Chapter 14 The Rival Returns #2
“Emotionally? The moment you texted yacht learned tennis.” Maya leaned on the fence and looked at Nico. “Physically? Five minutes ago.”
“He is not my boyfriend.”
“Lena.”
“What?”
“You’re watching him like every point is personally injuring you.”
“I’m concerned about the campaign.”
“I hope the campaign sends you flowers.”
Lena ignored her.
Nico won the second set, but it was uglier. Longer rallies. More strain. Twice, he shook out his wrist when he thought no one was watching.
Lena saw.
So did Declan.
By the time Nico won match point, his expression was blank from effort, and Lena’s stomach was tight enough to hurt.
The team clapped. Coach Hart nodded once. Jace slapped Nico on the shoulder.
Declan stood.
Lena knew before he moved that he was going to say something.
She started walking.
Too late.
Declan intercepted Nico near the water coolers, away from the main crowd but close enough that a few people could see them.
Lena stopped near the media table, phone in hand, every instinct screaming.
Declan leaned in.
Nico’s body locked.
Lena could not hear the first words.
Then she saw Nico’s face.
All the color drained out of it.
Not anger first.
Pain.
Then anger.
Nico stepped closer to Declan.
Jace called, “Nico.”
Coach Hart turned.
Phones lifted again.
No.
Lena’s feet moved before her brain approved.
She crossed the court fast, slipping between two players and a bench full of towels.
“Nico,” she said.
He did not look at her.
Declan’s smile was small and satisfied.
“What did you say?” Lena asked.
Declan’s eyebrows rose. “Nothing.”
Her voice stayed pleasant. “You should stop saying nothing. It seems to cause a lot of trouble.”
His gaze flicked over her. “You sure you want to be in the middle of this?”
Nico looked at her then.
Finally.
His eyes were fierce. Terrified. Furious that she was close and maybe more furious that he wanted her there.
“Go,” he said.
“No.”
Declan gave a soft laugh. “That’s sweet.”
Nico’s fist tightened.
Lena stepped slightly in front of him.
Not because she thought Nico needed saving from Declan.
Because Nico needed saving from becoming the version of himself Declan kept trying to summon.
“Nico,” she said softly, without looking away from Declan. “Walk with me.”
“I said go.”
“And I said walk with me.”
A beat.
Two.
Then Nico moved.
Not because he had calmed.
Because he chose her voice over Declan’s.
For reasons Lena absolutely could not afford to examine.
They walked toward the side gate in silence.
When they reached the shaded path behind the courts, Nico pulled away.
“What the hell was that?”
Lena blinked. “You’re welcome?”
“You don’t step between me and Vale.”
“Someone had to before you handed him exactly what he wanted.”
His eyes flashed. “You think I don’t know that?”
“I think knowing and stopping are different things.”
His jaw tightened.
Too hard.
She saw the pulse beat in it.
“What did he say?” she asked.
“No.”
“Nico—”
“No.”
The word cracked between them.
Lena flinched.
He saw.
Regret flashed across his face.
Then disappeared beneath anger again.
“Stop asking,” he said.
“Stop making me need to.”
“You don’t need anything from me.”
“That’s not true.”
The words came out before she could stop them.
They both went still.
The air seemed to thin.
Nico looked at her.
Really looked.
Lena wanted to take it back.
She wanted not to.
He stepped closer, voice lower now. “What do you need from me, Lena?”
Her heart slammed once.
Wrong question.
Wrong place.
Wrong boy.
She lifted her chin. “Trust.”
His mouth twisted. “That’s expensive.”
“I know.”
“You don’t.”
“Then tell me the price.”
For one moment, Nico’s face opened.
Just a crack.
Enough for her to see the cost written there.
Family.
Shame.
A mother’s name in someone else’s mouth.
Then the wall slammed back into place.
“You couldn’t afford it,” he said.
The words hit hard.
Lena stared at him.
He looked like he regretted them instantly, but he did not apologize.
Because Nico Reyes would rather bleed than soften first.
She nodded slowly. “Okay.”
His brows drew together. “Lena—”
“No. It’s okay.” Her smile came automatically, bright enough to make him wince. “Very clear. Very helpful.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Turn into her.”
The words stopped her.
Her smile faltered.
Nico looked just as shocked as she felt, like he had not meant to say it out loud.
“Into who?” she asked softly.
His throat moved.
“The girl everyone gets to hurt because she makes it easy to pretend they didn’t.”
Lena could not breathe.
The silence between them changed again.
Painfully.
Intimately.
He saw too much.
She hated him for it.
She wanted him for it.
Before she could answer, a voice called from behind them.
“There you two are.”
Coach Hart stood at the end of the path.
His gaze moved from Lena’s face to Nico’s, then to the small, charged space between them.
Nothing had happened.
Nothing visible.
That was the problem.
Some things did not need to happen to be obvious.
Coach Hart’s expression hardened.
“Nico,” he said. “Training room. Now. I want that wrist checked.”
Nico looked away first.
Lena’s stomach dropped.
The wrist.
Of course her father had noticed too.
Nico said, “I’m fine.”
Coach Hart’s voice turned cold. “That was not a request.”
For a second, Lena thought Nico might argue.
Then Declan’s laugh drifted faintly from the courts behind them.
Nico’s face closed.
He walked past Coach Hart without another word.
Lena started after him, but her father stopped her with a look.
“Lena.”
She froze.
“Not now,” he said.
The words were quiet.
They hurt anyway.
Nico disappeared inside the building.
Coach Hart followed.
Lena stood alone on the shaded path, the sound of tennis balls cracking in the distance, her phone buzzing in her hand.
She looked down.
A new anonymous message.
He almost hit him for less than what Declan just said. Imagine what he’ll do when everyone hears it.