CHAPTER 30
OLIVIA
Clay and I never made peace. No semifinals, no momentum, just exits that felt like the surface itself was spitting me out.
And the worst part? I knew I’d have to face it again soon, because the Olympics would drag me right back onto red dirt whether I liked it or not.
So I logged the failure, tucked it somewhere it couldn’t soften me, and shifted to what I could control. Grass Surface.
Coach Dani kept drilling footwork like she was trying to beat the clay ghosts out of me. And somewhere in all that repetition, something steadied. Grass rewarded the parts of me clay refused to acknowledge.
But despite my busy training on grass, my mind kept drifting back to her.
Alex had been stretched thin lately; tournaments, press, the constant grind and I hated the distance in her voice every time she said she was “fine.” Ever since that race she pulled out of, she’d clawed her way back onto podiums, winning again like everyone expected her to…
but the spark wasn’t there. Not the one I knew.
She was performing, not living. And I could see it, even through a screen.
That’s why I wanted to be there and to show up for her the way she’s always shown up for me.
So I started planning quietly, checking flights between water breaks, and syncing my training blocks with travel windows. If everything lined up, I’d land, walk through her door, and watch the stress melt from her face when she realized I’d come just for her.
Maddie caught me smiling at my phone. “Alright, spill. That’s not a 'scrolling-face'. That’s your ‘Liv’s up to something’ face.”
“I’m… thinking of surprising Alex. She’s been carrying too much lately.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “And your instinct is to hop on a plane?”
“I just want to be there,” I said, trying to sound casual and failing. “No press, no big gesture. Just… me, showing up.”
Maddie’s face softened, the corners of her mouth curving. “That’s actually sweet. Reckless, but sweet. You’ve sorted how this fits around training?”
“Already handled,” I answered. “Flights, sessions, everything. You don’t need to worry.”
“I’m always going to worry,” she muttered, shaking her head with a smile. “But if anyone deserves you making the effort, it’s her. Just don’t expect me to cover if you miss warm-up the next morning.”
I grinned. “Deal.”
And just like that, the plan felt real. The night before my flight, I sat cross-legged on my hotel bed going over the details one last time. I’d already messaged Bobby earlier that week to loop him in, that I needed a way in without cameras or questions. He didn’t even hesitate.
So I booked the flights, packed a bag, and braced myself for the long haul.
The travel nearly killed me. Twenty-four hours of recycled air, stiff necks, and a delay that made me question every life choice I’d ever made.
By the time I stumbled through arrivals, I looked like I’d fought turbulence with my bare hands.
My hair was a disaster, my back was screaming, and all I wanted was to curl up somewhere dark and horizontal.
But the thought of seeing her cut through the exhaustion like nothing else.
I pulled out my phone and typed the message I’d been waiting to send.
Bobby answered within a minute.
I couldn’t help but laugh, Trust Bobby to make it sound like some covert mission. And maybe it was.
It was barely past seven when Bobby met me by the van bay, hoodie pulled over his head like he was smuggling contraband. His grin was warm, though, and when he pressed the plastic keycard into my palm, my heart hammered against my ribs.
“She’s still asleep,” he whispered. “You’ll catch her before the day gets chaotic.”
God, I hoped so. I clutched the key like it was treasure, nerves fizzing as I crept down the carpeted hallway. My suitcase wheels were silenced by the thick rug, every step stretching into forever.
The lock beeped. My hand shook as I pushed the door open, smile already tugging at my lips, and then I froze.
Cassandra was there.
Lying on the edge of Alex’s bed. In a white bathrobe. Her damp hair knotted up like she’d just showered.
For a moment, my brain refused to compute. Like the whole scene was misfiled, a dream I’d stumble out of if I blinked hard enough.
And then came the sound. The click of the bathroom door. Steam curling out into the room.
“Olivia?” Alex’s voice cracked like she hadn’t expected me to exist there at all.
But I wasn’t looking at her. My eyes were fixed on Cassandra, still perched on the edge of the bed, that robe clutched casually around her. My chest burned hot, my pulse wild in my ears.
“What the hell is this?” The words tore out before I could stop them, sharper than I meant, but God, what else could I say?
Alex, though stumbled forward, towel sliding from her hands, panic flashing across her face.
