Mateo hadn't slept in three days, and it showed.
Leo noticed it first during practice—the way his captain's eyes were bloodshot, the way his shoulders sagged, the way his passes lacked their usual fire. Mateo was the best player on the team. The leader. The one everyone looked to when things got hard. But right now, he looked like he was carrying the weight of the world.
Leo pulled him aside after practice. “When's the last time you slept?”
Mateo looked away. “I don't know.”
“That's not an answer.”
“That's the only answer I have.”
Leo sat on the bench and patted the spot next to him. Mateo sat. His knee was bouncing. His hands were shaking.
“Talk to me,” Leo said.
“I can't.”
“You're the captain. You can't lead if you're running on empty.”
Mateo was quiet for a long moment. Then:
