Bounce Back

Chapter 51

Ryan's POV

The next two weeks seemed to blur together. Everything seemed to be about basketball because I didn't have classes. Classes start back in two days and I wasn't sure that I was ready for that work load yet.

I had just suddenly woken for some reason and I wasn't sure why. It was just past two in the morning and I had no reason to be awake at this time. I rolled over and noticed that the bed on the other side of the room seemed flat. When I flicked my lamp on I found it empty.

It puzzled me as to why Tyler was up and out of the dorm at this time. I tried to stay awake until he came back but the second that I turned the light off I was asleep again.

When I woke next it was a more acceptable time to be awake. When I glanced over at the other bed I found Tyler asleep and part of me relaxed knowing that he made it back last night. I pulled myself out of bed and slowly started to move around.

I was eating breakfast when I heard Tyler moving. I didn't say anything to him for a while as he got himself organised. In the end I didn't get a chance to say anything because he headed out straight after and I hadn't managed to convince myself to say anything yet.

The rest of the day was pretty boring and in some ways I was missing my classes just because it was something else to do. The team had another home after having two away games so it was nice to be playing back in LA.

Once again Alex was going to be watching from home and we had fallen into a habit of talking about them the next morning. The game was against 12th ranked Oregon so I was predicting a close game.

Once again I watched the opposition warm up and they looked really good. I had managed to watch a bit of their tape and they had quite a few good players.

Right from the beginning of the game it was tight and the players were getting up in each other's faces. The referees had to get in the middle a couple of times to stop fights breaking out. I wasn't sure why this was happening so much if it was us or them.

"What are you thinking?" Coach asked me.

"I think that they are trying to get under our skins and at the moment it is working," I said honestly.

He nodded and relayed the message to the team. Luke said something but I couldn't quite hear what it was and the rest of the players seemed to agree with him. Coach seemed to be firm though and sent the players back onto the court.

Towards the end of the game the team had a five point lead with a minute left. After Jackson was fouled a couple of people started shoving others. Whistles were getting blown but it didn't stop anything.

I watched in horror as Tyler got shoved backwards and fell backwards, landing awkwardly on the ground. He had to be helped up and off the court and luckily the team managed to hold on to win by two.

I didn't hang around long after the game. Just long enough to briefly talk to Coach and promise to send my notes. Part of me wanted to check in with Tyler but I had to remind myself that we weren't dating anymore and I shouldn't.

I didn't quite feel like going to the dorm so I spent a bit of time in the library so that when I did head back to the dorm Tyler was on his bed and I could see that he had been crying.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

He rolled over to scowl at me.

"You don't get to ask that anymore," he snapped.

"How come?" I asked.

"We broke up."

"You broke up with me and I still don't really know why," I said honestly.

His expression looked even harder than before and part of me wanted to look away.

"Do you want to know what's the matter?" he snapped.

I nodded because I really did even if we broke up I still care about him.

"Because I'm hurt and everyone is telling me that it isn't major and to play through it. I don't really have a teammate that I'm as close with as I was with James so I don't have someone to talk to. To tell that I don't like many of my classes and I have to spend a lot of time to figure out what is happening. And to tell that your comments about my play have got so harsh that Coach is calling me out despite me doing everything he fucking asks. And to tell that I broke up with you because I just needed someone to fucking talk to but you were never fucking here. That's why we broke up. Because I needed you and you weren't fucking here," he snapped.

"My comments are not that harsh about you," I said, trying to deal with one issue at a time.

"Yes they are. I'm playing as well as I can and reporters are saying that I'm a top player but my Coach is also telling me that there is to do to and this and that Ryan saw this and you aren't doing this right and no matter what I do there is always something wrong and at this point he doesn't ever give me a compliment either."

"I still don't get why we broke up."

"It's not fucking hard. I needed someone to fucking talk but you were leaving the dorm at six and wouldn't be back until midnight and the only time that I saw you was at basketball. It was hurting me and I thought through it and it wasn't far to be so I had to break up with you. You weren't fucking there for me when I needed you."

I stood there in shock. I hadn't thought about it like that no matter how he had said it before. I tried to reach forward to hug him but he stepped backwards.

"I still like you, probably too much, but it was hurting me too much for me to continue and relationships aren't meant to be like that," he said softly.

I still couldn't find anything to say to him.

"I'm going to head out for a little bit," he shrugged.

I then watched him head out again and I collapsed on my bed. For a few minutes as I could do was think about what he had said. I couldn't do anything more tonight so I got ready for bed but it still took me a long time to actually think. I had too many things to think about.

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The Wise One