“You were supposed to work with Ori, help him on the new team, now he’s on the bench while you fuck around out here you sonofa—”
Kieran slapped a hand over Atticus’ mouth, cutting off his shout. He half expected to get bit, but Atticus shrugged him off.
“I’m good.” He walked back to his place on the court, rolling his shoulders.
“Don’t let him get to you,” Kieran muttered, but his setter’s words had been heard by the whole team. It wasn’t the first time that evening that discontent over their former teammate’s place on the bench had affected their morale. Kieran had hoped to see the smiling redhead on the court. They all missed Ori, even if his absence hadn’t made much of a difference in whether or not they won. Kieran had been clinging to the hope that a new team, a new setting, were what the guy needed, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
And judging by the frown that Kieran could see from half a court away, Ori himself didn’t seem particularly happy to be a point of contention between the players. He was frowning, elbows braced on his knees, hands clasped tight together under his chin, eyes narrowed as they flicked back and forth across the net.
Now wasn’t the time to get distracted by team politics. Drama. They needed to leave all of that on the sidelines.
“Focus up!” Kieran shouted, clapping his hands together three times. His guys fell into line, slipping into ready stances. “We’re not letting them through this time!”
Kai was gripping Sammie’s arm like his life depended on it, his nails digging crescents into her skin. It was fine, because she had a hand on his knee doing exactly the same.
The score was tied at seventeen. The set was going long, and neither team was giving an inch. The Cats needed to win by twopoints, but every time they scored, Los Angeles was right there to tie it up again.
Atticus faked a set, playing like he would send the ball to Kieran, only to dump it at the last second. Kai flew up out of his seat, Sammie right behind him. Their shouts were drowned out by the hollering that went up around them as the Cats took the lead once more.
“Fuck.” Kai looked pale. “Shit. If they don’t score here I’m going to pass out.”
Sammie knew how he felt. The back and forth, the carrot of a win dangled before them over and over, it was exhausting. One more point. They only neededone more point.
“Breathe!” Coach Rodriguez was screaming from the sidelines. “Stay calm and breathe!”
Easier said than done. Sammie wasn’t even playing and every breath felt like knives in her lungs. She was sweating just fromwatchingthe game.
The next few seconds went by too fast and the play whistle came too soon, before anyone had enough time to gather themselves. Atticus was up to serve. He searched behind the Cats’ bench, finding Sammie, then Kai, the same as he always did.
Then the ball was up, and her brother was soaring forward. Sammie held her own breath as his serve rocketed over the net, wincing when Los Angeles had no trouble receiving it.
Neither she nor Kai took the time to return to their seats, too afraid to look away, to blink, to miss something important.
Both teams were fighting tooth and nail, volleying the ball back and forth, scrambling to stay under it. Five sets, yet no one on that court showed a hint of exhaustion.
Because this was it. This was the game they’d been playing toward all season. Both teams had fought, both teams had won, and now they were vying for the same thing. A final point thatwould make every bad moment, all of the exhaustion and pain, all of the long practices and the hard workouts, every moment of the season worth it.
The noise of the crowd surrounding her crescendoed as a spike from a Comets player almost cost the Cats their hard won lead. But Eric was there once more, throwing himself at the floor with zero hesitation, putting the ball high into the air. It wasn’t the first time he had saved the game for his team, and Sammie figured he had a good shot at being named MVP.
The ball was up, flying high, arcing slowly back down. It gave the Cats a chance to take the breath they so desperately needed, but it also gave the Comets time to ready themselves for the block.
Sammie saw it all play out like a premonition. Atticus would set the ball, but blockers were on Bowen and Kieran both. Locked in, a wall at the ready, and Sammie couldn’t see a way for the guys to get around it.
Nevertheless, both spikers were running at the net, Bowen two steps ahead. Kai was clinging to Sammie as though his life depended on it, shaking like a leaf in the wind. Or maybe it was Sammie that was shaking. Watching a ball get bounced back and forth over a net wasn’t exactly life or death, but it sure as fuck felt like it.
Atticus planted his feet. He was ready as the ball fell toward him, arms up, fingers splayed just so. Then it was flying from his hands, arcing alongside the net. Bowen jumped, faking a spike that his blockers fell for.
Sammie couldn’t hear herself as she cried out, as the ball curved down toward Kieran’s waiting palm. Another blocker alongside Tate, the setter, were both there, both ready. Kieran’s body was in the air, flying toward the net, his feet leaving the floor amomentafter theirs. As the blockers reached the crest of their jump, Kieran was still a heartbeat away from the ball.
As they fell back toward the floor, Kieran shifted his aim, making contact with the volleyball. It cut between the two players and the net.
Sammie screamed as it smacked down in the opening between both sets of blockers.
Kai was saying something, his face a mask of shock. Sammie couldn’t make out his words, but it didn’t matter. She pulled him into a hug, crushing his smaller frame to her.
They’d done it.
The Chicago Cats had won the championship.
