Page 194 of Scoring the Player
I’mthe first on my team to return to the court to warm up, but I’m not alone.He’sthere, getting fed practice shots by none other than his ex-crush or whatever.
I turn and signal for a ball. I dribble and shoot a mid-range three. It misses.
I try again from a different angle. That one circles the rim and rolls out.
I shake my head.
I’m dribbling the ball between my legs when a loud murmur filters from the crowd, catching my attention. I turn to find Blue glaring into the stands, his ball anchored under his arm.
I try to track his gaze, but I can’t tell what he’s looking at.
He shakes off whatever it is and returns to practicing shots.
I’m running in a layup when the crowd’s rumble thunders through the arena.
I spin around as Blue charges for the stands.
The hell?
I take off as Aiden’s knocked flat on his ass when he tries to hold Blue back.
Blue barrels through the first row, then the second, before I lose track of him as security swarms in his direction.
I rip past them, hopping over the empty floor seats, when I spot him six rows up, not losing steam.
Where’s he going?
My gaze angles above him, scanning the stands, and that’s when I see…Darius and Todd.
Todd, with his phone out, pointed at Blue, and Darius, mouth moving, no doubt saying some foul shit.
“Jones,” I hear someone yell as I rip through the stands, following the lane that Blue cleared.
I’m gaining on him fast when a hand comes down hard on my shoulder. I whip around and glare at the security guard. “Get offme!” I growl. My elbow crashes down on his arm, breaking his hold.
Two more close in, but I turn and tear through the lane until I’m an arm’s length away and can hear that piece of shit Darius.
“…coming to his boyfriend’s rescue.”
I lunge forward but am lodged in place as my jersey is tugged hard from behind. My vision whites out as I push forward, but I’m locked in place. I claw at my jersey as Blue scales the final barrier and squares up, two against one. My hands tear through the fabric, and I break free, closing the distance. Blue cocks his fist and hammers it toward Darius, whose knees buckle in anticipation, crashing between the seats.
“I’m here,” I say from behind him as he releases a dark laugh, standing over Darius, who’s folded in a fetal position. “You good?” I ask.
“Yeah,” he replies, a cold chill in his tone. “Never been better.”
I glare at Todd, who lowers his phone and backs away.
Blue kneels down, swiping away one of the phones pointed at him. “Look at me.” His voice drops just enough for Darius to hear.
“This is your final warning. Remember this moment. You speak my name or his again, and nowhere, not even a game surrounded by ten thousand people, will be safe for you. Get a life, you homophobic dipshit.”
There’s commotion at my back, most likely security closing in.
Blue rises to his feet, a wall of phones pointed at him. He turns to Todd. “That goes for you too.”
“I t-told him to lay off,” Todd stutters.
I signal for Blue to go first, but he nods for me to move.
