Page 27 of Hard to Break

“You tell me.” He shakes his head. “You’re the one playing ball on an NBA team’s payroll and I’m the one helping you rehab.”

“Fair enough. But I wasn’t injured,” I remind him.

“Your body was. Just because you didn’t tear a muscle or strain a joint doesn’t mean otherwise.”

His rebuke has me groaning internally.

When I’m done, I head to the weight room. We don’t officially have practice for another few days, but Rookie’s there, plus Clay and Jay.

“There he is,” Atlas crows.

“Never had a chance to properly congratulate you,” Rookie adds.

“If you wanted to hang out at some billionaire’s penthouse, there was an easier way.”

We exchange fist bumps, and I take up a spot by the leg press, ready to work in when Atlas finishes.

“Are you going to tell us what happened?” Atlas asks.

“Someone hit my drink with ketamine.”

Whistles and groans go up.

“That happened to a friend of mine in college,” Rookie says. “It was a prank.”

As a guy who pulls more than my share of those, I can see it happening. It’s probably what happened to me.

“Made for a pretty good night, actually,” Rookie goes on.

“I’m telling you guys. I didn’t sign up for that.”

That’s what I didn’t want—for my teammates to think I did it on purpose.

“You know me, right?” I look around the room to grudging nods.

Relieved, I shift into the rig and lower the plates.

Fuck, this is hard.Am I weaker?

“So, getting your drink spiked is what you blame this on?” Atlas holds up his phone with a video of me dancing in the club.

I’m sweating but find a grin as his joke slices through what’s left of the tension. “Those are some serious dance moves.”

“Seriously weak.”

I finish the rep, plus two more.

“So is Hawkins nicer in person?” Rookie asks as I step out so Atlas can swap in.

“Nah, he’s even more of a prick,” I say.

“Did you see what he said on social?” Damon pulls up a clip from what looks like a podcast interview with Hawkins.

“Garrett was definitely partying hard. But cut him slack—it’s his first time, and he doesn’t know any better.”

I’m starting to see why Jay has it in for this guy.

“We need to bury him and Boston,” Jay decides.

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