Finally, he looked at Kyle. “Reynolds, you’re dismissed.”
Kyle blinked, surprised but too polite to argue. “Yes, Coach.” He left quietly, not a trace of guilt on his face.
I stared after him until the door shut.
Lawson leaned back, eyes narrowing. “You wanna tell me what that was?”
“Nothing,” I said.
“Bullshit.”
I didn’t answer.
He folded his arms. “You’ve been off all week. Whatever’s going on with you — fix it. Because if you bring this into the next match, I’m benching you.”
I nodded automatically, but the words barely landed. My head was still spinning, pulse still pounding with something that wasn’t anger anymore — not exactly.
Lawson muttered something about babysitting grown men, but I was already moving.
When I stepped out of the office, the hallway lights hit too bright. Every sound — the squeak of shoes, the thud of a ball hitting the wall — felt too sharp.
Kyle was gone, probably already back on the field, flashing that easy grin for whoever was watching.
He didn’t even get it. He didn’t see her — the way Ellery kept everything together while he was off chasing the next big thing. He didn’t see her running herself into the ground to make something real. And worst of all, he didn’t care that he didn’t.
Lawson called my name again, but I didn’t stop.
I just kept walking.
For a while, no one said anything.
Then Adam exhaled slowly. “Well,” he muttered, “that went great.”
Derek whistled low. “You’ve got a death wish, man.”
I grabbed my bag off the bench, ignoring them.
Adam tried again, softer this time. “You know that wasn’t smart, right?”
“Never claimed to be smart,” I said, slinging the strap over my shoulder.
He gave a half-smile. “No, but you’ve got timing — I’ll give you that.”
I didn’t answer. Couldn’t.
Because the truth was, I didn’t regret a single word.
I should’ve. It was reckless. It was stupid. I’d just put a target on my back — against the team captain, no less.
But all I could see was Ellery standing in that gym last week, shoulders tight, eyes tired but still determined. I could hear her voice when she said she was tired of being the thing that waits.
Someone needed to say it.
Someone needed to remind him she wasn’t just a fixture in his highlight reel.
And if it had to be me — if that made me the villain in this locker room — then so be it.
Because for the first time in a long time, I didn’t care what anyone thought.
