Page 44 of Beneath the Stands (Sugarlake 2)

“Good. That’s good. You talked to Alina May lately?”

My forehead wrinkles. “All the time, why?”

“Haven’t seen her at Sunday service in a while. It’s not a good look, you know. That whole family already has so much gossip goin’ around the town, they need all the Jesus they can get.”

A knock on my bedroom door steals my attention and Sabrina pokes her head in, tapping her finger to her wrist, reminding me it’s almost time for the game.

“Momma, I gotta go. I’ll see y’all when you get here.”

I hang up the phone, nerves jumbling up my belly as I hop off my desk chair and follow Sabrina into our living room. It’s the SEC Conference tournament this weekend in Nashville, and tonight is the final game. I’m supposed to be there, but I had a bit of a cold earlier this week so Coach made me stay home, afraid I’d get the players sick. But I’ve been glued to my TV every day. We’re the number one seed, and we won our game on Thursday. Won again on Friday. Now it’s Saturday, and this is the big one. The title.

/> I’m invested. Not only because I feel like part of the team, but because this is important to Eli. He deserves this. They all do.

I told him not to worry about us talking after the games, but it doesn’t stop me from waiting by my phone like a lovesick girl. And every night, like clockwork, he calls. I almost wish he wouldn’t. It’s a dangerous thing, having faith in someone.

Sabrina plops on the couch, passing me a Coke, and putting a bowl of popcorn between us.

“I can’t believe you talked me into watching this,” she says.

“Well, we’ve gotta support Jeremy. Plus, I’m kinda into it after so many months of bein’ with the team.”

The camera pans across the arena and lands on Eli. My fingers dig into my knees, wishing I could reach through the screen and touch him. I grab the remote, turning up the volume when the announcers say his name.

“You know, Jeff, I never thought I’d be the one to say it, but I’m impressed with Elliot Carson. I’ll be the first to admit I was firmly in the ‘he’s too young’ camp. But the FCU Stingrays record speaks for itself. It’s like a different team out there, and between Coach Andrews and Carson, they’ve really done something special with these players.”

“Talent, Carl. That’s what it is. Some people are just born for the game and Carson is one of them.”

My heart swells as they heap on the praise.

“Weren’t you calling the game that ended his career?”

“I couldn’t forget it if I tried. I’ve never seen an arena go so quiet. The nation heard twenty-thousand hearts break that night when he didn’t get back up. New York’s hopes and dreams were centered around that young man, and to see it all ripped away so fast… Devastating.”

Their words travel across the room and slam against my lungs, making me lose my breath. I knew he was hurt—knew it ended his career, but I didn’t know it was like that. I think back, trying to remember Lee or her old man leaving town, but I come up empty. In fact, other than Lee mentioning what happened in passing, it wasn’t ever talked about again. Anytime folks in town brought it up, she’d shut it down, annoyed. My heart quickens, sickness climbing up my throat when I think of what it must have been like for him. I wonder if anyone was by his side, or if it’s yet another thing he’s had to go through all alone.

My head throbs, the sudden change of perspective making me dizzy.

FCU Stingrays win the game, and I should be thrilled, but I’m distracted. Instead of staying in the living room and celebrating with Sabrina—not that she gives a damn—I rush to my room and pull up Google.

Elliot Carson career-ending injury

My eyes widen as I scroll through hundreds of articles and images. I click on videos and watch it replay a thousand different ways. How have I never seen this? Seems like the entire college and NBA fandom mourned the loss, but I can’t remember a single tear shed from his family.

For the first time, some of my anger shifts onto Lee. Didn’t she give a damn?

Eli calls a few hours later while I’m lying in bed, pretending like I wasn’t waiting to hear his voice. To him, the injury happened years ago, but for me, it’s fresh. And so is this feeling of unease whenever I think about all the ways Lee didn’t bring him up over the years. I bite back the tears, inhaling deep before I pick up.

“Hiya.”

“Baby girl. Did you watch the game?”

I smile. “Why, did y’all win?”

“Like there was any doubt,” he scoffs.

I laugh. “You sure do live up to your nickname, big head. Not surprisin’ I suppose, with the way those announcers wouldn’t shut up about you.”

He sighs. “I wish they’d focus on the team, not me.”

---