Page 123 of Game Point
I coughed, clearing my throat, feeling uncomfortable. Shifting on my feet, my gaze on the floor, I asked, ‘Should we do more?’
I managed to make eye contact with her again. Could Radley tell? Could she see the thing between Dylan and I? I tried to explain further, ‘Like, is there anything else we can add that will help her, and keep her from the pain?’
‘I’m not in pain,’ Dylan interrupted. ‘It’s sore, but I can manage it.’ I didn’t know how to tell her I hated the idea of her being in any level of pain. That I knew the aches that came with operating at this level, knew that limping off the court was not a normal sign and that above anything else, I was worried about what we were doing to her body not only for this competition, but for the next, and the one after that. One injury could snowball into another, into months of recovery, into retirement.
And I wondered why I felt anxious watching her play.
‘I think adding more work is unnecessary,’ Radley said, ‘But I’m going to start taping it up more securely for additional support before the match. How about your body? Are you suffering from any other aches?’
‘I mean, my entire body,’ Dylan joked. My heart stopped in my chest, a sudden wave of panic crashing into me. ‘My left calf is feeling quite tight though. I think from compensating,’ she added. ‘But it’s nothing I can’t handle.’
A bubble of irritation burst as I snapped. ‘We can’t just handle it. We need to keep you playing in top form. What if it gets worse?’
The annoyance across her face was clear. Dylan gritted her teeth, ‘I’m aware of that.’ She motioned between herself and Radley. ‘This is us taking care of it.’
‘But what if you can’t move properly on the court because of it?’ All I could see was her limping off court. That fall. Her sprain. ‘This could ruin everything for you.’
I could feel myself spiralling, maybe for the first time in front of Dylan. Her frustrated glances and tightly pressed shoulders told me how irritating I was being. But for some reason I continued to worry more.
‘Oliver, calm down.’ Dylan’s voice was a command, no space for question. Her expression was stony, an unrelenting cool rage across her features. ‘I’m not pulling out. I’ve been doing the exercises and I’m ready. You panicking right now is not helpful.’
The room fell into a deadly quiet as Dylan continued to stare me down. I found some reassurance in the control of her voice, like she knew she had a tight leash on this injury. In fact, the only thing I felt like she couldn’t control was me.
It was Radley that broke the tension in the room. ‘We’re taping the ankle for extra support, and I’ve given her stretches to do before and after the match.’ She looked across from Dylan to me, sending me a single confident nod. ‘She’s well prepared.’
I wanted to ask what we would do if the tape wasn’t enough. What if she injured it more seriously?
Radley finished her work, talking to Dylan for the rest of the session as they worked on some exercises together. I was in the bathroom, leaning over the sink as I tried to wash my overheated face with cool water, trying to calm my heart rate down. Dylan appeared in the doorway afterRadley had left, leaning against it as her long dark hair slid back from her shoulder.
‘Hey. Are you okay?’
My fingers pressed forward into the marble counter, my head hung as I tried to find the right answer. I could lie, pretend that everything was fine, but I knew she’d see right through me. I could never lie when it came to her. ‘I’m … I don’t know.’
‘You’re the one that convinced me I could do this.’ When she spoke again, her voice was quiet, barely a whisper. ‘And now, I’m not sure if you feel the same way.’
‘No, Dylan.’ My hands found hers, gripping lightly at her forearms, forcing her gaze to lock with mine. ‘I know you can do this.’ I knew I truly believed those words. ‘The difference in your play … you still have the same energy, the same aggression. But there’s confidence in you now. I’m proud of you.’
My gaze fell to the ground as I shook my head, disappointment in myself growing that I’d allowed her to ever think I doubted her. That was the last thing I’d wanted, and I’d still caused this.
‘Then,’ she sucked in a deep breath, ‘what happened out there?’
I let go of her arms, turning to lean against the counter, my legs shaking beneath my weight. ‘I feel like ever since the injury, I’ve lost my nerve. Like every time I’m watching you play, it replays over in my head. Seeing you hit the ground like that … I was afraid I’d let you get badly injured.’
My confession hung between us. She meant too much to me, the feeling of failing her overwhelming.
Dylan sighed heavily, not with anger or frustration, butlike she was trying to be as kind to me as she possibly could. ‘Respectfully, Oliver. It was a sprain. You’re acting like I broke my ankle.’
I couldn’t help the bitter laugh that escaped me, my eyes pressed closed. ‘I know, I’m sorry. I’ll do better.’
Dylan’s arms wrapped around my torso, her head resting against my shoulder, and I pressed a soft kiss to the top of her brunette crown. I wanted nothing more than to be exactly what she needed, the coach that could see her through to the final. Never to shake her self-confidence like I just had.
‘The last thing I want is for you to hide how you’re feeling from me,’ she said, her fingers tracing the lines of muscle along my chest. She tilted her head, looking up at me. ‘But I think … I think we need to get better at separating Coach Anderson and Boyfriend Oliver.’
I barely registered what she was saying, the word ringing around my head. ‘Boyfriend?’ I repeated.
She rolled her eyes at me. ‘Do you know a better description for this relationship?’
Happiness broke through my gloom like sunshine through clouds as I asked, ‘You’re okay with that?’ She nodded, and with a bright smile, I asked again, longing to say the words to her, ‘You want to be my girlfriend?’
