Kate had arrived in New York with the baby ahead of Jordan’s matches, and it felt like I hadn’t seen her in forever. We hadn’t had much chance to properly catch up after everything that happened with Dad, but we still spoke most days. We always did.
We’d been friends for a couple of years, but over the last twelve months we’d become properly close. She was living mostly in London now with Jordan and the baby, slipping into this new life with a kind of grace I envied.
Kate was someone I needed in my life. She understood people. She always found the good in them, even when they couldn’t see it themselves. Sometimes especially then.
We’d both been through our share of heartbreak, which meant she got it in a way not everyone did. Seeing her and Jordan made me believe in second chances, in fate. If she could find someone who adored her after everything, maybe I could too. Maybe I already had.
I left the details of dinner to her; Kate was a planner.
Tyler and I arrived in the back of a blacked-out town car, hoping to avoid the media. My heart sank when we pulled up tothe curb outside a restaurant in Soho and I spotted the swarm of cameras, flashing lights, and voices shouting his name. I shouldn’t have been surprised. It was the night before one of the biggest finals in the tennis calendar and both finalists were hot property.
I glanced at Tyler, and his jaw was already clenched. He squeezed my hand as he leaned in to my ear. “Shit. Okay, baby. When we get out, you stay close and we head straight in. No stopping.”
I nodded, my heart already in my throat. I smoothed my hand over my black trousers and took a steadying breath.
The car door opened and the noise hit me first: sharp, overlapping voices, the rapid crack of camera shutters. Tyler stepped out ahead of me, his hand firm at my lower back, shielding me from the worst of it. Flashes burst in my peripheral vision, blinding spots of white against the inky night. I kept my eyes on the glow of the restaurant sign ahead, letting him guide me through the crush. Someone shouted his name, someone else mine and the questions blurred together into a wall of sound. By the time we slipped through the heavy glass doors, my shoulders sagged in relief, the warm sound of clinking cutlery and low conversation swallowing the chaos outside.
Kate spotted us first, practically bouncing out of her seat, her whole face lighting up. She had that new-mum-on-a-night-out energy. Equal parts excitement and relief. To be fair, she’d been doing a lot of it solo lately, though from what I’d seen, Jordan was as hands-on as the job let him be and he clearly adored them both. Tyler’s hand found the small of my back as we walked toward them, like he didn’t even notice he was doing it.
Jordan rose to greet us, pulling Tyler into one of those grinning, back-slapping bro hugs before leaning in to give me a polite kiss on the cheek. I couldn’t help laughing when Tyler bent to hug Kate. I’d forgotten how tiny she was, and he practicallyhad to fold himself in half to reach her. His arm brushed mine when he straightened, his fingers skimming my wrist as though he were making sure I was still right there. It was hard to believe that in forty-eight hours, they’d be trying to ruin each other on center court.
Kate held onto me for an extra beat when it was my turn. Her perfume was familiar and comforting—a small piece of home in the middle of the New York chaos. She looked stunning in a way that felt entirely effortless, dressed in wide-legged trousers and a satin halter top.
She always did make it look easy.
“God, it’s so good to see you in person,” she whispered, grinning as she pulled back.
“You too. You look amazing,” I said, squeezing her hands.
“That’s because I’ve had more than four hours of sleep for the first time in months.” She winked, then gave my arm a tug toward the table. “Come on. Before the boys start talking shop.”
We slipped into our seats, a small familiar bubble forming around us despite the bustle of the restaurant. Tyler dropped into the seat beside me, his thigh brushing mine under the table. The place was very Kate; elegant without trying and warm without fuss.
“So, how’s little Noah? Those pictures you sent me were adorable. He’s grown so much,” I asked, expecting Kate to answer.
“Ah, he’s a little legend,” Jordan jumped in, his whole face lighting up. “Keeps us busy, but we love him to bits.” He pulled out his phone, turning the screen toward us. A photo filled it, four-month-old Noah nestled in Kate’s arms, a perfect clone of his dad.
“He’s bloody gorgeous,” I said, smiling before catching the way Tyler was watching Jordan. He probably didn’t even realise his hand had found my knee under the table, his grip tighteningwhile that quiet grin curved his mouth. He wanted this. He wanted all of it.
I could feel myself biting my lip, a flutter of excitement in my stomach as I tilted the screen of Jordan’s phone toward Tyler.
“Man, heiscute.” Tyler responded with a genuine warmth and a crooked grin.
“Please tell me you guys got caught in that shit show outside?” I cut in, handing Jordan his phone back.
Kate’s eyes lit up in a way that immediately made me suspicious. “Well…maybe that wasn’t entirely an accident.”
Jordan groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Here we go.”
She leaned in, conspiratorial. “Look, you two have been through enough with the press. And trust me, I’ve had more than my fair share of their nonsense. They twist everything, and they love painting you, Tyler, as some lone wolf troublemaker. So I thought, what if they see you in the real world? With Orla. With friends. And with your so-called ‘rival’ sitting right across the table without a hint of drama.”
Tyler looked at her hesitantly but she continued. “We leave together, they get their pictures, but the story they have to tell is completely different.”
His brows went up, that slow, dangerous grin curling. “That’s actually…genius.” His fingers drummed lightly against my knee like he was impressed on more than one level. “That woman’s dangerously clever,” he added, shaking his head.
Jordan smirked, reaching for his water. “Yup. Try sharing a bed with her.”
Kate shoved him. “Not my first rodeo, love. If I’ve learnt anything over the last year it’s that you’ll never beat them. So, you just have to get ahead of them. Trust me, it comes from years of trying to get creative with traumatised kids to let you in.”
