“I love her,” I say, and my voice goes tight. “God, I love her. I’ve always loved her. Now it feels like things are finally aligned, and we have a real shot. But I don’t know what to do.”
Zack stands up, tossing the ball between his hands. “You do know what to do. Don’t play dumb.” He gives me a long side glance.
I look up at him.
Rolling his eyes, he exhales a dramatic breath next to me on the bench, his shoulder bumping into mine. “Don’t protect her by keeping her out,” he shares. “That’s not love. That’s fear. You bring her in.”
He’s right. I know he’s right.
Zack claps me on the back and says, “You’ll figure it out. Blair is smarter than the average bear… like, she could have told you that you were an idiot, but instead she told you she needed space.”
I nod, because he’s right. Again.
“By the way, any news on her gym reopening?”
Leaning back, I squirt some water in my mouth—feeling that the break is almost over—and then say, “Her brother told me Thursday. Two days.”
“Anything on that slime ball, Oscar? Benny is pissed.”
I shake my head. “Nothing that everyone doesn’t already know. Cops have kept it pretty quiet when it comes to details.”
“To think, he thought he was speaking for us when he was in Dylan’s office. Fucking dick. He’d hate to know how much support she actually has behind her. How cool we think she is for doing what she’s doing. We’d fucking show up for her, that’s for damn sure,” he grumbles.
And, just like that, I have an idea.
We’d fucking show up for her. Of course we would.
Zack is walking back toward the field as I run up behind him, grabbing his shoulders. “I don’t want your head to get much bigger than it already is, considering we’re running out of extra-large helmets, but you sort of gave me an idea. And, hate to say it, but I definitely need your help.”
“Only if you say please. And that I’m the best dressed player on the team.” He raises his brows, never able to take much of anything seriously.
This fucking guy. “Please help me and yes, you’re the best dressed player on the team.”
He reaches an arm around my shoulder, shaking me, and asks, “What do you need?”
I start telling him my idea and his eyes light up. He’s scheming and planning by the time we line up for more drills.
Not trying to get yelled at by Coach again, I do my best to pay attention.
But really, I’m reminding myself about how important it is to put yourself out there to get what you want.
Thirty-Eight
Blair
I’maboutamileaway and my knuckles are white as I grip the steering wheel. Today is the day I'm headed back to the studio. After the vandalism and my blow up with Tyson, I basically hid. My body needed a few days to get back to myself and feel like everything wasn’t totally in despair—just a little.
I talked to the contractor and apparently the fixes went well. A new window, door, coat of paint, and fresh new security system, all of which was no big deal and completely covered by insurance. This time, I made sure to get cameras with the new system, kind of kicking myself for saying no to them before.
My heart tugs at the relief I thought I’d feel, knowing it wouldn’t cost me anything financially, but then I remember what it took from me emotionally—it’s a much higher price tag. Isn’t that how it always goes?
I park in the back, on purpose, needing a moment alone. Running my thumb along the steering wheel, I go back to last week, including the game I missed. The points I didn’t kick. The moment I didn’t get to be part of. The anxiety that kept me on the edge of a breakdown.
At first, I was convinced I’d ruined it—let my team down, embarrassed myself by sitting out. But the coaches were incredible. My teammates checked in nonstop. Zack even left me a voicemail that made me laugh through tears, to accompany a massive basket full of every snack you could ever dream of.
Still, I hated how small I felt. How fragile everything was—the actual windows of the building a perfect metaphor for my resolve. How easily someone like Oscar could shake my foundation.
But even now, with the building back to its true form, there’s still one crack I can’t patch over.
