CHAPTER 15 #3
From the very first game, I knew I had a groove.
I stepped in and took it early. I turned toward my box automatically while fist-pumping, looking for Coach Kit’s reaction, that steady little nod he always gave when I did something right.
And that’s when I saw Cassandra. Sitting with Bobby and the rest of my team.
Her sunglasses were on and she was clapping like she’d been there the whole time, like the last year of silence between us had never happened.
My chest jolted, almost enough to make me stumble on my way back to the baseline. I forced my eyes away, shook out my shoulders, tried to re-focus.
I didn’t need Cassandra here, watching me like this, measured, detached, assessing. It was the same look she used to give me, except now it felt heavier, tinged with judgment. Like she was saying without words: So this is what you traded everything for? A career in tennis instead of triathlon.
The match flew by after that. Quick points, tight rallies, and before I knew it, the chair umpire called game, set, match. I waved toward my box as usual, still catching my breath.
The on-court interview came immediately after, cameras flashing, mics shoved in my face. One question caught me off guard: “You’ll be facing Olivia Smythe next. Thoughts?”
I blinked, surprised. I usually didn’t look ahead at who I was playing until the night before, kept myself in the moment.
“Olivia’s… incredible. One of the best on tour right now, really precise, mentally tough.
I’ve got a lot of respect for her game, and I’ll need to be at my best if I want to get through that match.
” I said it calmly, professionally, but honest.
Questions blurred into the usual safe line, “taking it one match at a time,” “focused on the next opponent,” all that jazz.
After the showers and the press conference, I stepped out of the locker room, still toweling my hair, and stopped dead in my tracks.
Bobby was leaning against the wall, deep in conversation with Coach Kit. Cassandra stood beside them, arms loosely crossed, listening like she’d been part of the circle the whole time. Her sunglasses were gone now, and her gaze flicked up just as I approached.
Bobby spotted me and grinned. “Your dad called earlier, said Cassandra was coming to watch. I figured I’d pull her into the box with us.”
Cassandra gave a little shrug, her voice even. “I was just visiting. Boston’s not far from here, so I thought… why not drop by and watch a match?”
Coach Kit handed my bag off to one of the guys. “We’ll grab your stuff and head to the quarters. I’ll let you guys talk.”
The team began drifting off down the hallway, Bobby giving me a quick pat on the shoulder before disappearing with them, leaving me standing there with Cassandra and the hum of the stadium in the background.
I cleared my throat, shifting my grip on the towel draped around my neck. “There’s a players’ lounge upstairs with a section for VIP guests. We could… grab something there? Sit down?”
Cassandra’s mouth curved faintly, like she wasn’t sure if it was a good idea but was willing to humor me. “Sure.”
We walked side by side through the restricted corridors.
The chatter and rush of the main stadium faded as we stepped into the quieter, polished calm of the lounge, soft lighting, cushioned seating, and the low hum of conversations from coaches, sponsors, and family members who didn’t need to queue with the crowds outside.
I guided her toward a corner table by the glass, overlooking the practice courts below.
For a moment, we just… looked at each other, the buzz of the stadium muffled behind layers of glass, leaving us suspended in that strange, half-private quiet.
Cassandra was the one to break the ice. She leaned back, one hand loosely holding her drink. “So… this is your life for the last years, huh?”
I huffed out a small laugh, though it came out more nervous than amused. “Pretty much. Planes, courts, hotels… then repeat. It looks glamorous, but mostly it’s just schedules and recovery.”
Her gaze cut back to me, sharp but not unkind. “Fancier than triathlon. I get it now, why you’d trade one sport for the other. More visibility. Higher pay. Easier to get sponsors.”
I flinched slightly, heat crawling up the back of my neck. “It wasn’t about the money.”
Cassandra gave a low, bitter laugh. “Yeah… tell that to everyone you left behind.”
I hesitated, fiddling with the condensation on my cup. “Cass, I—” I exhaled, the words heavier than I’d expected. “I’m sorry. For leaving you in triathlon like that.”
Her eyes softened, but there was still a shadow there. “We weren’t just teammates, Alex. We were best friends. Training partners. We did everything together, and then… you were just gone.”
“I know.” My voice was low. “I just… I couldn’t explain it back then. Switching from triathlon to tennis, it wasn’t planned. It felt like I had to grab the chance or lose it forever, and I didn’t know how to tell you without feeling like I was betraying you.”
Cassandra studied me for a long moment, her expression unreadable, but her eyes betrayed her, hurt, disappointment, and something else flickering underneath. “You could’ve just told me,” she said quietly, almost like a plea.
