Page 261 of Ruthless Court

“You treat survival as proof that the decision was sound.”

His eyes sharpen.

“That isn’t only basketball.”

“No.”

“Are we analyzing my childhood now?”

“I charge extra for that.”

He looks at the frozen image.

“What should I have done?”

“Used the screen. Their big was late getting above it. You would have forced a switch.”

“He can’t stay with me.”

“Exactly.”

I move to the next clip.

“You keep trying to defeat the player who embarrassed you instead of attacking the defense that’s actually there.”

Kane studies my face rather than the tablet.

“What?”

“That’s how you looked at Vale.”

My fingers still over the screen.

“This is film.”

“You said my choices repeat.”

“They do.”

“You saw Stella choose him, then spent months trying to prove she chose wrong.”

I close the tablet cover.

“Our hour is over.”

“We have forty-one minutes.”

“Then spend them discussing basketball.”

“I am.”

“No. You’re turning yourself into a case study.”

“You did that in class.”

“Academically.”

His mouth almost smiles.