Page 80 of Shot Taker

We lost both games.

On the plane, the pitch-black sky invites the worst kind of thoughts.

Miles watches a video on his phone, sneaking looks at me.

“What?” I grunt, grabbing the phone from his hand.

It’s a clip of me picking a fight with Coach after the third quarter, when he got in my face about my performance. Not because my stat line was in a nosedive, though it was, but because I wasn’t helping my team run the schemes to keep us in it.

Microphones on the video pick up his comments.

“I don’t care if you can’t get a bucket. Get downhill, pass it out, and get these guys running.”

And mine.

“I’m paid too much to pass all night.”

“You’re paid too muchnotto.”

Instead of falling into line, I got toe to toe with Coach and ripped him a new one.

I was frustrated over Nova and lost my head, letting it all out on someone I shouldn’t have.

He benched me in the fourth.

Didn’t stop me from getting in his face after the microphones were gone.

“Easy for you to tell us what we should be doing, to act like you’ve got all the answers,” I ground out. “Said yourself you’re no better than a pawn between James and Harlan. Either one of them could snap their fingers and fire you. Yeah, you’re real brave.”

I expected him to fine me on the spot.

Instead, he got quiet and walked out. After the game, in the visitors' locker room, I informed Chloe I wasn’t going to do media.

“You weren’t invited,” she replied briskly.

Nova and I haven’t spoken in days, and it’s been fucking terrible.

Half a dozen texts to check in on her, none answered.

I don’t hate that she found out, but it’s how she found out. I was planning to tell her about my deal with Harlan.

But only after I worked out a way to tell Harlan—and everyone—about us.

My head falls back against the leather seat. Emotions claw at my chest, raking talons that reach beneath my ribs to the places I can’t protect with ego or reputation or silence.

She’s hurting, and I can’t fix it.

Not if she won’t answer my texts.

Not when I’m on a plane a thousand miles away.

I need her to understand I wasn’t trying to manipulate her.

A year ago, all I wanted was for my knee to hold up.

It’s been solid for weeks.

So, why does it feel like my life is crumbling?

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