Page 85 of Stumped

“Why don’t you look excited about making it to the Qualifiers?”

I scoff, following his silent instructions to move my arm in slow rotations. “Iamexcited. I’m also nervous. This is a big one, Doc.”

“Oh yeah, I can tell. Your shoulders are locked up.”

Forcing my body to relax, I roll my neck a few times and shake off my worries the best I can. On top of beating our ICL rivals, I have to worry about Dhruv, Mr. Jaishankar and my future with the Renegades. And the radio silence from Vera isn’t helping.

“Breathe, Elias.”

I suck in a large gulp of air and my body tightens up again, making Dr. Theo grunt. “Sorry, Doc. There’s a lot going on and I’m trying to focus on one thing at a time.”

“I get that. But all you need to think about right now is winning tomorrow. Everything else can wait.”

Nodding, I tell myself that once this is over, I’ll get food and call Vera. And everything will be fine. Dr. Theo massages my shoulders, loosening the stress and tension I’m carrying. Once he’s happy with my mobility, he has me run through the usual exercise routine. I know it like the back of my hand, but given how distracted I am, he has to keep reminding me of what I’m doing.

When my teammates join the exercise, I think about how different things were last year. We got knocked out two matches before the Qualifiers and wallowed. Out of the fourteen group stage matches we played, we only won seven. The ones we lost? It was embarrassing showing our faces anywhere after those games. So it was no surprise we didn’t make it past the last game, since our run rate was so low and our average score was pathetic. After winning four years in a row and six in total, the final loss was heartbreaking.

For me, it felt like the end of my career. Because straight out of that loss, I went into surgery and recovery. Being back on the field is good and it fills me with joy, but it also scares the shit out of me.

If we don’t win this first Qualifier, we have to prove ourselves in the second one. If we lose that, it’ll be even worse than last year’s loss. The only upside is we’re not on dock to play in the Eliminator, because that’s a consolation prize. We don’t need that.

“Still nothing from Vera?”

I shake my head, staring at my phone like it’s got all the answers I’m waiting for. I want to believe she’s not ignoring me on purpose. Maybe what Dhruv said is true—senior management got wind of our relationship and they’re harassing her now. That makes me more fidgety and I start pacing the room. Bash was napping when I returned from PT and I did my best not to disturb him, but my nerves were loud enough he opened his eyes. He hasn’t moved from under the covers, but he’s awake and keeping me company.

“Maybe she’s busy.”

“Yeah. Fuck. What if I ruined her life, man?”

He snorts. “I think you made each other’s lives better, E. Don’t let Dhruv get in your head.”

“It’s hard not to worry about what kind of mess is waiting for me after this, you know?”

As Bash starts to speak, my phone rings and I see Vera’s smiling face on my screen. I snatch the device up and swipe to answer.

“I’m sorry,” she starts and I exhale loudly. “Shit hit the fan and I had to get back to the office to deal with this.”

“It’s so good to hear your voice, peaches.”

“I’m sorry, superstar. I was advised not to talk to anyone until we’d sorted this out.”

“And?”

“ApparentlyDhruvtold Mr. Jaishankar about us. He wasn’t pleased with me and said I should have told him when I signed the contract. Zahira argued that what I do with my personal life is none of his business. He got upset and kicked up a fuss. But we sorted everything out. I filled out an HR form for the Renegades and it needs your signature when you get home.”

I drop onto the bed with a heavy sigh. “That’s it?”

“You need to fire Dhruv. He leaked information about us to some tabloid and they’re running the story tomorrow.”

“Fucking hell. I’m sorry, Vera.”

She sighs. “This is not on you, Elias. And I don’t regret it. I hope you can let this go and focus on the game now.”

“Shouldn’t have left bed this morning.”

“Then who would win the Renegades a much needed championship?”

I crack a smile and close my eyes. “Thank you for everything, peaches.”

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