Page 43 of Game Point
‘I know I can do it.’
‘I believe you.’ Her body relaxed, the reaction giving me comfort she might trust what I had to say. I continued, ‘I think, when it comes to the finals, you struggle with that pressure. You get in your own head.’
Dylan’s gaze broke away, her jaw tightened, hands gripping at the edge of her bench.
I placed my hand on her knee. The contact was new, her skin soft. I pushed those thoughts aside. ‘If I were you, that’s what I’d work on. It’s hard not to get caught up. In three sets, there are second chances. If you lose a set, you can always win the next one. But it’s easy to spiral, and it’s incredibly easy to spot when the self-sabotage starts to kick in.’
Curiosity glinted in her eyes; her brows pressed together. ‘Been watching a lot of my matches?’
‘I’ve caught them all.’ I was scared to admit the truth, worried she’d find it weird now we were friends. ‘I’ve followed your career for a long time, Dylan.’
Her reaction was immediate, a big goofy grin breaking out across her lips. Before she even said it, I knew what she was going to say. ‘Stalker.’
‘Youchasedme, dare I remind you.’
‘Dare I remind you,’ she pointed her finger at me, ‘youapproachedmeat the party.’
I pushed her accusing finger away. ‘I was going to tell you how big a fan I was.’
‘Oh,nowyou’re a fan too?’ Her delight was unmatched, like she was enjoying this twist.
‘I enjoy good tennis.’ Dylan rolled her eyes. ‘You are one of the best players in the world, your ranking shows that. You need to believe in it, remember it while you play. I think it could take you all the way.’
‘You sound like a motivational poster,’ she said, her tone laced with sarcasm. ‘Believe in yourself and you will achieve.’
She was teasing me, I knew it. But that didn’t mean I missed the pink blush that rose across her cheeks.
‘Maybe we should get it tattooed on your body,’ I joked. ‘You might actually start to listen.’
‘Probably not.’ She smiled, a glint in her eyes. ‘I’ve been told that I’m rather stubborn.’
I laughed. ‘Just tell Brooke that.’
DYLAN
Do I always serve like this?
LINK: Dylan Bailey Serve at Wimbledon
Never mind. sorry, just saw the time. I haven’t slept all night. See you at the final?
14
Dylan
Running Out of Time – Paramore
I woke up to a pounding head, a loud ringing phone, and somebody knocking incessantly on the bedroom door. It had been another sleepless night spent tossing and turning with nervous energy. Sleep didn’t come until the sunlight started peeking through the curtains.
I found my ringing phone, pressing down on any button to make it silent. It was a momentary peace; another round of knocking on the door started.
‘Dylan Bailey,’ a voice shouted from the hallway.
I sat bolt upright in my bed, my phone in my hand as I scrolled through an endless list of notifications. Missed calls. Voicemails. Endless texts.
BROOKE
Where are you?
