Love and Basketball (Lauren/You)

Chapter 23

Y/N'S POV

I walked into the empty stadium where all the lights had been turned off beside the dim lights barely covering the court. I had talked to the coach and I was able to play the last two games of the season; granted, we don't lose the next one otherwise we wouldn't need to play the last game. The opponent had the upper hand right now winning 3 games so far to our 2 wins. The first to 4 wins would win the series and end the season. I had been getting a lot of comments on my social media asking if I was playing, but the team and I agreed that we would leave it to be a surprise for tomorrow's game. I really didn't like going on social media anymore because of the whole Tyren debacle that was still surfacing. Lauren had to go back to the studio to record their new album but I knew just as much as she did that she was trying to avoid him as much as possible. It was still really hard for me to accept but at the same time, I knew I could trust Lauren not to do anything with him. He was gross anyway.

I began dribbling the ball that was in my hands to get used to the feeling again after being away for a little bit. I was feeling great again so I was very confident that we could win the series. When I finished warming up I began to push myself a little harder in order to get back in my groove. I don't know how long I stayed there practicing but it just felt so nice to be back in the gym after everything that happened. This truly was my element and where I felt like my true self. I couldn't take not being able to play for so long but I was here now and that was all that mattered. I was also grateful that nobody showed up to ruin my practicing time so I was able to just keep my headphones in my ears the whole time. I gradually made my way further away from the basket and was still pushing myself as much as I could because I had to get myself back in shape in time for tomorrow's game. It was a lot I was putting myself through but this was what I wanted. I needed to finish the season because there were so many people relying on me.

I wasn't able to visit Madison as much as I would have liked, but Camila hadn't responded to the many times I tried to contact her either. I didn't know why she was acting like this but it was seriously starting to get on my nerves. I continued practicing for a couple more hours until it was well into the night. I would have to get up early for another workout so I knew it would be best to finally leave the gym where I would have to return later the next day. I grabbed the ball and made my way to the sideline where my bag was. I slipped my shoes off and switched them to some slides before grabbing my phone and a towel to wipe the sweat away. There were a couple of messages left from Lauren that instantly made me smile. It was so great how she could completely turn my mood around from just a couple of texts.

Lolo ❤️🥺: Hey babe! I know you're working out but I just wanted to say I love you before I have to go back into the studio. ❤️

Lolo ❤️🥺: We're dome for the day but I'm sure you're still practicing. Just text me when you're done. I luv u 🥰

Lolo ❤️🥺: I'm gonna say I'm not surprised if you're still practicing. I'm going to head off to sleep so please please please just text me when you're done so I know you're safe. If I'm up can we ft? 🥺 love you!

I texted back explaining that I was done practicing and then I was going to head back to my apartment. I had seen that Camila hadn't responded to any of my messages still so I took a leap of faith and called her. The line rang several times and I was about to hang up until I heard an answer. "Hello?" The voice called out but it definitely wasn't Camila's. It was a male voice, still high pitched so it could almost pass as Camila. It took me a second to find my bearings but when I did I finally answered, asking for the girl in question. "Uh yeah, she's here. Give me a second." I heard rustling from the other side of the phone before Camila's voice finally appeared. "Y/N? Why are you calling me?" Her voice came out confused yet still somehow sweet. I didn't know how she could be playing this facade after ignoring all my messages up until this point. I cleared my throat, not really expecting her to actually answer.