Curls for the girls

Just Us

Ty's pov

The excitement from the win still buzzed in my chest as we walked through the hotel hallway, but exhaustion was finally starting to creep in. The game had taken everything out of me—physically, emotionally—but I didn't care. We were heading to the Final Four. We were so close to everything we had worked for.

But right now, I wasn't thinking about the next game. Right now, all I wanted was to be with Nika.

She reached for my hand as we reached our room, her fingers lacing through mine, warm and familiar. I glanced at her, catching the small, tired smile tugging at her lips. She looked as drained as I felt, but there was something softer in her eyes now. Like she was finally letting go of the weight she carried on the court.

We stepped inside, shutting the door behind us, and for the first time all day, there was silence. No screaming crowds. No game plans. No pressure. Just us.

Nika let out a long sigh and immediately flopped onto the bed, stretching her arms above her head, her shirt riding up just enough to distract me. I smirked, sitting on the edge of the mattress, reaching down to untie my shoes.

"You good?" I asked, glancing over at her.

"Mmm," she hummed, her eyes closed, a lazy smile on her face. "I'm perfect now that I'm here. Now that you're here."

My chest warmed at her words. I kicked off my shoes and laid down beside her, propping my head up with my arm. "It was a good game," I murmured, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face.

Nika opened her eyes, her gaze locking with mine. "It was more than a good game for you, superstar," she teased, her fingers trailing lightly up my arm. "You went off. I'm so proud of you."

I felt my face heat up, but I rolled my eyes to cover it. "I was just doing my part."

Nika scoffed, rolling onto her side to face me. "Your part was hitting big shots and making the crowd go crazy. Don't downplay it."

I smiled, my heart swelling at how genuinely happy she was for me. That was one of the things I loved about Nika—she always made me feel like I was more than enough. Like I deserved the moments I worked so hard for.

I reached for her hand, threading our fingers together. "You know, I don't think I could do any of this without you," I admitted quietly. "You keep me grounded. You make everything make sense."

Nika's expression softened, and she squeezed my hand. "That's funny," she murmured, leaning closer until our foreheads touched. "Because you do the exact same thing for me."

For a while, we just lay there, wrapped up in the warmth of each other. No words, no expectations—just comfort. Her fingers traced small circles against my skin, sending little shivers down my spine. My own hand rested against her waist, feeling the slow rise and fall of her breathing.

"I like this," Nika whispered after a while.

I smiled against her temple. "Like what?"

"Being here. With you. Just us. No basketball, no stress... just this."

I kissed her forehead, lingering there for a moment. "Me too."

She tilted her head up, her lips brushing against mine in the softest, slowest kiss. It wasn't rushed, wasn't desperate. It was just ours. A moment that didn't belong to the game, or the tournament, or the world outside this hotel room.

Just us.

When we finally pulled back, I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close. She nestled against me, her head resting on my chest, and I could feel the steady beat of her heart against mine.

"Get some sleep," I whispered, running my fingers through her hair.

Nika sighed happily. "Only if you don't let go."

I smiled, pressing one last kiss to the top of her head. "Never."

And as the exhaustion finally won, pulling us into sleep, I knew that no matter what happened next—no matter what challenges the Final Four brought—we had this. We had us. And that was more than enough.