You drafted my heart - Nika Mühl (Eng. version)

Chapter 14 - Safe Heaven

You don't know how much I LOVED writing this chapter

XOXO

POV - Nika Mühl

8:56 pm - April 2, 2022

San Antonio, Texas.

The deafening sound of the crowd echoed in my ears as I ran across the court. The scoreboard glowed red and relentless: we were down by seven points, which meant at least three possessions, and the clock showed less than a minute left in the game. Sweat poured down my face, mixing with the tension and frustration I felt with every move. 

That Final Four game was a battlefield, and every second that passed felt like an eternity.

I received the ball and looked around, searching for a gap in Arizona's impenetrable defense. I could see my teammates giving their all, but the pressure was overwhelming. Paige couldn't find an opening even with the screen Lou tried to set for her, and Dorka and Aaliyah were double-covered the entire time. My heart was pounding too fast, almost out of my chest, and I could feel the weight of everyone's expectations on my shoulders. We had trained so hard for this moment, but it seemed fate had other plans.

I made a quick pass to Paige, who attempted a three-point shot, but the ball hit the rim and was recovered by Arizona's center. They advanced quickly, and before I knew it, the gap widened to nine points. My whole body screamed for a miracle, something to change the course of that game.

The remaining seconds passed in a blur of desperate attempts and failures. The final buzzer sounded like a sentence, declaring our defeat. I fell to my knees on the court, the weight of disappointment crushing my chest. The bright arena lights making my eyes sting, but I knew it wasn't just that. The pain of losing was unbearable, like someone had ripped a part of me away.

I got up and, without looking at anyone, headed straight for the locker room. Every step was heavy, every movement incredibly difficult. I needed to get out of there, needed a place where I could release all the frustration building up inside me. As soon as I reached my locker, the anger exploded.

With a scream, I threw everything in front of me to the floor. Sneakers, water bottles, towels – everything flew through the air as I vented my fury and disappointment. The pain of losing the game that meant so much to me, to us, was too much to bear. I felt powerless and frustrated, like the universe was against me.

"Jebote, ne mogu vjerovati da smo izgubili ovaj prokleti meč!" (Fuck, I can't believe we lost this damn game!)

In the midst of the chaos I had created, I heard the locker room door open and quick footsteps approaching. Paige and Aaliyah came running, and before I could continue the destruction, they grabbed me by the arms.

"Nika, calm down!" Paige said, her voice firm but full of concern. "This won't help at all!"

I tried to pull away, but their strength was greater than mine at that moment. "Let me go! I need... I need to do something!"

Aaliyah looked at me with compassion but also with a firmness I couldn't ignore. "This isn't going to make you feel better, Nika. Come on, take a deep breath."

I tried to control my breathing, but the frustration still burned inside me. My tears threatened to fall, but I held them back; I didn't want to seem weak.

"We understand you're upset, we're upset too..." Paige continued, softening her tone. "But you're not alone. We're here with you."

Before I could respond, I saw out of the corner of my eye that Olivia was entering the locker room. Her eyes meeting mine, and without saying a word, she understood what I needed. Paige released my arms and turned to Olivia.