Ava’s POV The noise of the crowd was a living thing — loud, chaotic, overwhelming — but in the middle of it, I only saw him. Ethan, flat on the hardwood, his body unnaturally still, the victory that had belonged to him seconds ago already eclipsed by fear. “Ethan!” My voice tore from me, raw, but it was swallowed by the roar of panic around us. The trainers rushed in, whistles shrieking, clearing space. But Tyler got there first, pushing through teammates and dropping hard to his knees. “Stay with me, man,” he demanded, voice breaking but steady. He caught Ethan’s hand in his, gripping it like an anchor. “Don’t you quit on me. Not now.” Ethan’s chest rose shallowly, too slow, too uneven. My own breath seemed to match it, jagged and broken. “Get the stretcher!” one of the trainers barked. The next seconds blurred — straps securing, oxygen mask lowering, hands lifting his body from the court where he had fallen like a warrior cut down. Tyler climbed right into the ambulance, his
Last Updated : 2025-09-18 Read more