“Liv, wait, it’s not what you think.”
I laughed, hollow and ugly. “Really? Because what it looks like is she’s in your hotel room, in a bathrobe, on your bed at six in the morning.
And on top of that, the way you’ve been with me lately, cold in your texts, brushing me off on calls, like you’re shutting me out piece by piece.
So please, enlighten me, Alex. What exactly am I supposed to think? ”
Alex stepped closer, hands half-raised like she could physically hold me still. “Liv, wait… I swear it’s not what you think.”
“I don’t want to hear it,” I cut her off, voice shaking more than I wanted it to. My chest was a furnace, but my hands felt cold, useless at my sides.
She flinched. “At least let me explain..”
“Do whatever you want, I don’t care.” I snapped, the words tasting like glass in my mouth. And before she could reach me, before I had to watch her scramble for reasons that wouldn’t matter anyway, I turned and stormed out.
The hallway blurred, my suitcase wheels rattling too loud against the silence. I didn’t even notice Bobby until he was jogging after me, his face pale, stricken.
“Olivia wait,” he said, falling into step beside me.
I stopped walking, my suitcase handle digging into my palm, and turned on him. “Don’t. Please. Not you too.” My throat burned. “I’m so bloody tired, Bobby.”
He swallowed, shifting on his feet, clearly torn.
“I don’t want to hear excuses,” I said, softer this time, but firmer. “Not right now. I can’t.”
Bobby exhaled slowly, nodding like he understood. “Alright. No explanations. You need a bed, a shower, food. Let me fix that for you.”
And just like that, the fight drained out of me. “I just… I can’t stay here.” My voice cracked on the last word.
“I know,” he said gently. “I’ll book you a room at another hotel. Somewhere quiet. You rest. I’ll handle the rest.”
I blinked hard, vision blurring, but managed a nod. “Thank you, Bobby.”
He gave me a small, steady smile. “Don’t thank me. Just… take care of yourself first.”
And for once, I let someone else steer me, trailing behind him while every thought of Alex, of Cassandra, of what I’d just seen, pressed down like lead.
Somehow, in barely twenty minutes, Bobby had us in the back of a cab, and by the time we pulled up to the hotel, he’d already worked some miracle; a walk-in booking and a room ready like it had been waiting for us.
He carried my bag all the way up, set it by the door like a quiet guardian, and handed me the keycard.
Before he left, I caught his sleeve. “Don’t tell her where I am. Please.”
His eyes softened, and he nodded once. “You have my word.”
Something in me unclenched at that. For all the chaos, at least Bobby had made this simple: a bed, four walls, space to breathe. He gave me a small, sad smile.
And with that, he left me to the silence.
My phone buzzed and buzzed on the nightstand, Alex’s name flashing over and over like an alarm I couldn’t face. I flipped it over, pressed it down into the sheets, and finally let myself collapse.
The tears came fast, hot and unstoppable. I buried my face into the pillow and cried until my chest ached, until my body gave out under the weight of it all. Alone in that unfamiliar room, I let my heart break in private.
ALEXANDRA
I paced the length of my hotel room like a caged animal, hair still dripping from the shower. My phone kept ringing out, voicemail after voicemail, and every one of them went unanswered. She wasn’t picking up.
“Bobby,” I said, voice sharp as I cornered him near the desk. He’d been avoiding my eyes ever since he came back from chasing her down. “Where is she? Tell me where she went.”
He shook his head, calm in that maddening way he always was when I was about to break. “She asked me not to tell you.”
I stepped closer, heat burning in my chest. “You don’t get it. I need to explain.” My words tangled, breath jagged.
“I do get it,” Bobby cut in, firmer now. “That’s exactly why I’m not telling you. She doesn’t want to see you right now. She’s wrecked, Alex. Let her breathe.”
“I can’t just… sit here while she thinks—”
“You don’t have a choice,” he said quietly. “What she needs isn’t you barging in with half an explanation. What she needs is space. And you..” he fixed me with that steady look “You need to stop before you burn down whatever’s left.”
His words hit like a punch, but I knew he was right. I just hated how much it felt like losing her.
I wanted to scream, throw something or anything to make the knot in my chest loosen. Because the truth was so far from what Olivia saw.
