13

Oliver

STEAM CLOUDED THE AIR from the pan on the stove, the smell of garlic and onion filling the kitchen as I plated the marinated tofu on the wraps. The sound of slow, soft footsteps thudded down the stairs, and a smile made its way to my face. It had been a growing habit the past few days. When I thought of her, at the possible chance of seeing her—even if it was for a couple of minutes before she rushed out for work, when I talked to her, when I remembered the look in her eyes when I handed her the list or the words that followed after.

Raina walked in, a notebook in one hand while the other carried her laptop. Her hair was pulled up in a bun, a few strands loose that framed her soft face, and she looked so studious, it was adorable. Like a gentle wave, warmth ran over me once I noticed she was in my hoodie, which she paired with what I’d noticed were her favourite yoga pants. And, of course, her loyal soldiers walked in behind her, darting across the space once they knew she was staying.

“Ready for your first lesson?” I asked, turning around to switch off the loud extractor hood.

Grabbing the plates, I turned back to see her with a small smirk, tugging at the corner of her lips as she placed her stuff on the counter top. “Mostly… are you?”

She directed her gaze to the plates in question before they met mine again. I grinned before sliding one of them in her direction. “I was born ready, love.”

“You really like cooking, huh?” She asked, sliding on the bar chair.

I shrugged, rounding the counter and sitting next to her. “It helps clear my head.”

“And what exactly did you want to clear it off today?”

“Nothing today; I’ve just been down here for hours, and you haven’t had lunch, and I was making mine anyway.” I watched her carefully as she brought the wrap to take a bite. Her brows raised slightly, her expressions a mix of concentration and genuine surprise.

She flicked her tongue out, wiping the small streak of sauce on the corner of her lips, and I felt a twitch in my body. “This is amazing.”

Relief and satisfaction ran through me as I replied. “The fact you had doubts wounds me.”

“Right—overachiever and all that,” She rolled her eyes, going in for another bite. Her shoulders dropped slightly, swaying lightly with each chew, and I grinned. She didn’t even realise it yet, but in that moment, I knew I did my job right. Mum always used to say that the best way to tell if someone enjoys your food is when they find a grove in the flavours without realising it.

But with Raina, there was a little more. There was something so addictive about seeing her like this—relaxed, happy and present.

I turned to my own food and dived in. We sat in silence. It wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable. It just was. From the corner of my eye, I noticed that she had opened her journal, taken out the list I gave her yesterday and slid it into the spot between us.

“I added things for you,” There was almost a hint of shyness in her voice.

I’d made the list for her to make sure she actually stuck to the bet, and this way, I would get her to spend more time with me. But knowing she’d done the same for me, even if it was for the sake of our bet—she didn’t have to do them similar to mine, but she had done everything from Watching Iconic and Different Weather races and qualifying to Visit the Exhibition and Arcade to discover the history and do fun challenges like setting the fastest lap on the simulator—made my heart flutter.

“This sounds fun,” I replied honestly, and she nodded.

“I think this one,” She pointed to the one which referred to one that suggested ‘Visiting a track and Watching the race from the grandstands’. “If you are up for it, we could work with our schedules and do it at one of the races I’m going to, but you don’t have to do it. I just added it because it is so much fun and really gives you a different experience.”

“We can try,” I shrugged, but something like hope settled in my chest.

“Really?”

“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it.”

Her eyes sparkled, a hint of a smile touching her lips. “Oh, then maybe I can also give you a tour of the fan zone, and you can really get that fan experience.”

“I’m up for anything,” I replied, watching her smile grow as she turned back to her food.

Once we both were finished with our food, we cleaned up before settling down on the couch.

I sat down first, choosing to be right in the centre to be closer to her either way, but when she sat down almost right next to me, I had to try my hardest not to read too much into it. “Alright, let’s start with what you know.”

She tapped her pencil against her notepad, watching me with an amused expression. “I know there are bats and balls involved. And there’s a… wicket? Right?”

I waited for her to go on, and when she didn’t, I couldn’t help the slight surprise that took to my face.

Okay, this is worse than I thought.

Trying my hardest not to be offended, I opened my mouth to speak, but as though she couldn’t hold it in at all, laughter spilt out of her.

A real one, and even though I felt the effect of it all over—I watched in confusion.

“Oh my god,” She said, in between her laughs, clutching her stomach. “Your face was immaculate.”

Pursing my lips, I rubbed a hand over my mouth as I waited for her to give an explanation because, for the life of me understand what was happening. “Are you done?”

She sighed contently before leaning backwards and nodding. “Yes, thank you.”

I shook my head, tracing the remnants of her smile in my mind. “Still waiting for an explanation.”

“Oh, right.” She bit her lip, her shoulders shaking again slightly. “I may have lied.”

My brows raised slightly. “Go on.”

“I mean, I don’t know cricket, but I do know the super basics of it. The pitch, the stumps, bails, scoring etc.”

“You’re such a little shit.”

She stuck her tongue out, and the corners of my lips tilted up. “I just wanted to see your reaction. And it was so worth it.”

