Rina doesn’t sleep that night.
Every time she closes her eyes, she sees Coach Ezan’s expression. Controlled. Certain. The kind of man who never doubts his right to decide the shape of someone else’s life.
By morning, the weight of it sits heavy in her chest.
She finds Jace at practice.
She doesn’t plan to. She just ends up there, drawn by instinct more than logic. The stadium is loud with movement—whistles cutting through the air, sneakers squeaking against the court, bodies colliding with force that feels too familiar.
Jace moves like a machine.
Precise. Aggressive. Relentless.
He doesn’t see her at first. He’s too busy outrunning his anger.
But she sees everything.
The way he pushes harder than necessary. The way his jaw stays clenched between drills. The way Coach Norris watche
