𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 • Paige Bueckers

𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞?

AS NAILEA AND Nick reentered the gymnasium the court buzzed with the energy of the team's final minutes of practice. Coach Geno, with his keen eye for discipline and teamwork, had called for duo shooting drills to cap off the day's session. It was a familiar routine, and pairs were quickly forming across the hardwood.

Nailea scanned the court for a partner and, as if by instinct, gravitated towards Paige. Paige's tall frame was easy to spot, but her usually sharp gaze seemed lost in the distance. Nailea approached her, and without a second thought, they paired up, a duo as natural as any on the court.

As they took positions, Nailea noticed Paige's absentminded handling of the ball. It wasn't like her to be so disengaged. "You okay P?" Nailea asked, genuine concern etched in her voice.

Paige offered a smile and nodded. Her eyes, however, betrayed her; they were like windows fogged with unspoken thoughts, revealing a storm within.

"You sure?" Nailea prodded further, sensing the discord.

Paige's response was tinged with an unexpected sharpness. "Look are we doing shooting drills or not? If you wanna talk, Nick is right over there," she said, her tone laced with an emotion that sounded suspiciously like jealousy.

Nailea was taken aback. "Huh what are you talking about—wait," she paused "are you jealous... of Nick?" her confusion as clear as day.

"What—no," Paige retorted, almost too quickly, her defensiveness as telling as a neon sign. She launched the ball towards the basket, but her aim was off, wildly so, and the ball sailed past the rim, missing by a considerable distance.

Nailea followed the stray ball and rebounded it, her thoughts churning. She walked back to Paige, closing the distance between them until they stood a breath apart. Lowering her voice to a husky whisper,

Nailea teased, "You know, you're hot when you're jealous."

Paige's cheeks flushed, a mix of annoyance and something softer flickering in her eyes. Nailea couldn't help but find the situation amusing, the tension between them as electrifying as a live wire.

"And for the record," Nailea continued, her lips curling into a playful smirk, "me and Nick are just friends. We don't see each other like that at all, you of all people should know this."

Paige's demeanor softened, the edges of her jealousy melting away. She playfully pushed Nai and took the ball. With a focus that had been missing before, she took her shot and the ball swished through the net cleanly, a sound as satisfying as any promise kept.

This time, Paige rebounded the ball herself and, as she passed by Nailea, she left a few words hanging in the air like a challenge. "Good, 'cause you're mine."

The statement, possessive and playful, made Nailea's heart skip a beat. She stood rooted to the spot, the warmth of Paige's breath still lingering, her own breath catching in her throat.

—————-

Practice had come to an end and Geno began his usual post-practice debrief. As he concluded, his eyes found Nailea, who had been chatting away with KK, her attempts to stop laughing failing miserably.

"Nai, since you've got so much energy to talk, you can put away the training equipment," Geno declared, a half-smile betraying his stern demeanor.

Paige, Aaliyah, Azzi and Nika stood behind her laughing at the girl, Nai went to go pick up the basketballs, not before hitting all four girls at the back of their heads when Geno turned around.

They all looked at her in disbelief while she laughed and left to put away the equipment

It took her about ten minutes to tidy everything up, stacking cones and collecting stray basketballs that had rolled into the corners of the gym. The echo of the ball against the floor accompanied her as she worked, the large space now feeling even larger in the absence of her teammates. By the time she had finished, the gym was deserted, the echo of the door closing behind the last person still lingering in the air.