“I wasn’t planning on cartwheels.”
Mel pressed a hand to my shoulder. “Can you put weight on it?”
“I—” I tried to get up. The moment I shifted, the joint buckled. Stars burst behind my eyes. “Okay,” I breathed. “Maybe not.”
The crowd had gone quieter now. Concern replacing cheers.
“I’ve got you,” Mel said, helping me up.
Between her and Robin, they helped me to the edge of the track.
Every step felt unstable. Wrong. I hated that feeling more than the pain.
On the bench, I gripped the edge of the seat and forced my breathing steady. It’s fine. It’s fine. It’s?—
Mel crouched in front of me. “Talk to me.”
“Twisted,” I said. “I think.”
“You hear anything?”
“Yes,” I admitted. “A pop.”
She swore softly. The game continued without me. We still won. I heard the final whistle through a haze of ice packs and adrenaline.
Cataclysm 146. Grim Reapers 168. Victory.
I clapped from the bench, smiling through it, because we won. That is what mattered. I refused to let this steal the night. But when I tried to stand after the celebration, my knee gave out completely. And this time I couldn’t pretend.
There was chaos after a win.
Sweaty hugs. Glitter everywhere. Someone was blasting music while others sang along off-key and aggressively.
“Reapers!” Sonia screamed, launching herself at me carefully. “We destroyed them!”
“God, I love this sport!” I grinned from the bench, an ice pack balanced against my knee.
“You okay?” Robin asked as she took off her helmet and slicked back her hair.
“Absolutely,” I said. “It’s just a little twist.”
Mel gave me a look.
“I just need some ice and rest, and I’ll be good as new,” I amended.
They wanted to celebrate. I didn’t want to be the mood shift, but Mel’s questioning gaze never left me.
“I just twisted it,” I insisted. “I’ve done worse walking down stairs.”
“You heard a pop,” Mel said flatly.
“Pops are subjective.”
She stared at me. “Belle.”
“I’m fine,” I said it until I almost believed it.
Eventually, the crowd thinned. The music cut. The adrenaline that had been holding everything together began to ebb.
