I was proud of her — though on the night of the competition it was more rage than pride scorching through my chest. I’d never come so close to murdering someone in my entire life than when I saw Kyle shove Riley to the ground. The image haunted me for a few nights after, how she went sideways, her body angling in an unnatural way until it slammed against the turf. I saw her hair splayed out around her, her body limp and lifeless as I sprinted toward her with the commotion of all the other players dulled in the background. I’d never felt my heart beat like that before, never felt that…
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