Meanwhile, dressed in blue jersey shirts and matching blue shorts, Alex, Lucas, Romeo, and Damien were already on the court, stretching and passing the ball around as they waited patiently for Gabe and Fred to arrive.
Soon enough, Fred appeared, pushing Gabe's wheelchair steadily toward the basketball court.
Alex noticed them first.
"We almost thought you two weren't playing," he called out, a warm smile spreading across his face as his gaze fixed on Gabe.
Gabe didn't return the look. His eyes stayed glued to the ground, his fingers curling slightly against the armrest of the wheelchair.
Alex jogged closer, lowering his voice just a little. "You don't have to play, okay?" he added quickly, seriousness edging into his tone even though a familiar smirk tugged at his lips. "Romeo and I will handle it. I'll make sure our team wins."
"Yeah," Romeo chimed in smoothly from where he stood near the three-point line. His voice was thick—calm, deep, effortless.
