Alex had moved beside me, that perfect, composed presence slipping effortlessly into the group. My chest tightened, pulse spiking, but I stayed in place, forcing a laugh at something the swimmer said, pretending she wasn’t a lightning bolt in the room.
Then, as if on cue, the other triathletes began pulling the swimmers to the side, striking up separate conversations. Slowly and deliberately, the group thinned until it was just her and me alone in the middle of the crowded room.
I wanted to close the distance, to throw my arms around her and feel her again. But seeing her up close, every memory of that hotel room slammed into me: the wayshe hadn’t tried to reached out, even though I’d blocked her everywhere, she could still have found a way to explain her side. My chest tightened, heat flooding my blood. Just the thought of it was enough to make it boil. Something had happened, and she hadn’t bothered to stop me from thinking about it. Anger coiled low in my stomach, sharper than desire, warning me to stay away.
“Liv, can we talk?” Her voice broke the silence.
“No.”
“Then when?” she pressed, desperate, taking half a step closer. “You won’t answer my calls and my messages. This is the first chance I’ve had to even look at you. I need you to hear me.”
The cold in my chest hardened. Here she was, trying to peel them open. I folded my arms, staring past her to the chandeliers above.
Her jaw tightened. She just stayed rooted there, eyes locked on me, fighting not to crumble in front of everyone.
“Liv…” Her voice dropped to a whisper, raw. “Please.”
The sound of it, so soft and pleading, knocked the air right out of me. I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek, fighting the sting in my eyes. I hated that she still had that effect on me.
I exhaled. “Fine.” My voice was sharp, but my chest was a mess of nerves. “Five minutes. Out there.”
Her gaze flicked to where I nodded, the balcony. Something like hope sparked across her face. She gave the smallest nod.
“Balcony,” I repeated under my breath, like a warning more to myself than her, before I turned and started walking toward the doors, pulse hammering in my throat.
ALEXANDRA
The night air was cool, brushing against my skin as I stepped onto the balcony. The city lights stretched below, a blur of gold and silver, but all I could see was her.
She didn’t turn at my approach, didn’t acknowledge me, and for a moment, I wondered if I’d already crossed some invisible line I couldn’t come back from.
“Liv,” I began, my voice rough. “About that night in the hotel… what you saw with Cassandra, it wasn’t what you think.”
Her jaw tightened, but she didn’t look at me.
“She’d gone out for a recovery jog and a swim when some guy started following her. Wouldn’t back off. She panicked and ran straight back to the hotel, but somewhere in the rush she dropped her keycard. By the time she made it up, she was shaken and still soaked through from the sweat. I gave her a bathrobe, that’s all. The staff were bringing a spare key, and until then… she waited in my room. Nothing more than that.”
She finally turned, her eyes sharp, skeptical.
I swallowed hard, forcing the rest out. “Yeah, it looked bad. Hell, I’d have thought the same if I were you. It was just timing. She was locked out, I needed to shower, and it was just… coincidence. Nothing happened.”
Her arms stayed crossed, she still didn’t say anything, so I kept going.
“And I should’ve told you about everything. I’ve been feeling off these past months, and instead of letting you in, I tried to carry it alone. I thought if I told you, I’d justweigh you down. You already have the whole world to carry with tennis, I didn’t want to be another burden.”
Her laugh was soft but sharp, cutting through me. “So instead, you let me believe the worst. You thought that was protecting me?”
I winced, nodding faintly. “I know. I messed up. I thought hiding it was better than showing you the broken version of me. But it only hurt you more.”
Finally, her gaze met mine, a storm in her eyes.
“I didn’t want you to worry anymore,” I whispered. “But the truth is, I can’t lose you, Liv. Not like this. Not ever.”
Then she leaned against the railing, voice cool but cutting.
“So let me get this straight,” she said. “Cassandra shows up half-dressed in your room, you hop in the shower at the exact same time, and somehow you thought, ‘yes, this is a situation Olivia will definitely find comforting.’”
“Liv, I tried,” I blurted, desperate. “I tried to explain. I called, I texted, dozens of times. You blocked me everywhere. What was I supposed to do?”
