hey!” Milo shouted, and we both jumped. I glared as I turned to find him standing way too close to us.
“Yes?” I tried to mouthgo awayat him, but he ignored me and smiled wider.
“Are you two meeting us for food and drinks? My mom wants to know,” Milo said, pointing back toward the bleachers.
“Sure,” Micah said immediately.
I glared at Milo and wished I could set him on fire.
He wandered away with a wink, heading directly toward Coach.
I snorted, then turned toward Micah. “Traitor. I thought we were going to go home and lock the door.” I kissed his chin to let him know I wasn’t really irritated because sometimes he didn’t pick up on what I meant if I was saying something sarcastic.
He puffed up his cheeks. “Your unit needs you.”
I groaned. “This isn’t Sparta. We can suffer defeat on our own.”
