Page 315 of Ruthless Court
“You spent your whole life seeing everybody else.”
Players.
Her father.
Me.
Every weakness before we could name it ourselves.
“Someone should’ve been looking back.”
Her eyes shine.
Not like the open mic.
This is different.
Quieter.
Closer.
She swallows.
“You are.”
Two words.
Barely louder than the wind.
Something opens inside my chest so wide it almost hurts.
All night I’ve been trying to show her I want Hannah without the basketball attached.
Now I realize that isn’t quite right.
I don’t want pieces of her separated into safe little categories.
The girl who knows my game.
The girl who loves old books.
The girl who coaches kids nobody else takes seriously.
The girl who gets scared and runs.
The girl who comes back anyway.
I want all of it.
Every soft, sharp, brilliant, terrified piece.
“You see me too,” I say.
Her brows draw together slightly.
“Probably more than you’d like.”
“No.” My thumb brushes her cheek again, slower this time. “More than anyone.”
