Maya had realized with growing terror that she had no idea what would happen when Mateo was thinking clearly enough to demand an answer. Two days later, she found out.
For forty-eight hours after the match, Mateo was benched—doctor's orders and Coach Rivera's insistence that no player would risk further injury for the sake of tournament advancement. His left leg was wrapped in medical tape that extended from ankle to mid-thigh, his steps uneven as he navigated campus on crutches that made him look younger and more vulnerable than the predator Maya knew him to be.
Maybe the injury changed his priorities. Maybe he's focused on healing instead of hunting for secrets.
