Page 92 of Clean Point

He shook his head. ‘Not anymore. She left.’

My shock overwhelmed me for a moment as I tried to fit this piece of information with the couple I knew well. We were, of course, competitors, but Oliver was a friend off-court, too. When I’d been recovering, he’d visited a few times, made sure I knew I needed to get better so he could get his revenge after our last battle.

‘What happened?’

He shrugged casually, but now that I knew, I could see sadness was clear on his face. Dark circles under his eyes, his face a little slimmer than it had been. ‘Turned out we wanted different things. It’s just life sometimes.’

His words played on my mind. What did Scottie want? After this? The touring could keep us apart for weeks, maybe months. And what would it mean for the future?

‘Fuck. I’m sorry,’ I finally managed, a hand reaching out to his shoulder, fingers pressing firmly into his T-shirt.

Oliver’s head swayed a little, jaw clenched as his gaze moved unfocused. ‘It’s fine. I mean, it’s not, but it is what it is.’

‘Is that why she’s not competing here this year?’ I asked, trying to make sense of the situation. They had been together a long time, both of them managing the juggle between their careers and relationship – at least, that’s how it had seemed. After burning out in his early twenties, he took a relaxed attitude to competing in the sport, only playing when it suited him. But when he did compete, I knew I was in for some real fun.

He let out a heavy breath. ‘Honestly, I don’t know. It’s hard to keep in contact with her, different time zones with the tour.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that. Honestly, it sucks.’

He raised an eyebrow, the hint of a smirk appearing. ‘Fancy throwing the match tomorrow out of pity?’

I laughed. ‘I’m not that sorry.’

‘Worth a shot.’ He shrugged.

‘I’d wish you good luck …’ I trailed off, head tilting in answer.

This time it was his turn to laugh as he raised his hand, letting his palm rest on the centre of his chest. ‘Just go easy on me, I’m a man with a broken heart.’

‘And I’ve only got one good knee,’ I retorted. We both started to go our own ways, knowing we’d see each other again soon, only that interaction wouldn’t be nearly as friendly.

His smile was wide but didn’t quite reach his eyes. ‘Sounds like it’s a fair match.’ And then, with a soft nod of his head, we parted, tucking our friendship away, somewhere down deep.

You play a lot of friends in this sport, but that didn’t matter when they were standing on the opposite side of the court. Not when that person was between you and the rush of victory, a step closer to the title we all go to bed dreaming about.

39

Nico

My Lady of Mercy – The Last Dinner Party

I watched Scottie chaotically tapping her fingers on her thighs as she pushed her leg out to warm-up for her next match, her body primed with anticipation. The player’s area was filled with other competitors and their teams, all getting prepared for their next game. Jon had been pulled away by an emergency call, so I’d stepped in to help her prepare. Watching her stretch was still an effort not to get inappropriate in a public place (again), the memory of her long slender legs wrapped around my waist this morning still fresh in my mind.

‘Calm down, you’re making me nervous,’ I said with a smile as she moved into a new position.

‘It’s the quarterfinals, Nico,’ she gritted out, pushing her body forward over her legs, sounding stressed and distracted. ‘I think I’m allowed to be nervous.’ She barely looked at me, instead her focus remained on a singular spot as she pulled her muscles. Her white crop top stretched up, revealing inches of soft skin underneath, testing my resolve.

‘We could go somewhere private, and I could find a way to distract you,’ I suggested, stepping close to whisper, my eyes catching on the edge of her skirt. Now that I knew how her thighs felt, soft perfect skin hiding powerful muscle, it was even harder to keep my hands to myself.

‘Then we run the risk of becoming too distracted.’ I looked back up at her face, noticing that I’d managed to capture her precious attention. Her lips were pressed into a knowing smile, an eyebrow raised.

‘I’ll make sure to do all the work. We don’t want you tired out right before you go on,’ I continued. She had stopped moving, her body pulling even closer to mine, which did nothing to settle the ache inside of me. It was getting harder to pretend there wasn’t anything between us anymore, impossible even.

‘Don’t tempt me with a good time, Kotas.’ Her smile was addictive, and for a moment, I imagined leaning across and kissing her, really kissing her. Screw it all and show everyone how much she was really mine. Pin her to the wall and give her the distraction she needed – the one I was desperate for.

Her gaze fluttered behind me, catching on someone else, and the smile faltered, her nerves reappearing as her hand raised in a hesitant wave. I turned, my gaze catching on the dark hair of her opponent. Inés was smiling, looking all too friendly, considering what was at stake. The semifinal was only three sets away.

‘I’ll be back in a moment.’ Scottie smiled, before heading over toward her competitor. Both of them pulled into a friendly hug before they began to chat casually. Scottie’s hand landed on her hip, as a sly, competitive smile curled onto her lips. I knew it well, all too familiar with the way she liked to tease before a competition. Inés looked more than comfortable, however, an eyebrow raised as Scottie laughed at something she’d said.

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