Page 79 of Game On
Ella:
of course
Ella:
had to make sure you didn’t injure yourself. can’t afford to lose another partner x
Hudson:
thanks for the concern. I’ll try to stay in one piece for you
Ella:
do. I don’t fancy having to break in another impromptu base
Hudson:
I’m irreplaceable, huh?
Ella:
sure. now get some sleep. we’ve got a lot of work to do tomorrow
I sigh, and then plunge my hands through my hair, switching my gaze to the cursor on the screen. I power down my laptop and unplug it from the wall, abandoning my half-hearted attempt at the CV revision.
A restless energy has me pacing the room, pulling me toward the window. I press my hands against the cold glass, looking down at the mostly empty streets below.
Ella’s right. I do need to get some sleep, but my brain isn’t ready to shut down yet. I’m too wound up from the game, from the pressure, and from this strange new dynamic between us. The stakes are higher now. It’s uncharted territory, but it’s pulling at me harder than I expected.
I grab my phone again, scrolling through the notes I’vemade on the routine, some ideas that might make the transitions smoother. My mind races with possibilities, each more intricate than the last. It’s the kind of focus I used to reserve for football, for classes, now redirected at this—a sport I pushed to the back of my mind a long time ago.
And Ella, she’s right there in the thick of it, not just as a partner but as part of the reason I’m reevaluating my priorities.
