As Maggie walked away Nicole could feel the pounding of her heart and the sick feeling in her stomach.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Ariana had her earbuds in, listening to Troye Sivan’s song “Bloom,” with her eyes closed. Nicole had sent it to her last night to get her ready for today’s game. “Promise me you’ll hold my hand if I get scared now,” she sang softly. Her body was moving slowly to the beat. “Yeah, I bloom, I bloom just for you. Come on, baby, play me like a love song…” She smiled and thought of Nicole as the song continued. Their love had bloomed all around them despite their best efforts to fight it.
Ariana had a good feeling about the game today. She felt like something was a little off with Nicole when she’d talked to her last night, but she’d smiled at her when no one was watching during shootaround.
No matter what happened in the game Ariana knew they were going back to New York tonight and she would be at Nicole’s with her. They could talk then. In the meantime she was ready to play her best because Nicole was there and they were in this together.
Ariana opened her eyes to see Cameron’s hand waving in front of her face.
“It’s time,” she said. “Let’s go win this game.”
Ariana nodded, put her phone away, and they left the dressing room. Out on the court, Ariana looked around and smiled. She was ready.
During warmups an errant ball rolled towards the media table and Ariana went after it. She looked up into Nicole’s eyes and smiled. “Watch me bloom,” she said, just loud enough for Nicole to hear.
Nicole smiled and nodded.
The game started and New York came out ready to play. Dallas kept it close the first half and then New York went on a run in the third quarter. It was a good game with a loud crowd as Dallas inched its way back.
Ariana wasn’t about to let them steal this game and she encouraged her team in the huddle during each timeout as the clock wound down. Dallas pulled within four points with less than two minutes to go.
Nicole had given Ariana a couple of things to keep in mind that New York hadn’t done well in the previous game they lost. Ariana saw an opening and instead of passing the ball like she had so many times before she stepped back and took a deep three-point shot. Ariana knew it was going in as it left her fingers.
This quieted the crowd and invigorated Ariana. She watched Dallas’ point guard come up the court and waited until just the right moment to pounce. Her hand punched the ball away and she sped up the court for an easy layup, extending their lead to nine points with thirty seconds left.
New York’s defense stayed tough and they won the game as well as the series with three wins to Dallas’ one. They were going to the finals!
Ariana had felt like she’d been on a mission from the beginning of the season to bring the championship back to New York. They were now one step closer. The other semifinal serieswasn’t complete yet so they’d be returning to New York with a chance to recover and prepare for the championship series. She couldn’t wait to get home and celebrate with Nicole.
Ariana gave a quick glance to the media table and she waited until Nicole looked her way. She smiled and saw Nicole’s face light up when their eyes met. Yeah, it was going to be a good night.
Several hours later Ariana walked into Nicole’s apartment and found her waiting in the kitchen.
“I have a Diet Coke ready for you,” Nicole said, hurrying to put her arms around Ariana. “Congrats, honey.”
Ariana felt Nicole’s lips on hers and couldn’t contain her excitement. “We’re in the finals!”
“Yeah, you are.”
Ariana put her bag down while Nicole brought their drinks into the living room.
“I remembered a couple of things you said towards the end of the game,” Ariana said after taking a healthy drink of her soda. “So I took the shot!”
Nicole laughed. “That’s exactly what I said into the mic.”
Ariana laughed with her. This was the best, going over the game after a big win and trading favorite moments. They settled back on the couch and sipped their drinks.
“Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?” Ariana asked.
“What?” Nicole’s eyes widened.
Ariana shrugged. “I could tell something wasn’t quite right last night. Did something happen? Are you okay?”
Nicole furrowed her brow. “How’d you know? I thought I hid it well.”
Ariana reached over and cupped Nicole’s cheek. “I know you, Nic. I love you and can tell when something is bothering you.”
