Maddie caught my expression and leaned forward. “See? You’re curious now. And don’t try to tell me you’re not.”
“I’m... not,” I said, but my voice wavered just enough to give me away.
She raised a brow. “Liv, you can bury your head in the sand all you want, but you’re not fooling me. You like her. And I’m telling you now, if you keep pretending you don’t, someone else might get there first. If that happens, don’t come crying to me.”
I gave her a dry look. “Noted.” But the truth was, her words lingered like an annoying little echo I couldn’t quite shake off.
ALEXANDRA
Sure, I’d seen the pictures. Olivia and I at that little café in Ohio, and God, I looked so giddy. Every frame was the same: me leaning in, eyes crinkled, unable to stop smiling like some teenager on her first crush.
I felt like a teenager, and now the whole world had proof. Proof that Alexandra Wilson-Cadiz, queen of keeping her cool, had turned into an absolute mess the second Olivia sat across the table.
Now I’m in New York, and Coach Kit has been absolutely killing me with the training blocks. Morning gym, afternoon court work, evening conditioning, it felt like every muscle in my body was staging a protest.
I’m pretty sure Coach Kit has been punishing me for daring to juggle tennis with triathlon. Ever since I told them that after the US Open I’d be going back to triathlon training, the sessions have been… brutal. Longer drills, shorter breaks, and enough sprints to make me question every life decision I’ve ever made. I’d like to think it’s all “preparation,” but it feels a lot like retribution.
And if that wasn’t enough, Dad’s been slipping me “optional” training plans for whenever I can squeeze them.
By the time practice wrapped, I was drenched, my legs jelly, and my lungs still trying to catch up. I grabbed my water and flopped onto the bench, head tilted back to stare at the rafters. A moment later, Archie dropped down beside me, tossing me a fresh towel.
“So…” Archie said, dragging it out like he was about to drop the world’s worst punchline. “You’ve seen the pictures, right?”
Heat shot up the back of my neck. “It was just lunch.”
Archie gasped in mock-shock, clutching his chest. “Just lunch? You’ve skipped dinner with me for weeks, but the second Miss Smythe shows up, you’re smiling like you’ve been hit with Cupid’s entire arsenal of arrows? Traitor.”
“It’s just a bet, Arch.”
He chuckled, leaning back against the bench. “Funny, because I’ve known you long enough to tell when you’re lying through your teeth. And I also know you’ve had a crush on Olivia since you were a kid.”
I turned my head slowly toward him.
“Every time she used to practice at the academy, you’d just happen to be free to watch. Didn’t matter if it was a junior tournament or some random Tuesday hitting session, you were there. Like clockwork.” Archie said, grinning like a cat who’d caught the canary.
I scoffed, aiming for dismissive but probably landing somewhere closer to defensive. “That’s called supporting mom’s junior athletes.”
“You’re my twin, Lex. I know she’s the reason you suddenly picked up a racket when you were thirteen, thesame time she left the academy,” he said, dragging the word out. Then he smirked knowingly.
My jaw tightened despite my best effort to keep it loose. Trust Archer to dig up ancient history like it was yesterday.
I exhaled, shaking my head with a reluctant half-smile. “That’s exactly why I don’t tell you things, you’d never stop teasing.”
He grinned in victory. “Yes! I was right!”
I jabbed a finger at him. “Don’t tell anybody. I mean it, Archer.”
He raised both hands in mock surrender. “Your secret’s safe with me. But…” that infuriating smirk slid right back into place, “if you want my advice? Just shoot your shot, Lex. Life’s too short for pining from the baseline.”
I rolled my eyes, but there was no escaping him now. “It’s not that simple.”
“Talk to me.” His expression softened.
I hesitated, chewing on the inside of my cheek before the words finally came out. “Things with Olivia are… good. Easy. We’re actually becoming friends.”
I swallowed. “I’ve never wanted to risk ruining something more.”
Archer nodded slowly. “But you like her.”
