Making It Count, page 28
“Shit,” she muttered, hoping the ref and the cameras didn’t hear her.
“Are you okay?” Layne asked, helping her up and holding on to her how she had in the last game.
“I rolled it,” Shay replied.
“You think you can make the free throw?” Hilton asked her.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
She shook it off as Layne let her go and headed to the free-throw line. They were down by four, so she needed to get them within one possession before the fourth quarter, at least. She limped a little and tried to keep her face from showing the pain she was feeling before she took the ball from the ref, completed her free-throw ritual, and made the shot. Then, she tried to take a few steps back to get on defense, but her ankle wasn’t having it. Shay managed to hobble back, but when she was tested, she couldn’t keep with the guard, who easily made it around her. Thankfully, though, when that player tried to pass the ball back out, her teammate wasn’t ready. The ball went out of bounds, and Dunbar got possession. Then, the buzzer sounded, and Shay didn’t have to look up to know it was a sub for her.
“What happened?”
“I rolled it,” Shay answered Coach’s question.
“Shit,” she said. “Get to the trainer. Have it checked out.”
“I just need a minute. I’ll wrap it and go back out.”
“We’ll see.” Coach pointed to the trainer, who was ready for her at the end of the bench.
Shay walked over, feeling her ankle stiffen a bit, but it wasn’t terrible. She could walk on it, and if she just worked it out a bit, she was sure she’d be able to go back into the game.
“Have a seat. How does it feel?”
“I just rolled it. I can go back in,” she replied as the trainer began to remove her shoe and sock.
“Swelling yet?” he asked.
“It’s a little stiff. Can you spray that magic stuff and wrap it? I can make it back out when the fourth quarter starts.”
He examined her foot, then pressed a little, and asked, “Does this hurt?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“This?”
“Yeah, but–”
“I want an X-ray to be safe,” he said.
“What?”
“Precautionary. You’re walking on it, but it’s swelling. I can’t see everything on an X-ray, but we can make sure there’s not a micro-fracture.”
“Fracture?” she asked. “It’s not broken. You just said I’m walking on it.”
“You didn’t snap it, but I want to make sure. We have an X-ray here, Shay. Let’s go to the back and check it out. Five minutes.”
“Five minutes? We’ll be in the fourth quarter by then.”
“And if you keep delaying, the game will be over by the time we get back out here.”
“Fine,” she said.
He helped her to her feet, and Shay walked, trying not to apply too much pressure to her ankle as they made their way back to the stadium’s medical facilities. Shay was told to stand in a spot and angle her foot just right. Then, she was told to move it this way and that until she was finally able to sit down and take all the weight off it.
“All right, let’s get it up to reduce the swelling,” the trainer told her. “We’re getting some ice on it, and then we’ll get it wrapped up.”
“Ice?”
“Shay, you can’t finish the game. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not broken,” Shay stated emphatically.
“I know. And I’m not sure if you’ve got a sprain. The X-ray won’t tell us much, but we can get an MRI later. Right now, I want to see the swelling go down, so ice and a wrap, and we’ll get you some crutches.”
“Crutches? What?”
“So that you can go back out and watch the rest of the game. After that, though, you’re getting the MRI, and we’re keeping you off your ankle.”
“If we win, we play in the final the day after tomorrow,” Shay said.
“I know. And there’s a chance you can play. If it’s not a sprain and you really just rolled it, the swelling will go down with some ice and you staying off it. We can wrap it up for the final, but right now, we just need to get the swelling down.”
“Okay. Fine,” she relented.
When her ankle was taken care of, Shay was issued a pair of silver crutches that she hated just looking at, let alone having to use. She did, though, as she slowly made her way back out to the court’s sideline, where she very quickly checked the score and the time left on the clock. There were only three minutes left. How had she been gone so long? It hadn’t felt that long at all. Dunbar was down by two, which meant they’d played well in her absence, but Layne was on the bench, and they couldn’t both be on the bench.
“What are you doing here?” Shay asked, sitting down next to her after making a sophomore move.
“Shit. Are you okay? What is it?” Layne asked.
“No break. Maybe a sprain. I don’t know. I’ll get the test after the game, but I’m out today. Why are you on the bench?”
“I needed a break. I… had to use my inhaler. They’ve been running us like crazy. I’ll go back in with around two minutes left.”
“Are you okay?” Shay asked, suddenly worried as someone behind her took her crutches and put them somewhere.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I promise,” Layne told her with a smile. “Just not used to this much playing time, and we’ve gone back and forth the whole quarter.”
“Layne!” Coach yelled.
“Got to go,” Layne said and tossed her towel into her empty seat.
Shay leaned forward and clasped her hands, silently praying that having Layne back on the court would help the team that was now down by four. She couldn’t help them. If this were the last game of her collegiate career, she’d go down with an injury instead of on the court, but Shay had faith. She knew Layne had done her homework. They’d talked about it during film yesterday.
In fact, the other team’s conditioning couldn’t have been as good as what Coach put them through because their opponent looked exhausted. They had all their starters back on the court, and three of them had just gotten a break, so they should be refreshed, but they weren’t. Layne, however, looked good. She looked ready, and as she brought the ball up the court, she did so as fast as she could dribble, trying to tire out Number Fifteen, who was guarding her and trying to keep up.
Three quick passes later, Layne had a jump shot swish through the net. They were only down by two. Hilton played tough defense and was called for a foul, but she’d only had three, and Dunbar had two team fouls to give before they’d be giving away free throws.
The defense held on the inbound, and when the other team finally got a shot up, it missed. Hilton got the short rebound, and she held on to the ball until the other team backed off. Then, she fired it over to Layne, who practically danced as she dribbled around the court, making her guard stay with her. Shay laughed a little because it looked silly, but Layne was too fast. She moved around her defender and passed it off to Ledger, who was beyond the arc and open just enough to shoot. When Ledger hit it, Shay shot out of her seat and screamed excitedly before she remembered to sit back down and clap and yell from there.
With thirteen seconds left on the clock a few plays later, Dunbar was still up by one. But they didn’t have the ball, so they had to play the best defense of their lives to get out of this one and fight for the National Championship that no one, including Shay, had dreamed they’d be fighting for.
The ball came in. Layne let her player catch it. Then, she tightened up her defense. Ledger hurried over to double-team. With only six seconds left on the clock, the ball was passed to their center, who tried to dribble a few times and get it over Hilton for the shot and what would be the win. Hilton stood tall, keeping her hands up straight, doing everything not to foul because a foul on the shot would mean two free throws.
When the shot went up, Hilton’s fingertips caught the ball, and it hit the rim, rolled around it, and instead of going in, it went out. Somehow, Layne was there for the rebound, and with one second left on the clock, she tossed the ball past the half-court line. It bounced, and the buzzer sounded. Dunbar University was going to the National Championship game.
Shay sat there in silence, her hands over her face. She couldn’t believe it. They’d done the impossible. She watched Layne run over to her and kneel down in front of her. Then, Layne wrapped her arms around Shay’s shoulders and pulled her in for a hug.
“We did it, babe,” Layne said in her ear.
CHAPTER 36
Layne sat in her room, reading the text message for the millionth time.
Shay: They think it’s fine, but we’ll know more tomorrow. No signs of a tear. If it’s still swollen tomorrow, though, I won’t practice, which probably means I won’t play. I hate this. I wish you could just be here with me, and we could fall asleep with you holding me because this sucks. I might have come all this way and not be able to play.
Layne locked her phone and packed her stuff. They had tonight, tomorrow night, and the night after at this hotel. Then, they’d be gone, and she’d waited long enough. She opened her door and checked the hallway, finding no one walking around. She hurried across the hall and knocked on Shay’s door, hoping she could get to it without too much trouble to open it for her.
