Page 107 of Game On
He nods, his attention fully on the woman beside him—her tear-stained cheeks and trembling lips. “Yeah, you guys go. I’ve got her.”
Ella and I linger for a moment longer, making sure Levi has everything under control. Claire’s cries have now quieted into soft sniffles, and she leans into Levi’s chest.
“Let’s give them some privacy,” Ella whispers to me, tugging at my sleeve.
As we move to shut the door, Claire calls out, “Ella?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
“Of course,” she responds gently.
And then we shut the door behind us, leaving Levi and Claire alone together in the quiet room. That’s the first time I’ve seen her break like that, the first time she’s felt like a real person and not just an ice queen sitting high in her castle. It’s sad to witness, but also oddly humanizing. The way she must have been before they drifted, the version of her Levi used to love.
“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Ella asks quietly, her voice barely rising above the hum of voices downstairs.
“I hope so,” I reply. “Levi’s got her now, and if anyone can help her through a night like this, it’s him.”
“God, I want to kick those guys outside in the nuts.”
I snort a laugh. “Yeah, well, if they try to get near you, they’ll see what happens.”
She smiles at my words, but worry is still etched in her eyes. “Let’s just get back to the party, yeah?”
“If you try not to worry too hard. I’ll check in with Levi in a couple hours, okay?”
“Yeah,” she says, “okay.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Hudson
As January draws to a close, we’re all on the edge of our seats, eagerly awaiting the announcement of the partner-stunt qualifiers. The entire team is gathered on the mats, laptops and phones at the ready, fingers poised to refresh the NCA website. Conversations are hushed, nervous laughter punctuates the silence, and the occasional beep of a notification has everyone snapping their heads up.
Ella sits beside me, her leg bouncing erratically. I place a steadying hand on her knee, and she shoots me a grateful, albeit tense, smile. Sammy and Gabi are sprawled opposite us, their eyes glued to Gabi’s laptop screen. Claire and Evan hover near the doorway, pretending to be calm, but the tightness in Claire’s jaw gives her away.
“Come on, come on,” Cove mutters, refreshing the page on her phone for what feels like the hundredth time.
“Any minute now,” I say, working to keep my voice steady and encouraging. But inside, I’m just as nervous as everyone else. This isn’t the same feeling I’m used to when it comes tofootball. It’s a different kind of anticipation, one that knots my stomach and makes my palms sweat.
Finally, after an eternity of waiting, the page updates. A collective breath is held as we all lean in to see the results. The list of qualifiers scrolls down the phone screen in my hand, and I scan the names frantically.
“There!” Ella points, her voice high with excitement. “Whitland University!”
“Claire and Evan have a direct bid,” I say. There’s an asterisk by their names, denoting a championship qualifier. They’ll go directly to the finals at Daytona.
Claire’s face breaks into a rare, genuine smile as she and Evan high-five each other. It’s uncanny, almost, seeing her like this after the last couple of weeks. Since the night of the party, she’s kept her distance from Ella and me. Though she’s been sending Ella fewer daggers during practice.
“Cove and Malik,” Ella reads next. “You’re in, too, but you’ll have to compete for a bid.”
There’s a preliminary competition at the start of the event, and pairs who haven’t been sent straight to the finals will have to compete first. Cove and Malik are in the bottom half of the list, which means they’ll need to bring their A-game if they want to advance.
“And there’s us,” I say, spotting the tiny asterisk next to our names. “We did it, El.”
We secured a championship bid to partner stunts at Daytona. This was our one and only shot to compete in anindividual event, and we made it happen. Ella and I share a look of disbelief and joy, and then she throws her arms around my neck, pulling me into a tight hug.
An overwhelming surge of elation washes over me. I lift her off the ground, spinning us both as the rest of the squad erupts into cheers and congratulations, everyone high on the news.
