Just long enough.
I looked away first. “Yes, Coach.”
“Run it again.”
I ran it again.
Perfectly.
The rest of practice was a blur of legs burning, lungs working, Declan’s voice landing and my body answering. By the time we came off, my skin felt electrified and raw, like I had been scraped open without anyone touching me.
Roman didn’t say a word in the room. That was worse than him pushing.
Tessa caught my eye in the hallway and lifted her brows a fraction.
I kept walking.
Milo nearly followed me, then appeared to think better of it when Declan said, “Holloway. Video room.”
Of course.
The empty video room was too small for the amount of air inside it.
Declan shut the door behind us. Not slammed. Just closed.
My brain served the memory up immediately.
The closed door.
My body reacted before I could stop it.
I moved to the far side of the table, dumping my gloves down like distance was casual. “If this is about the drill, I got it.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
He came around the table, not rushing, not crowding. “Tell me what you got.”
I laughed once, sharp and humorless. “You want me responsible.”
“I want you to understand why.”
“I understand.”
“No, you’re repeating words because you’re angry.”
That hit clean.
I looked at the black screen mounted on the wall instead of at him. “Why me?”
Silence.
The kind that made me regret asking and need the answer at the same time.
Declan said, “Be specific.”
My laugh came out rough. “Of course. God forbid I’m not specific.” I turned back to him. “Why are you pushing me harder than everyone else?”
