The Thing That Scares Them

The game had ended almost an hour ago, but Claire was still at the arena. She had spent the entire afternoon in the film room going over Ryan’s plays because he had asked her to. Every pass, every missed shot, every angle that could have been better. She always did what Ryan asked. Tonight was supposed to be different, though. He had promised they would celebrate after the game, just the two of them, maybe with a few drinks in the VIP lounge before heading home. Claire had even changed into the dress he liked because she wanted to look good for him. Two years together, and she still cared about things like that. She walked down the quiet hallway toward the VIP lounge, checking her phone as she went. There were several messages from Ryan, but nothing recent. She smiled to herself, thinking maybe he was waiting for her. The music got louder as she approached the doors. Someone had left one of them slightly open, and Claire could hear laughter coming from inside. She pushed the door open and stopped. For a second, her brain refused to understand what she was seeing. Ryan was standing near the glass wall with Sophie, her younger sister. Sophie’s hands were around Ryan’s neck, and he had one hand on her waist. They were too close. Far too close. A teammate stood a few feet away, holding up his phone and recording. Claire couldn’t move. Ryan noticed her first. His expression changed for half a second, then he smiled. It wasn’t an apologetic smile or a shocked one, just a small, almost amused smile. He didn’t move away from Sophie. Claire stared at him. “Ryan?” Sophie turned around, and the color drained from her face. “Claire…” Ryan glanced at the clock on the wall. “You’re late.” Claire blinked, unable to believe that was what he had chosen to say. “That’s what you have to say to me?” Ryan shrugged. “You’re making this bigger than it is.” Claire looked at Sophie. Her sister wouldn’t meet her eyes. “How long?” Neither of them answered. Claire’s voice grew quieter as she asked again, “How long has this been happening?” Sophie finally looked at her. “It was just once.” Claire laughed, but the sound came out wrong. “Just once?” “I’m sorry.” “You’re my sister.” “I know.” “You’re nineteen, Sophie.” “I know.” “And he’s my boyfriend.” “I know.” Claire looked back at Ryan. He still didn’t look guilty, and that hurt more than she expected. She had spent two years defending him, making excuses when he was busy, staying up late when he had games, and sitting through interviews and watching every match like her life depended on it. She had even spent her entire day helping him prepare for tonight. And this was what she got. Her phone buzzed. She pulled it from her bag and saw a message from Mom. Don’t make a scene. Think of the team. Claire stared at the message. Another one came immediately. I know what you saw. Stay quiet. The season is too important. Ryan is too important. We will fix this later. Claire’s fingers tightened around the phone. We. Of course. There was always a we when it came to Ryan. Her family, his team, his management. Everyone had a reason why she needed to stay quiet. Another message appeared, this time from her father. Don’t do anything tonight. We will talk tomorrow. Claire looked around the room. A few players were pretending not to watch, while others had suddenly become very interested in their drinks. Nobody was asking if she was okay. Nobody was telling Ryan he was wrong. Ryan finally stepped away from Sophie and walked toward her. “Come on, Claire. Don’t be dramatic.” She stared at him. “Don’t be dramatic?” “It didn’t mean anything.” Sophie swallowed. “Claire, it really was just once.” Claire looked at her sister. “You brought me here.” Sophie looked confused. “What?” “I brought you around them because I thought you were safe.” Claire’s voice cracked. “I trusted you.” Sophie looked down. “I know.” Claire shook her head. She didn’t want to cry there, not in front of them, not in front of Ryan, and not while everyone watched her like she was the problem. She turned toward the door. “Claire.” She stopped. Ryan’s voice followed her. “Where are you going?” She looked back at him. “Home.” He laughed softly. “You can’t just walk out.” Claire stared at him. “Watch me.” She walked out, almost making it to the end of the hallway before she stopped. Her chest was tight, so she pressed one hand against the wall and tried to breathe. She heard footsteps behind her and turned. Alex stood several feet away. She recognized him immediately. He was the new transfer, one of the team’s defenders. Quiet and always serious. Ryan had mentioned him before, usually with a joke about how Alex stared at people too much. Right now, Alex wasn’t staring. He was watching her. Claire wiped quickly at her face. “Move.” Alex didn’t say anything. “Please.” He stepped aside, and Claire walked past him. She didn’t get far before he spoke. “You’re crying.” She stopped and turned slightly. “So?” Alex looked toward the VIP lounge. “You should leave.” “I know.” “Then go.” Claire let out a shaky breath. “I’m trying.” He didn’t say anything else, so she kept walking. By the time she reached the elevator, she could hear him behind her again. She turned around. “You saw everything.” “Yes.” “And you did nothing.” Alex’s expression stayed calm. “It wasn’t my place.” Claire laughed bitterly. “Of course.” The elevator doors opened, and she stepped inside. Alex followed. Claire looked at him. “You don’t have to come with me.” “I’m not going with you.” “Then why are you here?” “Making sure you leave.” She pressed the button for the lobby. For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. Then Alex said, “Ryan’s done this before.” Claire looked at him. “What?” “Ryan.” She stared at him. “You’re saying he’s cheated before?” “Yes.” Her stomach dropped. “With who?” “Different girls. Different nights.” Claire looked away. Maybe she had misunderstood. Maybe Alex was angry with Ryan and exaggerating, but something about the way he said it made her believe him. “The team knows?” “Some of them.” “And nobody told me?” Alex shook his head. “Management knows. People around him know.” “Why?” “Contracts. Money. Reputation.” Claire stared at the elevator doors. Of course. Ryan was the star. Everyone needed Ryan to keep winning. Everyone needed the team to look good. Apparently, she was the only person who didn’t matter. The elevator reached the lobby, and Claire walked outside without saying anything. Her car was parked near the entrance. She reached for the door handle, then stopped when Alex spoke behind her. “Claire.” She turned. “Why are you telling me this?” Alex stood with his hands in his pockets. “Because someone should.” “And?” He looked at her for a moment. “Because you didn’t know.” Claire swallowed and looked down at her phone. More messages were waiting from Ryan, Mom, Dad, and the team manager. She locked the screen without reading any of them. “I spent the whole day in that film room,” she said quietly. “Every play. Every angle. I skipped lunch because Ryan needed me to finish it before the game.” Alex didn’t interrupt. “I did everything he asked.” Her voice shook. “And this is how he says thank you.” Alex’s expression changed slightly. “If you need something, you know where to find me.” Claire shook her head. “I don’t need anything from anyone on this team.” She opened her car door. “Claire.” She looked at him one last time. “Go home.” She almost laughed. Home. She wasn’t sure where that was anymore. Still, she got into her car and drove away. Her phone kept buzzing, but she ignored it. She drove through the city with both hands tight around the steering wheel, trying to keep her eyes on the road. Sophie and Ryan, the two people she trusted most, had managed to destroy everything in one night. And then there was Alex. She couldn’t stop thinking about what he had told her. Ryan had done this before. Claire pulled up outside her apartment and sat in the car for several minutes. She didn’t want to go inside. She didn’t want to see her parents, and she didn’t want to hear another person tell her to stay quiet. She didn’t want to hear the word team again. She finally picked up her phone. There were twenty-three missed calls. Claire turned it off. Tomorrow, she would figure out what to do. Tonight, she just needed to breathe. Nothing was going to be the same after tonight. She just didn’t know how much everything was about to change.