“Layne?” Shay said through the door before she opened it.
“Hi, yeah. I’m coming in.”
“What?” Shay asked.
“Babe, I’m coming in. Just step back for me. Actually, get back into bed.”
“Layne, you can’t be here.”
“Shay, you’re my girlfriend. You’re hurt. I’m taking care of you.”
“Babe, I’m okay. I just need to lie down. I’m icing it like–”
Layne pulled her roller inside the room and tossed her duffel bag into the bathroom since Shay was still standing there.
“Are you moving in?”
“For the next few nights, I am,” Layne replied and closed the door behind her.
“Layne…”
“You’re hurt. I’m here. You’re not sick. I’m not sick. We got tested before the game.” She pulled off her mask.
“You can get kicked off the team for this.”
“Shay, I’m taking care of you. What you and the others on the team mistakenly assumed was me not caring about basketball all those years, was really me understanding that there are more important things in the world than a sport, and you are one of those things to me.” Layne paused. “I love you.”
“You do?” Shay asked.
“Yes,” Layne stated. “And I’ve wanted to tell you that for a long time now, but I wanted it to be in person, and I wanted us to be alone.”
“This is the first time we’ve been alone since…”
“Yes, it is.”
“I love you, too,” Shay replied and pulled off her mask. “And you don’t have to take care of me; the swelling is already going down.”
“Good,” Layne said. “Because I can’t wait anymore.” She moved into Shay and finally, after more than a year, pressed her lips to her girlfriend’s.
Shay kissed her back and wrapped her arms around Layne’s neck. Layne’s arms were around Shay’s waist, and she picked her up, not wanting Shay to walk. Shay laughed as Layne carried her over to the bed and sat her down on it, reconnecting their lips.
“How much of this visit was you wanting to take care of me versus you wanting to do that?” Shay asked.
“Sixty-forty, maybe,” Layne replied honestly.
Shay lifted Layne’s shirt and kissed her stomach.
“God, I can’t believe I get to do this right now.”
“You need to lie down.”
“Happily,” Shay said and let go of Layne’s shirt.
“I meant for your ankle.”
“I’ll lie down if you get on top of me,” Shay told her and took off her Dunbar University Women’s Basketball shirt.
“You don’t…” Layne was staring down at Shay’s bare breasts.
“I was going to sleep before you go there. It’s late. Are you wearing a bra?”
Layne shook her head no but didn’t take her eyes off Shay’s breasts. Shay chuckled and lifted Layne’s shirt again, pulling a bit to get Layne to take the hint. Layne did and pulled her shirt off, letting it fall to the floor.
“Finally,” Shay said and moved her lips to Layne’s right nipple.
“Yes,” Layne agreed as she held Shay’s head to her breast. “Shit. Shay, lie down.”
“I want to–”
“When your ankle isn’t swollen and we don’t have a game the day after tomorrow. For now, just please lie down.”
Shay looked up at her with annoyance at first but then complied and moved to lay her head against her pillow.
“You’re really going to stay in here with me tonight?”
“Yes,” Layne replied before she removed her own sweatpants, leaving them to pool at the end of the bed.
“You’re going hold me?” Shay asked.
“Yes, I am. But first, I’m going to touch you.” Layne pulled Shay’s pants off then, being careful with her ankle, and noticed the ice pack on the bed. “You have another one of these, right?”
“They gave me at least ten, yeah.”
“Great.” Layne tossed it to the floor, making Shay laugh.
“Eager much?”
“To have sex with my girlfriend? Yes. It’s been a year.”
“Well, a little longer for you because you had that major crush on me for, like, four years.”
Shay’s smile disappeared when Layne climbed on top of her.
“Yes, but it wasn’t a crush. It was me realizing it was meant to be all along.”
“Meant to be?” Shay asked, wrapping her arms around Layne’s neck.
