Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 109903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Allison Reynolds was a bewildering choice for Palmetto State. She looked like a picture-perfect princess, but she could brawl with the best of them on the court. She refused to bend to others' expectations of her and could be honest to the point of cruelty. She could have inherited her parents' billion-dollar empire, but she didn't want the restrictions that life came with. She wanted the right to be her own person. She wanted to prove herself on the court. And for some reason she wanted Seth despite his many issues and rude affection.
Neil hoped she could learn to live with two out of three.
Andrew must have felt Neil tense up; they were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in the backseat of Andrew's car. He followed Neil's stare to Abby's car as Nicky pulled into a parking space a short ways down.
"She made it," Andrew said. "This should be interesting."
Nicky twisted the key out of the ignition. "For you, perhaps."
"Yes, for me." Andrew laughed and got out of the car.
Aaron was slower to move, so Neil followed Andrew out onto the asphalt. He hesitated with one hand on the door and stared at the Foxes' bus where it was parked a couple spaces down. Andrew watched him with a mocking smile on his lips. Neil was stalling and they both knew it.
Annoyed, Neil pushed the car door closed and started for the fence. He put Abby's digits into the security keypad and listened for the buzz before trying the knob. Andrew was on his heels as he went down the hall, with Kevin no doubt right behind him, so Neil didn't let himself slow. He braced himself for Allison's possible reaction and stepped into the locker room.
Neil had seen Allison at her best, dressed to the nines with flawless makeup and curls. He'd seen her fresh off the court, red-faced and sweaty and human. He'd never seen her like this.
Allison's platinum-blond hair was perfectly styled and everything she wore was trendy and expensive. At first glance it was like nothing had changed, but more than a split-second look showed the fight had gone out of her. She sat with her fingers laced together and hands locked between her knees, her shoulders slumped and expression dead. Her eyes were hooded and she stared at the floor, seemingly oblivious to the arrival of her five teammates.
Andrew went straight for his spot on the couch like he didn't even notice she was there, but Aaron and Kevin froze at the sight of her. Neil thought he should apologize or ask if she was okay, but his voice was dead inside him. Surprisingly, it was Nicky who found the strength to cross the room toward her. He crouched in front of her, moving slow like he thought she'd run off if he startled her, and gazed up into her face.
"Hey," Nicky said, soft and nice like the two of them hadn't spent all summer cutting each other down on the court. "Is there anything we can do?"
She didn't answer, but she heard him. Her lips went white as she pressed them harder together. Nicky stayed where he was, trying to either offer silent support or wait her out. It was an age before Allison moved again, but she didn't look at Nicky. Her smoky gray gaze lifted unerringly to Neil's face.
Neil stood silent and still just inside the locker room door and waited for her judgment. It never came. The seconds dragged by, endless and awful, and Allison's expression didn't change. She didn't look angry like he thought she should or sad like he was sure she would. She was just—there. She was breathing, but she was lifeless, a marionette whose strings had been cut.
Neil was saved by the arrival of the rest of the team. He had to move to avoid getting hit by the door. Dan and Renee went straight to Allison's chair and took up perches on the arms to either side of her. Dan wound her arm around Allison's shoulders, somehow looking more fierce than comforting, and murmured something at Allison's ear. Allison turned her head toward Dan's, soaking up whatever reassurances Dan had for her, and Neil finally remembered how to move. Nicky got up when it was obvious the girls could handle Allison. The rest of the team slowly settled around the rest of the room.
They were all on time, but Wymack and Abby were conspicuously absent. Neil wondered if Wymack was late on purpose. His absence took away the pressure and reality of why they were here. He was giving the Foxes a few minutes to adjust to Allison's return and grief. It gave them a chance to see her before Wymack forced their attention back to Exy.
It also showed them what they were up against tonight. Allison was back, but she looked like she was holding herself together by threads. Neil didn't know if she'd get it together long enough to play. If she couldn't, they were going to get wrecked. Belmonte University was one of the strongest schools in their district. They weren't as high-ranked as Breckenridge was, but they'd be almost as difficult to face now that the Foxes were down Seth. If they lost Allison too the game was over before it even started.
Wymack's office door opened at last. He came into the lounge and motioned to Allison. "Go on ahead of us, Allison. Nicky will load your things."
Nicky made a face at Wymack but was too smart to protest where Allison could hear. Allison slipped free of Dan's embrace and walked out without another look back. Nicky waited until the door closed behind her before speaking up.
"Seriously, whose idea was it to bring her along?" Nicky asked. "She shouldn't be here."
"We gave her the choice to sit it out," Wymack said. "She wanted to come."
"I wouldn't have asked her," Nicky said, flicking a worried look at the door. "I would have just left her behind and apologized later. She isn't ready."
Andrew laughed. "So little faith, Nicky. Don't worry. She'll play."