Page 14 of Backhanded Compliments

“Don’t you fucking dare,” Juliette snaps. They know how she feels about soulmates. She doesn’t want hers, and she won’t be told what to do. If Juliette never speaks her name, never looks at her wrist, and never acknowledges what Kacic is to her, it won’t be an issue.

“We just want you to be happy, Jules, and holding this grudge is not going to help your game,” Claudia says.

“I know we’ve always put our ambitions before our romantic lives, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be civil to Luca,” Octavia adds solemnly.

“You guys are supposed to be on my side,” she pleads. Her sisters piling onto her after her loss just adds insult to injury. Tennis has always come more naturally for Octavia and Claudia. They have worked hard to be the best players, but they don’t understand the pressure of being the third professional player to come up the ranks in a family, especially considering their early success. They don’tunderstandhow much Juliette has had to sacrifice to get to this point, how much she’s had to chase just to get within sniffing distance of their accolades. And even then, she isn’t close.

“We are on your side,” Octavia says. “It just seems unfair that you just write Luca off without knowing her.”

Frustration bubbles in Juliette’s stomach. “Easy for you to say. You had a chance to grow your career earlywithLeo. Plus, he isn’t your rival,” she snaps.

“Fair point,” Octavia concedes with a tilt of her head.

“And you’re the lucky one! You don’t have a soulmate to worry about.” Juliette waves her hands at Claudia, wishing for not the first time in the last few months that she could switch places with her and not have a soulmark.

“Why do you let Luca bother you so much?” Livia chimes in, drawing Juliette’s attention.

“She’s annoying! A fact that all of you seem to ignore,” Juliette grumbles.

“An opinion none of us hold, more like,” Octavia says primly.

“I’m just trying to be pragmatic.” Livia finishes her wine and sets the glass down with a loud click. “The more you fuck around with mind games, the less focused you are. You don’t care that she’s your soulmate?” Juliette winces at the word. “Fine. But don’t let it get in your head.” Livia taps her temple, swaying a bit in her seat.

“I’ve already had a bad day, can we stop now?” Juliette whines.She knows they mean well and want what is best for her, but their feelings about soulmates are different. Octavia is able to commit to tennis and Leo. Claudia can have a vast and fluid love life without the worry of tying herself down. And Livia doesn’t have a single competitive bone in her body; she doesn’t have to worry about a rival in any aspect of her life.

“Fine, we’ll let it go,” Octavia says soothingly. “Do you want to talk about your match?”

“Not really,” Juliette mutters, slumping farther down into the love seat. She already knows she’s going to get a lecture from their father. His silence is concerning. He should’ve sent a document of all her failures already, but it’s suspiciously absent.

“Why don’t you go to Naples early?” Livia suggests, her purple acrylics tapping away on her keyboard. “I can get you a flight tomorrow.” Three more clicks, and before Juliette can reply, she’s cooing, “Oh look at this cute apartment near the water!”

“But what about you two?” Juliette gestures to Claudia and Octavia. They’re still alive in the women’s doubles draw together.

Claudia waves her off. “Don’t stop on my account. I’d rather you clear your head before the Connolly Cup.” Juliette fights her grimace. The last thing she wants is to think about being chummy with Kacic. Is it too late to quit the exhibition? But bad publicity is the last thing Juliette needs. Plus, shewantsto play, to be coached by Karoline Kitzinger and Payton Calimeris. She’ll be damned if she lets Kacic ruin that chance for her.

Octavia nods. “Don’t sulk because we’re here. Go home if you want.”

“Antony will kill me if I leave,” Juliette says.

Claudia frowns and then winces. “Ouch, my mask is dry, hold please.” She scrambles off the floor and disappears into Juliette’s bedroom.

“Where is he?” Juliette asks, glancing around as if he’ll appear from behind the couch.

“I told him to lay off tonight,” Octavia says as she sits up and unwraps the ice from her knee.

Juliette sinks even lower into the cushions. “Is he really that mad?” she asks, voice raspy and soft.

“Not mad, more upset.” Octavia rips her mask off and crumples it into a ball, tossing it toward the trash can and missing horrifically. She rubs the serum into her skin. “You know what he’s like. He thinks you should never lose.”

Sometimes, despite how much she loves her sisters, they make her feel worse. “Great.”

“I’ve got a plane ticket on standby, just say the word,” Livia pipes up.

Octavia sighs. “That is why I fired him as my coach. Not that he ever acts like a dad, but it’s better now. Maybe you should do the same.” She turns her gaze to Juliette. She has their mother’s piercing and knowing sea-glass green eyes, brighter than Claudia’s. At least now her brows are lifted and the corners of her mouth soft, her overall bitch-face toned down to be sympathetic. “No one plays well under all that pressure.”

Her words are loaded with a lifetime of trauma and scars and ambition. Juliette rubs the thin scar threaded along her wrist from surgery last year. It was to try to prevent the eventual ruination of her career; if her doctor hadn’t been successful in patching her slipped tendon, she would’ve had to put down her racket forever. She hasn’t had a break since she was forced to because of that surgery. Months she suffered without tennis, and she had been so eager to return to play, she didn’t even consider taking any time off. That it might begoodfor her.

“Book it, Livie,” she decides. A smile tugs at the corner of Octavia’s mouth, sparking warmth in Juliette’s chest.

---