“That’s how it feels to me,” Layne admitted as she pressed their foreheads together. “I love you so much. I love how you love basketball. I love how you love me. I love how you make me laugh and bring me out of my shell. I love that you never let them make fun of me when I sat on the bench and didn’t talk to anyone. I love that you–”
“I love you, too. But will you please just kiss me right now? I need you.”
Layne pressed her lips to Shay’s, and she let their kiss build slowly for a while, wanting to revel in finally being able to kiss the woman she loved. She slipped her tongue into Shay’s mouth and earned a moan, which made her hips lower and settle between Shay’s.
“I know we said we’d do this the first chance we got, but–” Shay began and stopped when Layne paused the kisses she’d been applying to her neck.
“But? You don’t want to?” Layne checked.
“No, I do. I just wanted to see your reaction.” Shay laughed. “What? You said you loved how I made you laugh.”
“Do I look like I’m laughing, Shay? You’re going to pay for that later.”
“Promise?” Shay teased.
Layne recognized what Shay was doing. Things had gotten pretty serious all at once when Layne had moved her lips to Shay’s neck, and this was Shay’s way of reminding her who they were together. Layne smiled down at her, kissed her again, and moved her lips back to Shay’s neck. Shay’s hands were on Layne’s bare back, and she was practically kneading the muscles that seemed to crave her touch before she slipped both hands into Layne’s underwear and cupped her ass.
“God, your ass… I’ve wanted to touch it for so long.”
“Really?” Layne asked, sliding her tongue along Shay’s collarbone.
“I could see it in those boy shorts of yours, and I wanted to have my hands on it.”
“And?”
“And I want to see it, Layne. I want to see all of you.”
Layne nodded and shifted until she was kneeling between Shay’s legs. She swallowed, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden, and lowered her boy shorts to her knees. Shay licked her lips and sat up, pushing the underwear down as far as she could get them until Layne had to move to get them off completely. Then, Shay’s mouth was back on her nipple.
“I’m lying down, so you’re going to let me have this.”
Layne didn’t argue. She held Shay to her breast and let her lick and suck until she was ready to move to the other nipple and do the same. One of Shay’s hands was on her other breast now while the other was on Layne’s ass, squeezing and massaging in a way that had Layne wet and ready, but they’d just started, and she wanted them to go slow their first time. When Shay’s hand slid down Layne’s asscheek and had a pretty specific destination in mind, she pulled Shay away from her breast and kissed her until Shay was lying back against her pillow. Then, Layne pulled off Shay’s white cotton panties and tossed them aside. Her lips made their way back down to Shay’s breasts. She bathed them with attention, wanting to always be able to touch her this way and feel Shay’s hips rising and falling thanks to Layne’s lips on her skin.
“God, Layne. Please,” Shay let out.
Her hands were on Layne’s shoulders, and she was making her point abundantly clear as she pushed a little.
“You want that first?” Layne asked, kissing her way down Shay’s body and finding her right hip bone particularly interesting as she licked it.
“I want you. I just… I need you.”
Layne felt Shay spreading her legs, so she shifted lower until she was kissing Shay’s thigh, breathing her in, and looking up at her beautiful girlfriend, who had her eyes aimed directly at Layne’s. Layne kept the eye contact as she moved her hand between Shay’s thighs and spread her folds. She couldn’t believe she was this lucky. She licked her and felt Shay’s hips jerk.
“Fuck,” Shay let out.
Layne licked again and said, “Tell me what you like?”
“Babe, anything. I’ll come. I want you so bad right now,” Shay told her.
Layne licked her again. Then, she licked her own lips and let the taste of her soak in.
“God, Shay.” She moved her lips to Shay’s clit and sucked.
“Oh.” Shay’s hands went on Layne’s shoulders.
Layne sucked her slowly, not wanting to go too fast this first time, but as much as she wanted to savor this for as long as possible, she also couldn’t hold back completely. So, as Shay spread her legs farther apart, Layne moved her fingers to Shay’s entrance, coated her index finger in Shay’s wetness, and then slipped it just inside, asking silently for permission.
