The second I hit the ground, I knew it was bad.
Not tweaked. Not sore. Bad.
There was this sickening crack that echoed through my whole body. My brain didn’t want to register it at first. It just screamed get up, get up, like I could fight it off with willpower alone. But I couldn’t even move. Couldn’t flex my foot. Couldn’t unclench my jaw.
Pain bloomed behind my eyes. Bright. Burning. And then… everything started to fade.
The world dimmed around the edges.
I heard my name—once, twice. Raphina’s voice, I think. A whistle. Feet pounding. Then hands.
Gloved, steady, urgent.
I blinked, trying to focus, but the stadium lights above me felt like knives.
“Stay still, Lucas. You’re okay,” one of the medics said. Calm voice. Gentle grip. Liar.
I wanted to say something. Joke. Curse. Anything. But my throat felt thick. My chest, heavy.
Was Riley watching this?
God, I didn’t want her to see me like this.
The ride off the field felt like a funeral procession. I kept my eyes shut. Easier that way. Maybe if I didn’t see the crowd, the silence, the cameras zoomed too close, I could pretend this was nothing. Just a sprain. Just a scare.
But it wasn’t.
And the second the medics hit the tunnel, I lost it.
“Is it torn?” I rasped. “Tell me straight.”
“We need scans—”
“Don’t bullshit me.”
The older medic sighed. “It’s likely, yes. But we won’t confirm anything until we get you under imaging.”
I turned my head away. Let it fall against the stretcher. A ceiling tile flickered above me, like it couldn’t decide whether to stay lit.
It matched my brain perfectly.
The walls were too white. Too sterile. It reminded me of the last time I was here. The first time. Before Riley. When I was just a name on an injury list and not a man trying to put his whole damn life back together.
The staff spoke in calm Spanish, sliding IVs into my arm, cutting off my cleats. Everything felt too fast and too slow at the same time.
Then Zara burst into the room.
Her face was flushed, eyes wild. “You idiot,” she snapped.
I tried to smile. “Nice to see you too.”
She sat beside me, grabbing my hand like it was hers to hold. “You played too soon.”
“I had to,” I whispered. “I needed her to see me.”
Zara blinked. “She saw you, alright.”
I stared up at the ceiling again, jaw clenched. “Did she call?”
“She called me,” Zara said. “Twice. Sounded like she couldn’t breathe.”
Something in my chest cracked. Guilt.
“She’s flying in, Lucas,” Zara added quietly. “She’s coming back.”