“No,” she said flatly, walking across the baseline to stand in front of me. “You’re serving like it’s your enemy. Power is good, but right now you look like you’re trying to decapitate those bottles. What’s going on?”
I swallowed, my gaze betraying me for a split second. Across the chain-link fence, beyond the rows of courts, the academy’s track was visible. Alex and Cassandra walking side by side, laughing like it was the easiest thing in the world. Carefree, in sync, as if the past years hadn’t put oceans between them.
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to look back down at the ball in my hand. “Nothing,” I lied.
She tilted her head, arms crossing. “Mhm. Nothing looks a lot like wanting to murder plastic bottles.”
I tried to laugh it off, but it came out hollow. I knew I shouldn’t care. I had no right to. But every chuckle driftingacross the track made my grip tighten on the racquet just that little bit more.
Coach Dani finally sighed, stepping closer. “Alright, that’s enough. Take a break. You need to learn how tocontrolthe power, Liv. Settle your conflict with the poor plastic bottles before you take their heads clean off.”
Reluctantly, I let the ball drop and walked over to the bench. Sweat clung to my neck, my wrist aching just slightly from the force I’d been putting behind each serve. Maddie was already waiting, like she always was, handing me a cold water bottle with that too-knowing smile.
“Thanks,” I muttered, cracking the cap and gulping it down.
She leaned against the fence, eyes glinting. “You know,” she started, a little too casual, “You’re hitting those serves like the pool incident’s still replaying in your head.”
I gave her a look. “Don’t start.”
Maddie raised her hands in mock surrender, but the little smirk stayed. “What are you planning to do about it?”
“Nothing,” I said finally, the word heavier than I wanted it to be. “I’m setting it aside. I don’t have time for some complication I can’t even navigate properly.”
She studied me quietly, the teasing gone now. “That’s really what you want? To just… bury it?”
“It’s not about what I want. It’s about keeping things simple. Better this way.”
She sighed, shaking her head softly. “You always think you’ve got to protect everyone else from yourself. But sometimes, Liv, not saying anything is the messier choice.”
I busied myself twisting the bottle cap, pretending her words hadn’t landed right in my chest. “Well, lucky for me, I’ve got tennis to keep me distracted.”
“Speaking of which…” Maddie tilted her head. “I've updated your schedule. Asia swing looks brutal. Beijing, Wuhan, Riyadh, back-to-back. And that’s before the sponsor stuff kicks in.”
I groaned, leaning my head back against the bench. “Don’t remind me. I’ve barely wrapped my head around the US Open, and already I’ve got to plaster on a smile for a dozen photoshoots and pretend jet lag doesn’t exist.”
“Hey, you signed up for the glamorous life. Those endorsement deals aren’t going to sell themselves.”
“Yeah, glamorous,” I muttered. “Smiling next to energy drinks I don’t even like, then rushing to practice before anyone notices I haven’t slept in twenty-four hours.”
She nudged me with her elbow. “Come on, you’re not fooling me. Half the time, you actually enjoy it. The clothes, the cameras, don’t even try to act like you don’t.”
I cracked a reluctant smile. “Okay, fine. Maybe a little. But the travel schedule’s insane, Maddie. I just hope I can hold my form through it all. Asia’s where things can really swing the rankings. One bad run and it’s a long way back.”
Maddie’s voice softened. “Then don’t burn yourself out trying to carry everything, feelings included.”
I tipped my head back against the bench, eyes tracing the late-summer sky above the courts. “No promises. But I’ll try.”
“Good. Because Beijing’s coming up fast. First stop in the Asia swing, you’ll want to land there with a clear head, not dragging all this around.”
I groaned softly, letting the water bottle rest against my forehead. “Beijing. Right. Jet lag, new surface, sponsors breathing down my neck, and me pretending I have my life together.”
Maddie smirked. “You’ll survive. You always do. And honestly, China might be the reset button you need. Different country, new vibe, no bottles staring you down from across the net.”
I laughed despite myself, the tension in my chest loosening just a fraction. “Yeah. Maybe Beijing will be kinder to me than New York was.”
Time had its way of blurring.
Two weeks slipped past in a rush of airports and before I knew it the skyline outside my window was no longer Brisbane’s jagged silver but Beijing’s wide sprawl under a pale autumn sky.
