Page 64 of Hard to Break

Miles's chest rises and falls rapidly, beads of sweat forming on his brow as he looks into my eyes, every muscle tense and poised. Our bodies writhe and tremble as the pleasure consumes us, leaving us gasping and spent in its wake.

As our breaths slowly return to normal, I cling to Miles, savoring the feeling of his warmth, his strength.

“Two seventy-one,” I murmur.

“Hmm?”

“That’s how many nights you’ll have left after traveling.”

He pulls me closer, a small smile playing on his lips. “I want to spend them all with you.”

17

MILES

HOOPSNEWS UPDATE: 7TH RANKED KODIAKS FACE 8TH-RANKED OKC WITH GARRETT BACK IN THE LINEUP

The locker room buzzes with energy as I go through my pregame routine.

It's my first time back on the court with the Kodiaks since the suspension. The weight of the upcoming game is heavy on my shoulders but fuck, does it feel good to be back.

Jay meticulously tapes his ankles. He looks up as I approach. “Ready for this?”

I nod and smile. “Hell yeah.”

Since the suspension, Chloe’s doing her best to field media inquiries, but mostly it’s people trying to stir up shit. Within a few more days, new storylines will emerge, and they’ll move on.

Like I want to move on.

Even Hawkins doesn’t have any fresh hot takes in the media this morning.

Rookie bounds over, his enthusiasm undiminished by the somber atmosphere. “It's good to have you back. We've missed you out there.”

I clap him on the shoulder, grateful for his unwavering support.

Across the room, Clay grunts. “We can't afford any more distractions.”

I bristle at his words, but before I can respond, Coach calls us in for a final huddle.

“Listen up, everyone. This game is critical. We're fighting for our playoff spot, and every possession counts.”

As we take the court for warmups, I scan the stands. Brooke couldn’t come tonight because of a commitment for Nova. She said she’d reschedule, but I told her not to worry about it.

Now, I wish to hell she was here.

The game against OKC is a grind from the opening tip-off. My shots are off, my passes erratic. I feel my teammates' frustration mounting with every missed opportunity, every defensive lapse. Jay barks orders, his tone sharp and unforgiving. Clay shakes his head in disgust as I botch a simple play. The scoreboard ticks away, the gap widening with each passing minute.

During a timeout, Coach pulls me aside. “What's going on out there? I need you to step up, to be the leader you have been—the one I know you can be.”

I clench my jaw. “Yeah. You got it.”

But the words feel hollow, the weight of my doubts echoing in my chest.

The final buzzer sounds, a devastating fifteen-point loss. The locker room is silent, the air heavy with disappointment and unspoken accusations.

I sit at my locker, my head in my hands, the walls closing in around me.

Jay approaches, his frustration palpable. “What happened out there? We needed you, and you disappeared on us.”

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