The horn had buzzed.
But the noise hadn't settled.
Not really.
It hovered in the air a restless hum of heartbeats and rising tension. The kind of hush that wasn't silence at all, just a collective breath held by everyone in the gym.
Sweat slicked the hardwood, glinting like oil under the arena lights.
One minute left in the half.
Louie stood at center court, bent slightly at the hips, his dribble low and slow. His fingers barely touched the ball. Just enough contact to keep it alive.
He didn't look across the line.
He didn't need to.
He felt Elijah Rainn there. Like pressure in the air before a thunderstorm. Cool. Still. Watching.
"One minute, huh..." Louie muttered, a crooked grin twitching at the edge of his lips. It didn't reach his eyes. Not this time.
