He misses the beat in our slow dance before recovering. His cheeks are flushed as he tightens his arms around me.
“Yes, especially that.”
28
BEN
Six months later
Waking up at the frat house next to myboyfriendfeels better than anything. But playing a doubles match with him runs a close second.
We face Stanford in the NCAA Finals after breezing through regionals. They’re looking cocky after beating us at Indian Wells, but we’re a better team now. Since our match in Palm Springs, we’ve become stronger. Mine and Elias’ relationship has only helped our non-verbal communication on the court. Elias only has to look at me and I know what he’s thinking. It helps that he can come back to Connecticut with me to practice on my parents’ courts any time, too.
Seeing as it’s the finals, my parents are here today. I spotted them sitting in the stands when we walked out onto the court. My mom’s dressed in a classy wrap dress with her sunglasses on. My dad is in a blazer and aviators.
A bubble of nerves surfaces when I glance up at them before stepping onto the court with Elias to play our doubles match against Stanford’s strongest players. Elias senses my nerves and gives my shoulder a squeeze. If we were on the practice courts with no one but our teammates and coaches around to see, he’d squeeze my hand and maybe plant a kiss on top of my head.
“We’ve got this, my little sparrow.”
I have to hold in a snort. Hearing Elias’ terms of endearment translated into English always makes me laugh.
We win the coin toss and I serve first. Elias gives me a little nod before crouching into place to await the first point. I don’t need to check out his butt since I can do that later. Right now, we’re all business. Our enemy are across the net, and we have a score to settle with Stanford. Those guys think they’re the bee’s knees at tennis. Yeah, well, we’re ready to beat them. I know we are.
I’m focused as I lock in on my serve. The sounds of the court settle around me. My heartbeat roars in my ears as I toss the ball. Everything seems to move in slow motion as the ball comes back down and I bring my racket up to meet it. I feel the connection all the way through my arm down to my shoulder. It hits right where I want it, in the sweet spot of the racket, and then the ball is soaring over the net in a perfect arc.
It’s like we’ve practiced a million times before. Trying to hit targets over and over until our arms ache. All the hours of work and missed lie-ins are worth it for the moment my serve goes right down the T in an ace and the umpire calls the point.
My next serve isn’t quite an ace, but we still win the point and Elias comes barreling into me on the celebration.The way he looks at me—I’m no longer constantly questioning what he sees in me. I’ve stopped second-guessing and decided to just enjoy it. He’s still here. So close to graduation and making plans for what we’re going to do after. I hold onto that instead. Allow it to overtake any doubts I might have.
We win our service game in the best way—forty-love. Stanford wins their first service game, too. The score is tied, but we remain focused.
When it’s time for Elias to serve, it’s like poetry in motion. Over the past few months, his nerves, the tightness he’d get in his game when he was piling the pressure on to do and be everything right this second, it all started to slip away. I understand why he believes he will be a pro player. Watching him serve two aces in a row, watching that impressively powerful body move with such grace and speed, I believe it, too.
He puts on a serving masterclass and puts us ahead in the score, 2-1.
We hold onto our lead when we break Stanford’s serve in the next game, causing our teammates to erupt into cheers. It’s hard to come back from a broken serve—we’re too on fire for Stanford to make a comeback. We win the first set, 6-4.
Elias is so impressive in the second set, all I need to do it clear the stray balls that wander into my part of the court. Elias could probably get to some of those if he wanted, but he knows how to stay on his side of the court now. He has learned how to trust me.
We win the match in straight sets. One point for Princeton. Zero to Stanford.
I look up into the stands to see my parents on their feet.Their expressions are neutral behind their sunglasses, but they’re applauding. That feels good, at least.
Elias catches me looking and squeezes my shoulder again. “You’re doing okay?”
I nod. I plan to introduce Elias to my parents as my boyfriend over dinner tonight. I have no idea how they’ll take the news. Probably with a stiff upper lip, as they take every piece of news in public. It doesn’t matter. It’s not something I can change, and it’s certainly not something I’d want to change.
I actually like being me.
I block my parents out while I watch Elias play his singles match against one of Stanford’s star players. This guy could also make the pro tour next year and is a grad student at twenty-two. Stanford’s player has to squint up at him as they shake hands over the net.
Elias is playing so well today he makes the Stanford player look like an amateur. Elias has him running all over the court while appearing not to move himself.
I watch in awe.That’s my boyfriend out there.The guy who has cute nicknames for me and tells me I’m amazing.
He’s a force to be reckoned with and he sends the Stanford player home in a straight sets win.
Now it’s my turn to get out there and win another crucial point for the team.
