Basketball is Not Life

Chapter Thirty-Four

Everything was great. We made it to the tournament's third round, which meant we would be playing Duke in the next game. Which meant I would be able to see my mother and father. And hopefully, avoid a redshirt freshman that I never wanted to see again.

Unfortunately, that was not the case.

"Renee," his voice sent a chill down my back. I was frozen and couldn't turn around. I was in the hotel lobby waiting for the guys to come down for dinner.

Larry was making his way over to me. He had a weird look on his face.

"Do you know that kid?" He asked me.

I didn't respond.

"That's the Duke player that's redshirted. They said he tore his ACL, but he looks fine to me."

I swallowed. I looked behind me where Larry's eyes were, and that's when my eyes landed on Ryan. His eyes were hard and focused straight on me. The hate he had for me was easy to see.

"He's looking at you like...."

His words are cut off as Ryan steps onto the same elevator that Parker is getting off of. Parker paused for a second and then slams his shoulder into Ryan's as he's walking by. He makes it a few steps off of the elevator and then turns around abruptly. Larry is already running over to Parker to grab him. But the elevator door is already shutting, and Parker doesn't get to have the physical altercation he was looking to have. He shrugs out of Larry's hold and looks around the lobby until he sees me standing there with my winter coat in hand.

He's over to me as quickly as he can be. Pulling me into his chest. "Are you ok?" My face is pushed against his chest. And I mumble out as best as I can that I'm fine.

"What the hell just happened?" Larry asked.

Parker loosens his hold on me. "That's her ex."

"Stalker boy is Ryan Hayes?" Larry shakes his head as if he's trying to keep up.

"Yes." My voice sounds small. I'm shaking, and I didn't realize it.

"Hey." Parker brings me into him again. "Let's get you food, ok?" I nod against him. I just don't tell Parker that I don't have an appetite. We board the bus and then get off at an Italian restaurant. It seemed pretty cliche but apparently, carbo-loading was the real deal. The guys had done it before the last two games. We hAD won, so I wasn't knocking against it.

Parker seems stressed; he keeps looking over at me as he talks to the guys around him. I was just waiting until I could get back to my room and have a full-on panic attack by myself. Larry nudges me while Parker is talking to one of the assistant coaches.

"I don't know what went down with you and Ryan but do I need to be worried?" He tilts his head at Parker. Before tonight I would have said no. After seeing how fast he reacted on the elevator ... I would say he may need to.

"Keep a close eye on him," I say.