Page 70 of Making It Count

“Okay. I want you to work with the trainers. Let’s get you to where you need to be. We need you at full fitness, Layne. I didn’t just bring you back on scholarship to have you ride the bench. You know that, right?”

“Yes, Coach,” she replied.

“Better nutrition, more sessions on weights, cardio, whatever you need.”

“Yes, Coach,” Layne repeated.

A few players walked out of the locker room, so Layne waited for Shay, and they left the building together, keeping a little space between them and the others.

“What did she want?” Shay asked when they were on the sidewalk about halfway back to the dorm.

“Just to check on me.”

“Hey, can we sit?” Shay asked and nodded to a bench off to the side.

“Shay, we’re supposed to go back to our rooms.”

“Just a few minutes, Layne. We never get to talk without a phone or people around us.”

“It’s late. We–”

“Babe, please,” Shay said.

Layne nodded and sat down on one end of the bench. She dropped her duffel to the ground, and Shay sat at the other end and did the same.

“We’re still masked and have at least three feet between us,” Shay offered.

“I know,” Layne replied.

“Why didn’t you take that first shot? Or any, really?”

“I didn’t have it. I told you.”

“You did, babe. That double-team on Hilton gave you a ton of space. You could’ve made two shots by the time that guard managed to get around Hilton and out to you.”

“I choked, I guess.”

“Why?”

“First time back on the court.” She shrugged.

“And?”

“And nothing. It was just my first time back out there.”

“Babe, come on…”

“I didn’t want to mess this up,” Layne admitted. “For you.”

“For me?”

“We won.”

“I know.”

“It was just a close game, so I worried that if I missed the shot, they’d get the rebound and the break, and maybe we’d lose.”

“But that’s the game, babe.”

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