My eyes were focused on her lips; she was biting her lower lip in an attempt to stop herself from laughing.

Flicking my eyes to meet hers, I realised that, at that moment, I really wanted to kiss her. I watched her patiently, but her voice from last night echoed in my ears.

“Time.”

The one thing she had asked for was time, and I wasn’t going to push her just because we had a moment.

I cleared my throat, reaching for her notepad. “Alright, but break it down for me so I know how much you actually know.”

I flipped to a blank page, sketching out a basic diagram of a cricket pitch before handing it back to her. She stared at me for a beat longer before nodding.

“Okay, so I know that the pitch is in the middle of the ground, and the stumps or the wickets are the either end…” She drew them on before circling the two small pieces on the top. “And these are the bails. The bowler’s aim is to hit the stumps—making it their ideal way to out someone, and the batter’s job is to protect them, which is why there’s a batter at each end.

“Once the ball is hit, you can either run between the wickets for runs; if the ball hits the boundary, it’s a four, or if it flies off the boundary without touching the ground once, it’s a six.”

“So far, so good,” I nodded, leaning forward slightly as she spoke.

“And… that’s all I know.”

“Okay, I can work with this.” I took the notepad from her, turning on a new page and drawing a field. “Let’s start with the mental side of it. It’s not just about hitting a ball to get the most points. It’s about making sure you’re in sync with your environment so you can out-think your opponent. There are different bowling styles, and there are different batting styles, but it’s about knowing when to be patient and go for a safe one run or four and when to take risks and aim for that six. For some players, it can be natural—to know what kind of ball the bowler is about to play, but more often than not, it has to be learnt and requires experience.

“And even then, you’ve got to take into account the positioning the opposite team has. It can tell you where to aim, especially when you want to take risks and target your weaknesses. Cricket isn’t just about your individual skill but taking advantage of each player around you. That’s what makes it so great. For each ball, you have to read the game, target their weaknesses or if your team is bowling, set traps, and pull off incredible plays when it counts.”

Raina’s expression softened as she studied me. “You really love it, don’t you?”

“I do,” I admitted, my voice softer. “It’s been my whole life, but there’s nothing like the feeling of stepping on that field and just playing the best game I know I can.”

She took my words in, nodding slowly and I saw it. The moment when her own view of it shifted, and this time when our eyes connected, I saw a similar spark she had when she talked about Formula One, but I knew it had everything to do with my love for the sport instead of hers.

“Alright then,” she said finally. “Show me more.”

We spent the next couple of hours focusing on building on her basic knowledge—field positions, how the squad decided on the order for sending out players, the types of batting styles and bowling styles and how bowlers tried to outwit batters. I couldn’t help but admire each time she asked questions, the way she was letting me see how her brain worked and how quickly she picked up on things.

“Okay, I think that’s enough for today,” I replied, leaning back as she focused on her notepad, writing the last of her notes.

“You’re a Top-Order Batsman, right?”

“Yep.”

“Is Rihaan one too, or…?”

The question caught me off guard, but thankfully, she wasn’t looking in my direction, so I was able to recover quickly. “Uh.. No.”

She looked up, her lips pulled in one corner as she waited for me to continue.

“He’s an all-rounder who specialises in bowling, so he’s more reliable as a middle-order batter and can use his skills to build on the momentum of the players before him.”

She nodded, her gaze flicking to somewhere distant for a second, before she blinked. “Have you told him about… this?”

I hesitated. “I wanted to leave that up to you.”

“Why?” She frowned.

“It wasn’t my place to tell him.”

“You’re his best friend.”

“I am, and I may not know the whole story, but I know that you both have a tricky relationship.” I paused, watching her carefully. “But this… is about you.”

“Me?”

I nodded, staying quiet at the sudden growing tension. Her shoulders were pulled back, the easy vibe we had between us crashing like a tide.

“Finish your thought.”

“I did.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Raina,” I sighed, but the alarms in my head were blaring. Loudly. “Look, all I’m saying is, I get it. You don’t have the best relationship, but it’s clear that your not caring about cricket had nothing to do with him, or you would’ve asked for his help. But you didn’t. So, clearly, you want to tell him on your terms or not at all, and I don’t want to take that choice from you.”

It wasn’t the whole truth, but I didn’t lie either. But I didn’t want to tell her that a part of me wanted to keep this between us for as long as possible because even though I had barely a clue about what really went down between the two, I knew it was messy and big enough that Rihaan, who liked to spend his free time in the gaming room, had spent a total of three nights at the house in the past two weeks. Two of those were when she wasn’t home.

When I saw him at training, he was closed off and quiet in a way I’d never seen before. I didn’t want to hide this from him, but I also wanted Raina and me to have something real before I brought it up to him. I wanted to make sure that whatever his reaction may be, we would be able to take it. Because Rihaan had done so much for me, and I valued our friendship so much, but I also couldn’t deny that now that I knew her, the only way I was letting her go from my life was if she would ask me to.

Because when I said to her, that I was up for anything.

I meant anything.

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