AllFreeNovel
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I’m in Paris with my sister, but my heart is with Clay.
Even if I can’t help him on the court, surely there’s something I can do off it.
I pull out the painting stuff I brought with me and the fabric banner I bought for Emily’s stroller earlier.
Mari sticks her head in. “Tomorrow I have a meeting, but I was thinking that after we could go to…” She takes in my work. “What’s that?”
“Fan art for the team.” I prop myself up on my elbows. “This game could mean their season, and no matter how much Clay says he can handle it, I’m worried for him. Aren’t you stressed for Harlan?”
She nods slowly. “A little. But I try not to think about it because Harlan would worry about me if I was there.”
It’s a reminder my sister and I are different people.
“I want to be there.”
Mari drops down next to me, mirroring my posture. “But aren’t you having fun here? The last time you went chasing after Clay, it didn’t go well.”
“This time is different,” I swear, hoping I’m right.
“Emily and I need you, Nova. We can’t eat entire baguettes or take cute selfies ourselves.”
“You don’t. And maybe Clay doesn’t need me either, but I want to be there for him. The past couple of weeks have been amazing, but I want to be in Denver cheering the guys on. If you’re worried about childcare, I can get you an amazing babysitter, and—”
“You don’t need to do that,” my sister interrupts, studying me. “Go be with Clay. Emily and I will eat all the baguettes ourselves.”
28
CLAY
“These fucking shoes.” Atlas snaps another pair of laces. “Defective pieces of shit.”
He hurls a shoe across the room, Rookie ducking in time to miss getting hit in the head.
Our big guy rarely loses his cool, but he’s not the only one spinning out in his own way.
Jay’s got headphones over his ears, running through what’s about to happen in his mind.
Even Miles is silent, facing the lockers as he pulls on his game jersey.
There’s no Kyle. He’s been avoiding here since his injury.
The mood in the locker room is heavy.
This is the moment we could lose everything.
I could lose everything.
Atlas snaps another pair of laces and winds up.
I lift a hand. “You hit my head, I will take yours off.”
Rookie snorts, and Atlas grunts at him.
I take a breath and think of therapy and things Nova and I talked about. What she said to me ahead of this game meant more than I could express.
I opened the journal she gave me and wrote in it for hours.
The things I want.
