Chapter 7
CHAPTER
SEVEN
Markie
“Oh, dammit,” I groan, rolling over in bed and grabbing my phone from the nightstand.
It’s been three days since I met Adam and invited him to play in the tournament with me.
And each day, I’ve had to force myself not to reach out to him and make sure he’s taking this seriously.
But the tightness in my chest tonight is a little too tight to fall asleep.
The only thing that might help is knowing that Adam has been doing some cardio on his lunch breaks.
And hopefully, after work.
I wouldn’t mind if he did some sprints before work, too.
My fingers fly over the letters. But before I hit send, I check the time.
“Nine thirty isn’t too late,” I mutter and shoot the message through the interwebs.
Me: Hey, just checking in.
It only takes a minute to get his response.
Adam: Hey. On my way home from work. Overtime is killing me this week.
“Not the info I’m after,” I say, biting my lip and typing out my reply.
Me: That sucks. Have you managed to get any work in for the tournament?
I study the message for a few moments before I fire it off. Is it the kindest message I’ve ever sent? No. But he knew what he was getting into before he agreed to be my teammate. If he’s offended, that’s on him.
Adam: Do you really think I’d agree to be your teammate and then embarrass myself by not keeping up with you?
The tension in my shoulders melts away. “Thank God.”
I flop back against the pillows and breathe a sigh of relief.
Am I always a little too obsessed with this tournament? Probably. But is it something I can fix this year? No, it’s not.
I squish my eyes shut and try to ward off the tightness in my chest.
Holding on to this bitterness toward Jasper isn’t healthy. I know that. I don’t love this version of myself, and I can feel my emotions eating away at my soul. Worst of all, it’s preventing me from enjoying the process. Because while I love winning, I almost love what comes before it even more.
The inside jokes. The early morning practices. Working toward a goal with someone beside me, counting on me just as much as I’m counting on them.
It’s the sense of community that excites me. The tradition of it all. It’s the one bit of magic that’s still left in life.
And, unfortunately, that’s all fallen to the wayside this year.
This year, it’s just about beating Jasper.
Me: Glad to hear it. See you Saturday.
Adam: Looking forward to it.
I toss my phone on the mattress and close my eyes, drifting off into a sweet slumber where I murder Jasper on the pickleball court.