I sighed. “I don’t like the way she was talking about Chloe.”
Selene raised a brow. “So?”
“There’s enough online, Selene. I’m worried after today. What’s going on?”
Selene waved a hand. “It’s nothing, just some discourse online, but it’s nothing to worry about.”
“It doesn’t feel like it,” I said, thinking of Zackary’s face, of the crowd, of Chloe’s when she let the mask slip and showed how afraid she’d been. “I think we should let Maya go.”
Selene’s lips parted slightly, as if I’d suggested cutting off my own leg. “You want to change your team right in the middle of a tournament? Is your head on straight?”
“Probably not.” I exhaled. “But I don’t want to work with someone who would be disrespectful to my teammate.”
Selene studied me for a long moment. I could see the argument forming in her eyes. But then she nodded.
“Okay. If that’s what you want, I’ll start looking. But I won’t lie, it’ll be hard to find someone with the right knowledge for your injuries.”
“I’ll take that risk.”
She pressed her lips together. “You know, I mean this as much as your friend as your manager, she might not be in your part of the draw, but if you both make it far enough, you could be facing each other on that court.”
I met her gaze. “So?”
“So how much of a friend do you think she’ll be when she’s on the other side of the net?”
“I don’t need her to be my friend when we play each other.” My voice was steady. “We are professionals, I want her to do her best. Because that’s exactly what I’ll be doing.”
Selene didn’t argue. Didn’t push the point. Instead, she studied me, eyes sharp, assessing. I knew things had been weird between us recently, the tension from our earlier conversation haunting the rest of the day, but no matter what, I knew she still had my back.
She exhaled. “Alright, I’ll follow your lead with this.”
The elevator doors slid open on our floor. I stepped out, Selene following me.
“You know, it was you who convinced me to take this deal in the first place,” I recalled as we walked down the hallway to our rooms.
“I know, I still stand by it,” she answered. “But I didn’t realize how things would change.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re different when you’re in a relationship,” she said, pulling her key from her handbag. “I would hate to see you lose focus.”
My heart sank.Did she really think that? “I promise, I’m focused.”
“I’ve been your manager for a long time, Inés.” Selene paused, stopping beside her door. “I’ve never seen you fire somebody for a simple comment.”
“I didn’t think it was justified,” I argued, the truth ringing in my head.
Chloe worked hard, and knowing how much she’d suffered before the medication, it felt wrong allowing somebody to insinuate that she was cheating with a simple prescription.
If the crowd outside told me anything, it was that we both needed to be careful with who we kept close. Even if they were long-term friends, if it was to protect Chloe, I’d do whatever it took.
She nodded once, but I could tell this conversation wasn’t over. Selene smiled softly, her reluctance clear in her eyes. “Get a good sleep. We’ve got one hell of a tournament ahead of us.”
I said my goodbyes, the events of the day hanging heavy on my shoulders, my mind thinking over Selene’s words. Whether it was this competition or another, one day Chloe and I would be standing across the net from each other.
And only then would we find out exactly where each of us stood.
38
