In Love With Her

Chapter 3

The few months have passed, and I've gotten closer with Nika again. We are on our way to Zagreb, Croatia, for a big game. I'm sitting next to Nika on the plane, and when I look over, she looks so peaceful. When we land, we all get who we are rooming with, and of course, I got Nika. Everyone was tired, so the coach's headed to their rooms. Paige, Azzi, and Aubrey all came to hang out with Nika and I in our room.

"Who was your first girl kiss?" Aubrey asked. Paige answered first, "A girl in my junior year of high school, her name was Aria.

"What about you, Nika?" Aubrey asked.

"Sophmore Year of high school, I think her name was Elena."

"Dang, Nika's been getting girls since she was 15." Paige joked as she looked in my direction, "who'd you kiss bri."

"A girl in my senior year of high school, I had traveled to a different place to play a basketball game, and when we first met, she hated me because in the game I challenged her, some would say I was better." Everyone looks at each other. The entire time I was talking, I was looking directly at Nika.
"What's her name." Azzi asked.

"Nika Muhl." I say, still staring at Nika, neither of us breaking eye contact. Everyone looks shocked. I look away from her and change the subject.
"Aubrey, who was your first kiss." I ask her, already knowing the answer.
"Caroline."
"I knew it." Paige yells as loud as she could. We all laugh. A few hours later, they leave. Nika and I lay down, and I turn my back to her.
"Are we gonna talk about earlier." I turn to face her.
"What is there to talk about, Nika?" How does someone look so beautiful laying down.
"You told everyone that I was your first kiss." And here it comes.
"You were my first kiss. Why would I lie."
"You should have lied. What happened between us? It ruined everything. So why would you tell the truth." She says, angry. If looks could kill, I would be dead right now.

"Well, you know what, I didn't want to lie, so i told the truth, and i don't know why you're bringing this up, but what happened between us, wasn't my fault." I get angry, and i get out of bed, and I face the wall. I feel her breath on my neck.
"Actually, it was your fault, your fault that you couldn't just keep your legs closed. Maybe if you would have, We wouldn't have been in the situation we were in." Tears roll down my face, I wasn't expecting her words, and they hurt me.

"Fuck you Nika." She grabs me and turns me around. She gets closer to me.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you. Don't ever mention what happened between us. We are teammates, and that's all it will ever be." She just walks away and lays down like nothing happened. I take the opportunity to leave the room and I get a different hotel room. 
The next week goes by fast, I've only been near Nika when I've hadtoo.
It's the day of our big game, and I'm warming up on the court. Me and Nika haven't been working well together, but today it's important.
(I'm gonna skip to the important part of this game.)

We're down by 6, and we have 4 minutes left of the 4th quarter. I'm exhausted, but I play through it. The girl I'm guarding starts driving in, and when I try to guard her, she pushes me down. With a lot of force and I landed wrong on my ankle. I hear a snap. I scream in pain, and my teammates rush to my side. "It hurts. It really hurts." Aubrey and paige lift me up, and I look directly at Nika. She looks worried and scared.

I get set down, and our trainer gives me something to numb the pain. Later, after the game ends, Nika walks in the room.
"Get out." I know it's her, I turn my head and see her standing there.
"Bri, just let me talk."
"No, get the hell out, I don't want to talk to you."
"God dammit bri, just let me talk, okay?" She's only cussed a few times, so her cussing is a rare thing.

"I'm sorry for what I said, we were getting close again, and I guess I got scared, so I did what I did best, and I pushed you away. I shouldn't have said any of that to you. From the moment i met you, bri. I've loved you, and what happened between us, it wasn't your fault. Seeing you laying there on that floor, in pain, It scared me. I don't ever want to feel like that again. So I'm asking you from the bottom of my heart, please forgive me."
I shift in the bed to where I'm sitting up. "I forgive you." Tears are rolling down my face. She walks up to me and pulls me into a hug. Our trainer Janelle walks into the room.

"Brianna, I have some bad news and good news. The bad news is that your ankle is fractured. It'll take a few months to heal and a lot of rehab to try and get it back to normal."

"And the good news?" Nika asks before I get a chance, too.

"The good news is that we are pretty sure that your ankle will get back to normal. This will take about 3 months, but it will get better." Janelle finishes.
"Will I be able to play the rest of the season." I ask, I'm praying she says I can.
"It depends how rehab goes, if your not feeling any pain then, yes you can continue the season, but if not, you will be sitting out." I nod my head, and she leaves me and Nika alone in the room.

"This is terrible." I say as I put my head on her chest.
"I know, but it will get better." She holds me close.
"I hope so." I say before I fall asleep next to her.