The Celestial Arena's VIP parking lot glowed under the sodium hum of streetlights, the air thick with the lingering buzz of defeat. The Roarers, heads low, filed onto their team bus, the engine idling like a restless beast.
Ryan opened his messages and tapped out a text to Chloe, his fingers heavy. Rough night. We got torched. Hurts bad—need to hear your voice. The words felt raw, a quiet plea for comfort after his 31 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds paled against Hardell's legend-making night.
The message had just gone out when his phone buzzed—but it wasn't her.
The caller ID lit up with K-Vibe's name. Ryan exhaled hard, already knowing where this was going, and thumbed the answer button with a tired edge.
"Yo," he muttered, sinking deeper into his seat. "I told Hardell already—I'm not hitting the club tonight. I'm on the bus."