“I was scared you’d try to talk me out of it,” I admitted, my throat tight. “And scared that you’d be right.”
Her shoulders softened, the edge in her voice fading as she tilted her head, searching my face. “So what was it really? Why tennis? We were at the top of our circuit, you had the momentum. We had a shot, both of us. And then one day, you just… disappeared.”
I looked down at my cup. “The reason’s… childish.”
Her brow furrowed. “Try me.”
I shook my head, the heat rising in my cheeks. “It’s not something I can even put into words without sounding ridiculous. Just… I couldn’t say it back then, and I still can’t now.”
Before she could press further, movement at the entrance pulled my attention. Olivia walked in with her manager and a couple of her team, laughter bubbling between them, light and easy. My eyes snapped to her instantly, of course they did. Reflex.
I offered a small, tentative smile. She looked right at me… and then kept walking, her face shuttered, like I was invisible. The sting was sharper than I wanted to admit.
I remembered then that we were set to face each other in our next match. Maybe that explained the walls she’d just put up.
When I glanced back, Cassandra was watching me. She leaned closer. “That’s her, huh?”
I blinked, caught off guard. “Huh?”
“That girl,” she said simply, her tone laced with knowing. “She’s the one you can’t explain.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. My throat had gone dry, my usual rehearsed calm nowhere in sight.
She continued. “I remember you dragged me to watch the Juniors Wimbledon, at first I thought it was only because you were also playing tennis at that time but then after we watched, something in you flipped. Like you’re really obsessing getting better at tennis.”
I remembered that day vividly, the way the sun hit the court, the smell of fresh grass. I’d been mesmerized, not just by the game, but by Olivia.
Cassandra’s voice pulled me back. “It was her who won that match. You were watching her like the whole universe revolved around her. And I could see it, Alex. I knew something had shifted in you that day.”
I swallowed hard, blinking down at my hands. “I… I guess I just couldn’t admit it back then. But after that I wanted her to see me.” I shifted, unsure, biting the inside of my cheek.
She leaned a little closer, lowering her voice. “So what are you waiting for? This… this was your plan all along, wasn’t it? To see her again. And now you’re here. Same court. Same draw. Why not risk it now? You’ve wanted this for years, and this is your chance.”
I hesitated, fingers tightening around the cup. “It’s not that simple, Cass. I… I don’t want to distract her. She’s focused, building her career, giving everything to tennis.”
She raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Alex… you leave triathlon for her.” Her voice had that quiet edge, the kind that cuts without shouting. “And for what? At least make it mean something. Don’t just… leave us behind without anything real to show for it.”
There was disappointment there, but also something harder like resentment, maybe even fear.
My eyes flicked toward Olivia’s team, huddled together in a quiet meeting, their heads bent over charts and schedules, completely absorbed in the moment.
I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. “I’m just… careful. She’s focused, and I don’t want to mess that up.”
I let myself breathe, remembering the bond me and Cassandra once had, and the courage it had always given me. The memories were sharp, bittersweet, but they also reminded me of what I was capable of.
Cassandra’s voice cut gently through my reverie. “Your Dad… he mentioned something about you going back?” She leaned forward, curiosity softening the edge of her tone.
“Yeah… I’ve been thinking about it. I need points, ranking… everything to qualify for the Olympics. It’s insane, starting over, but I want to see if I can still do it.”
She smiled faintly, almost knowingly. “You were always too stubborn to let anything stop you. If anyone can jump back in and make it work, it’s you.”
I let a small laugh escape, the tension easing just a little. “It’s going to be my first ever Olympics qualification. If I’m lucky… maybe we’ll be competing again, but this time on the Olympic stage.”
“Then make it happen, Alex. You’ve dreamed of this for years. Don’t let anything hold you back.”
“You know me, I won't hold back this time.”
She gave a wry shrug, a hint of her old teasing in her tone. “I can’t guarantee anything. But… if you want, we can train together again. Just like the old times. Catch up on lost ground, push each other.”
A mixture of surprise and relief washing over me. “You’d… train with me again?”
She smirked. “Why wouldn’t I? Just don’t expect me to go easy on you. Old times or not, I still want to win.”
I laughed softly, the tension in my chest loosening for the first time in hours. “Fair enough. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
We exchanged numbers, and after a brief teasing scowl, she even unblocked me on Instagram. A small, silly thing, but it felt like a bridge back to everything we’d lost over the years.
Sitting there, I realized how much I’d missed this: the shared history, the sense that someone truly understood me. We weren’t just planning training sessions or chasing points; we were reconnecting as friends, as partners, as the team we used to be.