Page 434 of Ruthless Court
“I know.”
Mom points at Dad.
“Let him finish.”
I tell them about the gym.
Her kids.
How she walked onto that court and became someone else.
No.
Not someone else.
More herself.
Then the part that matters.
Ryan.
Her father.
The years Hannah spent sitting in a gym because she wanted her dad’s attention and he mistook that loyalty for a shared dream.
How Ryan used her to get closer to Coach Goodwin.
How she came to Stanford already convinced every athlete eventually wanted something.
Mom’s smile disappears.
“Oh, honey.”
“She hates when people pity her.”
“I’m not pitying her.”
“I know.”
Dad leans back in his chair.
“So her father never realized what was happening?”
“Not then.”
“And now?”
“They’re trying.”
I tell them about Thanksgiving.
The disastrous turkey.
The diner.
The tutoring arrangement.
The fact that half the team now texts Hannah after games like she's a private basketball emergency hotline.
