13
Chloe
Under the Blue/Take Me In—Hayley Kiyoko
“You’re still finding your groove as doubles partners,” Henrik said, trying to empathize.
“Sure,that’sthe problem,” I huffed, spinning the top off a bottle of rosé, tipping it into the largest wine glass I could find. I might have been better off adding a straw to the bottle.
He shook his head, opening up a couple of beers to take with him. After today, I was glad we could remain friends despite our arrangement being over. Coming home to a familiar, friendly face was a guarantee with him around. “I was watching your match. You both definitely had moments where you almost looked like a team.”
“The key word there isalmost.”
He leaned against the counter as I returned the wine bottle to the fridge. “You might make progress if you think before you act.”
“I’ve been playing on instinct my whole career. It’s worked fine for me.”
“Sure, in singles,” Henrik replied, voice steady. “But in doubles, instinct has to include your partner. If you’re not in sync, you’re just two people hitting balls, not a team.”
Playing with Inés, ithadn’tbeen a disaster, but it also wasn’t anything close to a success. We hadn’t spoken a word to each other since we got back.
“So, what’s your brilliant solution? Hold hands and meditate before every game?”
Henrik chuckled. “No, but try to communicate. Inés is a solid partner to play with. If you listen to her, it might help. You’ve got to know when to pull back and trust each other.”
“Easier said than done.”
“True,” Henrik conceded, both beers in hand as he started to head towards the hallway, “But maybe that’s the whole problem—neither of you wants to make it easy. And you know, the media loves the rivalry. They’ll eat tomorrow’s final up if you play it right.”
“I need her to get out of my goddamn way.” I gritted my teeth, thinking back to the match. Sure, things had improved after the break, when we’d agreed not to piss each other off anymore. She was a distraction. All legs and that cruel, sexy smirk.
The irony didn’t escape me as she sauntered into the kitchen at that very moment, her glass of red run dry. The rest of the gang followed her in, Scottie leading, her arm linked with Dylan. Oliver behind them looked a little wary, as if they could all sense the tension they’d walked straight into.
I kept my voice low enough so that only Henrik could hear. “Speak of the devil.”
Inés placed her glass on the island counter, refilling her glass as she looked over at me, the warning clear. “If you’re going to talk about me, at least make it interesting.”
Scottie closed the fridge, a can in hand. “We should do something fun. There’s too much drama in the air.”
“Yeah, we’re on holiday, chill out a little,” Oliver said, his hands wrapped around Dylan’s waist, pulling her backwards against him, his head resting on her shoulder. “How about a game?”
“Uno!” Dylan said with far too much enthusiasm.
“No,” Nico grumbled. “The last time we all played cards, it did not turn out well.”
“We should do something wild.” Scottie grinned, leaning against the island. “We could go skinny dipping.”
“Absolutely not,” I cried. I loved being near the ocean, feeling the summer heat across my skin, but the Atlantic after the sun set? It was cold as fuck.
“What? Are you scared of a little water?” Inés challenged.
“Of course not,” I argued. “It’s just freezing cold by now.” The sun had long gone, and even in the middle of summer, the Atlantic did not hold much heat.
She rolled her eyes, her expression turning into a controlled confidence. “I bet I’ve had colder showers.”
What was she doing? Trying to show me up?
“I doubt that very much,” I argued. “I bet you wouldn’t last a single minute.”
