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“Wedon’t know that. Youthinkthat because it gives you an excuse to party more and practice less.”
I shake my head. “If we lose, it’s over.”
“I’m aware of how playoffs work, Phillips.”
“You’re the captain. You should start.”
“I’m the captain, so I decide who starts.”
I lean my head back against the cold glass of the window. “You wanna break that news to Coach, or should I?”
Hart rolls his eyes. “I suggested it. He agreed. How much longer do you want to argue about it?”
“I don’t want to argue. I want you to—” I pause, then lean forward. “What are you doing?”
I swear Conor blushes. “Nothing.”
“Bullshit. You’re makingjewelry?”
“It’s just some beads.”
“Beads that make jewelry.”
“One of the kids I coach—Cody—his sister kinda has a crush on me. She brought this”—he holds up the plastic container that was in his lap—“last week as a gift because I told her I liked herbracelets. For me to make one of my own, which she’ll be inspecting tomorrow.”
“Wow.” I grin. “Does Harlow know about her competition?”
“Yes,” Conor grumbles. “I asked her to make it for me. She refused, told me to do it while I was sitting on the bus. So…” He shrugs, then rummages through the container again.
I deliberate, then lean toward the aisle. “Give me some.”
“What?”
“Give me some beads so I can make a bracelet.”
He rolls his eyes. “Phillips…”
“What? I’m serious. Give me some. Better than staring out the window.”
Hart appears unconvinced but passes the container over for me to rifle through. I grab a section of string, a random assortment of beads, plus a three and a four for my jersey number. There are letters too, but I don’t bother with those.
“Maybe this’ll be my lucky charm,” I tell Hart as I start threading the beads with the string.
He snorts, but his reply is serious. “You don’t need a lucky charm, Phillips. You need to accept you’re good, and that the team is relying on you to play well tonight. That you’re an asset, not a benchwarmer.”
HearingThe team is relying on you to play well tonightwould normally spark some panic.
But I think of Rylan mouthingKick ass.
Coach’s encouraging expression when he told me to take shots.
Hart deciding I should start.
They all think I can do this.
So maybe…it’s time I start thinking that too.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
