𝑳𝑬𝑺𝑺𝑶𝑵𝑺 & 𝑳𝑨𝒀𝑼𝑷𝑺

𝑻𝑾𝑬𝑵𝑻𝒀 𝑶𝑵𝑬; 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑽𝑶𝑲𝑬𝑫

Paige leaned back against the wall of her hotel room in Dayton, the dim light of the bedside lamp casting long shadows across the ceiling. She could hear the faint murmurs of her teammates down the hall, laughter and  conversation sounding through the cracks in the door, but the noise felt distant—like it was coming from another world entirely. Her chest felt tight, her mind a whirlpool of frustration and anxiety.

Tomorrow, she had to play Dayton again. And Nayo Lear would be on the court. The thought of it made her stomach sick. She hated that Nayo had gotten under her skin, that a simple interaction between the two left her feeling so unsettled. She paced back and forth, running a hand through her hair, trying to push away the memory of that night—the way Nayo had casually walked up to Sloane, so confidently as she asked for her number and actually succeeded.

Paige sighed, her hand curling into a fist. She had tried to let it go, to tell herself that it didn't matter, that Sloane had probably forgotten all about it. But the unease lingered, a constant thought in the back of her mind.

There was a knock on the door. Paige glanced up, startled out of her thoughts. "Come in," she called, trying to keep her voice steady.

Nika pushed the door open, stepping inside with a casual smile that dropped when she saw paige's state. "You good?"

Paige forced a smile, though she could tell it wasn't convincing. "Yeah, just... thinking."

Nika's eyes narrowed slightly as she studied Paige's face. "You're thinking too hard," she said, crossing her arms. "You've been off since we got here."

Paige hesitated, not sure how to put her feelings into words. She knew it sounded silly, even to herself. "It's just... Dayton.... And Nayo," she finally admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Nika raised an eyebrow. "Nayo? That girl who got Sloane's number?"

Paige nodded, her jaw tightening. "Yeah. I don't know... I just can't forget it. I know it's stupid, but It's pissing me off that I have to play her tomorrow. why did she have to make it weird?"

Nika chuckled softly and walked over to sit on the edge of Paige's bed. "It's not stupid. It's normal. But come on, you really think Sloane would've let something happen? We all know during that time she only wanted you. And if she did, she would've told you, no?"

Paige sighed, plopping down on the bed beside Nika. "I know she would have. I trust her. It's just... I keep thinking, what if? What if something happened and she doesn't want to tell me?"

Nika shook her head, her expression firm. "She's not the type to hide stuff. If there was something between her and Nayo, she would have told you, like, yesterday. trust."

Paige nodded, her shoulders relaxing a little. "yeah, you're right. I just needed to hear it, I guess."

Nika smiled and patted Paige on the shoulder. "Just focus on the game tomorrow, okay? Don't let this girl mess with your head. You've got this."

Paige managed a small smile. "Thanks, Nika."

Nika grinned. "No problem. Now get some rest, you've got a game to win."

Paige nodded, feeling a little lighter as Nika left the room. She sat back against the headboard, repeating Nika's words in her head. She trusts Sloane. If something had happened, Sloane would have told her. She had to hold onto that. She closed her eyes, letting out a slow breath. Tomorrow, she would focus on what mattered—the game.

The next day, Paige was on the court for the pre-game warm-up, her body buzzing with adrenaline. She moved through the drills with ease, her muscles loose and getting ready, her mind sharp. She was still a little tense but she kept reminding herself of Nika's words. As the practice continued, Paige found herself feeling more focused, her confidence slowly returning.