Page 92 of False Catch

"On the water, technique still matters. We row properly or not at all."

"Agreed," I say immediately. "But you follow my calls. No second-guessing, no corrections. You trust me."

His jaw works. "Fine."

"And off the water?"

"We figure it out as we go," he says reluctantly. "But no more surprise claims. No more unilateral decisions that affect the whole team."

Jackson nods. "Fair."

"And the administration?"

"We give them nothing to report," Tyler suggests. "We row well enough that performance isn't an issue. Everything else is just... team dynamics."

"Torres isn't stupid," Gray points out.

"No, but she's also not unsympathetic," Eli says. "She’s been around long enough to see what can go right as much as what can go wrong. She knows it's possible."

Gray looks around the room one more time. "You're all on board with this insanity?"

"Have been since day one," Zane says cheerfully.

"Just waiting for you to catch up," Beckett adds.

"Some of us more patiently than others," Cameron murmurs.

Gray turns to me. "This is what you want? All of this... chaos?"

"I want us to stop pretending we're something we're not," I tell him honestly. "The chaos is already here. At least now we're acknowledging it."

He stares at me for a long moment, and I see it all in his eyes. The war between control and surrender, between what he thinks he should want and what he actually needs.

"Practice at four," he says finally. "We'll... see what happens."

It's not an agreement. Not quite. But it's movement in the right direction.

"Gray," I call as he turns to leave. He pauses. "We need you. Not just your skills or your leadership. You. The real you, not the perfect captain persona."

Something flickers across his face—vulnerability, maybe, or recognition.

"Four o'clock," he repeats, and disappears down the hall.

After he leaves, the room relaxes slightly.

"That went better than expected," Tyler observes.

"He didn't throw anything," Zane agrees. "That's progress."

"He's scared," Eli says quietly. "He's been carrying this team on pure will for two years. Letting go feels like failure to him."

"It's not," I say firmly. "It's evolution."

"Pretty sure Darwin never covered this scenario," Beckett jokes weakly.

"No, but we're going to." I check the time. "Two hours until practice. Eat something real, hydrate, and whatever you do, don't overthink this. We need to get out of our heads."

"Easier said than done," Tyler points out.