Page 122 of Backhanded Compliments

Juliette watches Luca take her time getting to the baseline. She breathes in deeply, bouncing on her toes, and the nerves on her face smooth into complete calm.

There is no way Juliette could’ve ever dreamed of touching Luca’s final ace. It is perfect.

As it goes past Juliette, she waits for the shatter of her heart as she loses, but there is none. Disappointment curls in her stomach, butthat is overwhelmed by a swell of pride for Luca. She slides her headband off, and despite her loss, she’s smiling.

She meets her soulmate at the net, but this time is different. She knows Luca is hers. This time as their hands touch and gold sizzles through her veins, Juliette can’t imagine feeling happier. Juliette pulls on Luca’s hand, dragging her in for a hug. She tilts her head and whispers, “I love you so much, and I am so proud of you. Congratulations, you played incredibly.” She doesn’t care that the microphones will pick up on her words. It won’t matter in a moment. She needs Luca to know that Juliette is burning with love and pride and everything in between.

I love you,Luca mouths, their foreheads pressed together. “Do you want to do this?”

“More than anything,” Juliette says, dropping her racket to wrap her arm around Luca and kiss her in the center of the largest tennis stadium in the world.

Everything vanishes apart from Luca. All Juliette focuses on is the familiar contour of Luca’s lips against hers. Her racket bumps against Juliette’s back as her arm wraps around her, and the only space between them is the net. Luca is sweaty and burning hot against her, tasting like salt and bananas, but Juliette loves it.

It lasts both a heartbeat and an eternity.

The world rushes back as they finally pull away from each other. Luca grins, and Juliette laughs because it is pure insanity but there is no other way she would have done it. Arthur Ashe Stadium is going absolutely wild. She looks to the camera in front of them and pulls her wrist wrap free, showing off Luca’s name.

“Celebrate later, yeah?” Juliette asks as they finally head to the chair umpire.

“Yeah,” Luca says, breathless. Juliette can barely hear her over the chanting and the cheers and wild stomping of the crowd.

She shakes the umpire’s hand and heads to her bench to pack up her bags. She doesn’t think she’s ever smiled this much after a match before. Juliette waves to the crowd and then turns around and waves to Luca until she is swallowed by the cool darkness of the tunnel.

As soon as she’s in the locker room, she is tackled into hugs by Remi and Claudia. Her adrenaline is seeping away and she’s exhausted, but she clings to her sister and best friend to make sure they don’t all topple over.

“YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY INSANE!” Remi screams, shaking Juliette’s shoulders.

“I can’t believe you did that on ARTHUR FUCKING ASHE. You two are mad as hell but I love it!” Claudia says, kissing her cheeks.

Juliette laughs, a bit dizzy from the way they’re bouncing around her. “Sorry to outdo your boat party and Miami win,” Juliette says, and Remi tugs her into another hug.

“All right, I want to see her interview,” Juliette says to get Remi to release her.

Claudia bounces around in a circle with Remi while Juliette heads into the players’ lounge. Luca is standing at the microphone with Payton Calimeris, but the crowd is still going wild.

“Well, Luca, it might not be your first wild match against Juliette Ricci, but you two have certainly made sports history tonight,” Payton says. She looks so surprised but is beaming with pride.

Luca laughs, still smiling. “It was something,” she says, scratching the back of her neck.

Juliette gasps as she sees Luca’s wrap is gone, showing off her name on the pale skin of Luca’s inner wrist.

“I know we should talk about the match, but we’re all wondering. Did you two plan that?”

Luca shrugs. “We did. Figured we might as well take advantage of being on the biggest stage in the tennis world.”

“You have the crowd in a frenzy. First, the amazing tennis from the both of you, and then the kiss.” Payton shakes her head with a laugh.

“I guess you all have your answer to the rivalry question,” Luca says, radiating pure joy and happiness.

Giddy laughter bubbles up from Juliette’s stomach, and she can’t contain it. It is too insane to fathom that this is real. She lovesher rival, and she doesn’t have to be shy about it. She wants to keep saying it. She wants to shout into the summer air that she loves Luca Kacic.

Love burns golden in her veins with every beat of Juliette’s heart.

EPILOGUELUCA

Luca wins the US Open in straight sets against Remi Rowland. It is not an easy win, despite what the scoreboard says, but it is a win, and Luca breathes a sigh of relief at the end of it. Two Grand Slams in a single year. Not a one-Slam wonder after all.

Not even the recent commotion of her semifinal match against Juliette is able to break her focus. It didn’t take long for articles about their complicated relationship to start popping up. The press conferences, their Australian Open Final, the collision during the Connolly Cup, and every other tidbit they can find. It all culminates in a mashed-up version of the truth with a lot of romanticization thrown in for the hell of it. Many even draw parallels between Karoline Kitzinger and Payton Calimeris’s rivalry to theirs.

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