Cassandra had shown up before sunrise, banging on my door like the hotel was on fire. I’d barely slept, my body was fried from our training yesterday.
She was shaking when I opened up. “Alex, I need help,” she blurted, voice so small it almost didn’t sound like her.
She’d gone out for a recovery jog, but somewhere along the way she’d noticed someone trailing her, same man from the stands, same face she’d clocked before.
Panic had spiked, and she’d rushed straight here, fumbling her way through the lobby only to realize she’d dropped her keys. No phone either.
“Okay, sit down. You’re safe here,” I said quickly, steering her inside. “I’ll call the front desk.” I dug out her coach’s number, rang reception, explained what happened in clipped and urgent words. They promised to send someone up with a spare key right away.
So there she was, perched awkwardly on the edge of my bed, still damp from the jog and the swim, clutching the bathrobe I’d shoved into her hands, a faint tremor running through her as we waited for staff to arrive.
Meanwhile, my muscles ached, my skin felt sticky, and I thought, screw it. “I’m gonna jump in the shower while you wait, Don’t steal anything.” I told her, half-laughing at how absurd it all was.
She rolled her eyes, still pale and shaken, muttering something about me being ridiculous, and I ducked into the bathroom.
And that’s the exact moment Olivia walked in.
She didn’t hear Cassandra’s rushed explanation about the stalker, or the panic in her voice when she’d realized she’d lost her keys. She didn’t see the way Cassandra sat stiffly on the edge of the bed. All she saw was Cassandra, in a robe, on my bed and me stepping out of the shower behind her.
It looked bad. Worse than bad. It looked like betrayal.
“Olivia, wait—” The words barely left my mouth before the door slammed, the echo ricocheting in my chest like a punch.
I froze, dripping water down my back, heart pounding harder than any race finish I’d ever pushed through. By the time I yanked a shirt over my head and made it to the hall, she was gone. All that was left was Bobby, chasing after her like his life depended on it.
Behind me, Cassandra shifted on the bed. When I turned, she looked… wrecked. Her hands were clenched around the towel, knuckles white, eyes flicking toward the door Olivia had stormed through.
“I should’ve said something sooner,” she whispered, voice trembling. “About the man following me… about losing my key… maybe then none of this would have—”
I shook my head, cutting her off gently. “No. She wouldn’t have understood it like that. Not now. Not like this.”
Cassandra’s shoulders slumped, but her eyes stayed sharp. “She looked… shattered. Like I’d just blown her world apart.”
I swallowed hard. “This is on me. I should’ve handled it better.”
Cassandra hesitated, then leaned forward slightly, her tone quiet but steady. “Don’t let her walk away thinking the worst, Alex. If you don’t stop this spiral now, you’ll lose her.”
Her words landed like a punch. Because that’s exactly what I was terrified of, that one wrong step and everything I’d built with Olivia would collapse.
A moment later after that, her coach appeared at the door, and he ushered her out gently, already on the phone arranging extra security, making sure she was escorted back to her own room this time: locked, guarded, and safe.
Now I’m here with Bobby, begging him to help me.
“I don’t want to lose her, Bobby. Not like this. Not ever.” I admitted, voice raw.
“Then you wait,” Bobby said firmly. “You give her space, you prove with actions, not panic. She’s jet-lagged, she’s hurt, and she’s human.”
His hand landed solid on my shoulder. “So stop thinking about what you can’t control and start focusing on what you can, show her you’re worth the second chance when she’s ready to hear it.”
I sat there in silence for a beat, my chest rising and falling too fast, until I finally nodded. “You’re right. If I chase her down now, I’ll just make it worse.”
Bobby exhaled, like he’d been holding that breath for me. “You need to give her time, Alex. She flew halfway across the world for you, she’s exhausted, and she’s hurt. Let her breathe.”
I dragged my hands down my face, frustration burning, but deep down I knew he was right. “I hate this. I hate not fixing it now.”
“That’s why I’m calling your mom,” Bobby said, pulling his phone from his pocket. “You don’t need to be alone with this spiral. You need her.”
“Bobby—”
“No. Enough. You’re carrying too much on your own, and it’s breaking you. You need someone who won’t let you keep burning yourself down.”
I slumped back against the couch, the fight leaving me all at once.
“Fine.”