Her smile lit up her entire face. “I’d like that.”
The weight of those three simple words settled over me, and for the first time, I felt it too, the quiet hope of something more, something still waiting beyond the horizon.
I moved, untangling our hands, and instead stretched my arm out, my hand pulling on her opposite shoulder. We sat back, looking out at the court as if it were our entire world, her body resting against me, her head tucked underneath mine.
“With all this newfound success, I’m in need of a hitting partner for the next set of tournaments,” I said, barely able to contain a sly smile.
“Oh, are you?”
“Yep,” I replied. “Any suggestions?”
“I know a few people. I could make some calls.”
“I do already have this one girl in mind.” The smile broke fully across my lips. “You might know her. Strawberry-blonde hair, legs for days, killer serve?”
“Onlyher serve is good?” she asked, sounding offended.
Even with her frustrated, scrunched-up nose and that forced expression on her face, she was undeniably beautiful. Her every feature seemed to hold its own kind of gravity, pulling me in whether I wanted it or not.
“Now that I think about it,” I said, forcing myself to swallow the emotion rising in my throat, “everything about her is pretty perfect.”
Chloe’s smirk softened into something warmer. “You know what? Now that’s ringing a few bells.” Her eyes sparkled as she added, “I’m sure she’d be available for a few sessions. She hasexcellentreferences.”
I couldn’t help the laugh that burst out of me, loud and free, cutting through the stillness.
“I love you,” I said, those three words coming so easily.
Nothing could take us from each other, both so strong in our own different ways. But even down there, on the court, we were each other’s biggest supporters, even while playing each other.
Once, I’d taken every slight from her personally, a dagger straight to my heart. Now I felt proud when she challenged my skill, more so when she found a way to fight back, and I knew she felt the same way about me.
That we’d hold each other in our losses and celebrate each other in our wins. We had room for both, love for each other.
“I love you too,” she said, leaning back against me, her body relaxing against mine.
For years, the court had been my home. The only place I belonged, itched to return to if I spent too many days away. Now it was her. But instead of days, it was minutes and seconds before I needed all the tiny little ways that she made me feel whole again.
I felt like I’d been searching, and just when I was giving up, she showed up and kicked my ass. Broke me apart, only to be the one to take the pieces and put me back together.
Rearranged, but stronger.
Improved, but still me.
As the sky brightened we left the stands, heading towards everything the future held for us. Celebrations for the winners, drinks for the losers. And whatever was beyond that, I knew, it would be her hand in mine.
Us versus the world.
Epilogue
Inés
Birds of a Feather—Billie Eilish
Five Years Later
The sun cast long shadows across the Spanish vineyard as it sat on the horizon, turning the clouds shades of tangerine and pink. A warm spring wind blew the scent from my parents’ nearby garden, wrapping us up.
“Here.” Chloe held out a wine bottle towards me, her lips glistening with leftover bubbles. “Your turn.”
