I exhaled, staring at the stadium ahead. Now, we just had to win this damn game.
The locker roombuzzed with an electric mix of nerves and adrenaline, a quiet storm brewing beneath the surface. Some guys sat with their heads down, earphones in, locked into their own rituals, like Graham. Others paced, stretching, shaking out their limbs like they could physically expel the tension from their bodies. Hunter was murmuring softly to himself as he paced, nerves getting the better of him.
Jaxon Dexter, our leader, stood in the center of it all, his presence commanding as he ran a hand through his dark hair. The room naturally quieted, everyone turning their attention to him.
“This is it,” Jaxon started, his voice steady, carrying the weight of the moment. “We’ve been grindin’ all season forthis. Every extra rep, every early mornin’, every late-nightflight…it all comes down to tonight.” His gaze swept over us, making sure each of us felt the gravity of his words.
“Every guy in this room knows what it’s like to bleed for this game. We’ve been knocked down, counted out, and still, we made it here. And now? Now, we finish this.” He clenched his jaw, eyes blazing with determination. “We don’t back down. We don’t hesitate. We leave it all out on that field, and wewin.”
A chorus of agreement rumbled through the room. Jaxon nodded once before stepping back, and I took a deep breath, rolling out my shoulders. The weight of the night pressed against me, but I welcomed it.
I met Jaxon’s gaze as he turned toward me, and for a moment, the noise around us dulled. “Hell of a speech, Jax,” I said, my voice low but firm. “Last one, huh?”
His lips twitched, the closest thing to a smile I’d seen from him all day. “Yeah,” he admitted. “Last one.”
I swallowed against the tightness in my throat, nodding. “Let’s make sure you go out on top.”
He clapped a hand against my shoulder, squeezing briefly before stepping back. “Damn right. Your hand is good?” he asked softly, glancing at my bruised knuckles.
“Never been better.”
My phone vibrated against the bench beside me. I grabbed it, my heart kicking up as I saw Logan’s name flash across the screen.
Logan
She’s here. With me and the girls. She looks nervous, but she came, Griff.
Relief flooded my chest, and I exhaled, a slow grin tugging at my lips.
“Tate’s here,” I murmured undermy breath.
Jaxon caught my eye from across the room, his expression knowing. “Good,” he said simply. “Now, let’s go win this thin’.”
The room erupted in shouts and claps, guys pounding fists against their gloves, hyping each other up. I shoved my phone into my locker and stood, my body vibrating with energy.
It was time.
The stadium was electric, the roar of the crowd vibrating through my bones as I stepped onto the field. The weight of the moment settled over me, but it wasn’t fear—it was fire. This was what we lived for, what we fought for.
The game was brutal from the start. Every pitch, every swing, every play mattered. The other team came out aggressive, making it clear they weren’t just going to roll over and let us take the title.
By the seventh inning, we were tied. My jersey clung to my back, sweat dripping from my temples.
I stood in center field alongside Graham and Hunter, my heartbeat pounding in my ears. Jaxon had already told us in the locker room this was hislastgame. We were playing forhim.
Top of the ninth. Two outs. One more and we were champions.
Our closer, Reyes, stood on the mound, exhaling slow. The batter was dangerous, the kind who could changeeverythingwith one swing.
The pitch came in, a fastball, low.
Crack.
The ball shot into the air, deep into center.
I was already moving.
I sprinted, Graham on my left, Hunter on my right. The lights above blurred as I tracked the ball, my legs burning, my lungs heaving.