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“You might still be a player next year. You don’t want to piss Coach off now.” Shay smirked at her.
“How are you so beautiful?” Layne asked wistfully. “And I don’t know about that year of eligibility, but if I told Coach that we’ve been together for over a year and haven’t even kissed since before lockdown, I think she’d maybe give me this one.”
“God, I’d hope so.” Shay sighed.
“Do you…” Layne began. “I mean…”
Shay giggled and asked, “Are you asking me if I want to hang up this video call and text you, perhaps?”
“Should we? We play tomorrow night.”
“I think we can handle an orgasm when it’s just our own hands and still play well tomorrow night. Maybe we’ll even play better. It’s not like we’re having rounds and rounds of hot, sweaty sex and getting no sleep after because we can’t keep our hands off each other.”
Layne licked her lips and said, “Hang up.”
“Huh?”
“Hang up, Shay,” Layne repeated.
“Yeah?”
“Yes,” Layne said.
“Fuck. You’re so hot when you look like that. Your eyes just got really dark, babe.”
“Hang up, Shay,” she said again, pressed the red icon on her screen, and quickly opened her message app.
???
Layne was starting her first NCAA tournament game, and it was in the Elite Eight, against the number two seed in their bracket. She had no idea if they’d win this one. She knew they had a chance to stay with them, at least, but a twelve seed hadn’t ever made the Final Four. Prior to this, no twelve seed had made the Elite Eight, either, though, and here they were, standing on a court with a two seed, who everyone expected to easily make it to the Final Four. Dunbar stood in their way, and Layne was determined to make it the hardest win they’d ever earn if Dunbar couldn’t steal the game from them.
It didn’t go well at first. Shay was off, for some reason, missing three shots in a row, which wasn’t like her. Layne made a jump shot, and Hilton made a couple of baskets to keep them in it, but Shay wasn’t her usual self. Layne didn’t know what was wrong, but she also didn’t want to ask on the court, further fueling the other team, who were already seeing themselves in the Final Four with how Dunbar was playing. At the first TV time-out, Dunbar was down by ten, and it felt like their dream of a miraculous Final Four appearance was about to slip away.
“Shay, have a seat. Layne, take over at point,” Coach ordered when they got to the sideline.
Layne looked over at Shay, who didn’t appear to be angry or even disappointed. Her expression told Layne that she understood. Before they made their way back on the court, Layne leaned over.
“You okay?” she whispered.
“Nerves. It’s getting to me.”
Layne put a hand on her forearm and softly said, “You are Shay Amos. You are the best guard on this court right now.”
“No, I–”
“I know the stats, Shay. I’m right. You remember that when Coach puts you back in.”
Shay gave her a shy smile, nodded a small nod, and Layne went back on the court to try to hold things together until Shay found her confidence again. Shay sat until midway through the second quarter, while Layne had scored seven by that point, gotten a few rebounds, and had three assists. Layne didn’t care about any of that unless Dunbar won, though, so when Shay came back out on the court and had the expression on her face that Layne recognized well, she handed Shay the ball to run the point.
“Let’s just fucking do this,” Shay told her.
Layne laughed, gave her a confident nod in response, and then they were back. Shay brought the ball back up the court. She passed it to Layne and ran, taking the pick that Hilton set for her. Layne hit her with the ball, and Shay took a three. She made it.
“Hell, yeah!” Hilton exclaimed.
Layne smiled at Shay, and they went back on defense. The other team ran their play to get their center open, but Hilton was there, ready to smack the ball with her hand without fouling. Ledger got it off the court and tossed it out to Layne, who looked up just in time to see Shay running in a full sprint down toward their basket. Layne threw it. Shay let it hit the court and picked it up off the bounce. She took the layup, and just as the defender caught up with her, the ball went in. The defender caught Shay’s back with two hands, though, pushing her away and down out of bounds.
“Hey!” Layne yelled and ran.
