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Bronny's POV:
The locker room was quiet. The second quarter ended right as soon as I got ejected from the game, and now, it was time for halftime. As me and my teammates sat down to catch our breath, Coach Redick storms in, and slams the door shut behind him.
He stands there for a moment, looking around at each of us, then lets out a frustrated sigh.
"Listen up," he says, crossing his arms. "This game isn't over yet, but you wouldn't know it by how we're playing out there. We're down because we're distracted, because we're letting the noise from the stands get in our heads. You all want to win another championship this year, right? Then start acting like it!"
I glanced over at my teammates—they were all looking at me, some with worry, others with frustration.
I sighed and looked down at the floor, feeling the weight of his words settle on me. He's right. I let it happen. I let some a**hole with a loud mouth mess with my head, and now we're paying for it.
Coach's gaze flicks to me, but he doesn't say anything, just lets the silence do its job. "I want to see you guys go out there and turn this around. Play like you know how. I don't care what the scoreboard says—play with some pride! We're better than this."
He walks out, leaving the rest of us sitting there. I let out a long breath as the rest of the team started murmuring about the game. Coach Redick's words hit me hard; I screwed up, I really did.
Halftime ended and the other players began to make their way back to the court... with the exception of me. I took a deep breath and slowly started gathering my stuff to leave the arena. That's when I saw my dad appear.
He sat on the bench next to me, resting his elbows on his knees. "You okay, son?"
I shrugged, fidgeting with my Gatorade towel. "Not really. I know I messed up."
Dad nodded slowly. "You did, yeah. But I get it." he said, his voice steady. "Things get heated. You're out there, all eyes on you. They're watching everything you do, waiting for a mistake."
I looked down at my hands, my jaw clenching. "I wasn't about to let him talk about her like that, Dad. He doesn't f*cking know her, he doesn't know anything!"
"No, he doesn't." Dad agreed. "And that's exactly why you can't let people like that get under your skin. You're giving them what they want, letting them pull you off your game."
I swallowed hard, nodding. "I know. But it feels like... like everyone's just waiting for me to mess up, to prove that I'm not good enough or some sh*t."
Dad put a hand on my shoulder. "Son, it's tough. Trust me, I've been there. You can't let the haters control you. You have to stay focused on what matters—your team, the game, and what you're here to prove, for yourself."
I nodded, letting the words sink in. "I'll try. I know I need to handle these things better."
"You'll get there. We all mess up. The important thing is to learn from it and come back stronger." he said, patting my back. "Now go home, get some rest, and shake it off. We've got an away game in two days—you'll need your head on right for San Antonio."
I managed a small nod, feeling a bit better from our talk. "Alright."
As Dad walked out back to the court, I watched him go, taking a deep breath. I'd messed up, no doubt. But I wasn't done yet. Not by a long shot.
•••
I stepped outside, and immediately, the lights hit me again—paparazzi waiting outside the arena, yelling questions the second they see me. My security tightens around me, guiding me forward as the shouting grew louder.
"Bronny! Why did you go after that fan??"
"Is it true that you're expecting a baby??"
"Bronny! Any comment after getting ejected from tonight's game??"
They're relentless, voices overlapping until it's just noise, loud and endless. I kept my head down, pushing through the crowd, feeling my security guys clear the way, blocking the cameras as best as they could. The SUV was waiting, and I climbed inside as soon as they opened the door, sitting in the seat as the door slammed shut.
The noise is muffled now, just a faint echo as we pulled away from the arena. I leaned back, closing my eyes, trying to focus on anything but the mess I just left behind.
As the SUV moved through traffic, I pulled out my phone and scrolled down to Sophia's contact. My finger hovers over it for a second, feeling the weight of everything I wanted to say but didn't know how. Finally, I hit call, bringing the phone to my ear.
She picks up after a few rings. "Bronny?"
The sound of her voice was soothing to me. It was like a relief.
"Hey," I said, managing a small smile, even though I know she couldn't see it.
"Are you okay?" she asks, her voice filled with concern. "I... I saw what happened on TV."
I let out a sigh, rubbing a hand over my face. "Yeah. I just... I don't know what I was thinking. He was saying stuff, and then he brought you into it, and I just... I lost it."
There was a brief pause, and I could tell she was choosing her words carefully.
"Bronny, you know they're just trying to get a reaction out of you, right? They don't know anything about you, anything about us."
"I know," I said, looking out the window as the city lights blur by. "It's just hard, you know? Feels like they're all watching, waiting for me to mess up."
"I get that." she said softly. "But you're more than their expectations, Bronny. Don't let them control you like that."
Her words were exactly what I needed to hear. I let out a deep breath, feeling some of the tension ease. "Thanks, babe. Really."
"Of course." she said, her voice warm. "So... what now? Are you heading home?"
"Yeah." I said, nodding. "I'm heading back now, but... I wanted to see if you could pack up your things tonight. I'll take you back to USC so you can be ready for your classes. I'm leaving for an away game tomorrow."
"Oh, okay." she said, sounding a little surprised. "I can do that. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I am." I said, trying to sound confident. "I'll come pick you up soon, okay?"
"Alrighty." she said with a calm voice.
"See you soon." I said, feeling grateful just to have her in my corner. I hung up and leaned back in the seat, the city passing by in a blur. No matter how loud the noise gets, at least I know she's got my back. And for tonight, that was enough for me.
