TORI’S POV
I slammed my locker shut hard enough to make the girl next to me jump.
"Sorry," I muttered, not feeling sorry at all.
Of course, the tennis team probably got free shoes while we held bake sales for new kneepads.
Maya dropped onto the bench beside me. "Who peed in your Cheerios this morning?"
"No one." I yanked my hair into a ponytail with unnecessary force. "Just tired."
"Uh-huh." She wasn't buying it. "This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain blond tennis player, would it?"
I shot her a look. "What did you hear?"
"Just that you two were seen getting cozy in the library before Athletic Director Reynolds kicked you out."
"We weren't getting cozy," I snapped, lacing up my shoes. "We were working on our econ project. And yes, Reynolds kicked me out so the precious tennis team could meet with Nike."
Maya whistled low. "Nike, huh? Must be nice."
"The worst part is—" I stopped myself. No point giving voice to what bothered me most: the fact that for a brief, stupid moment, I'd actually enjoyed working with Ethan. Had almost let myself think he was different.
"The worst part is what?" Maya prompted.
"Nothing. Let's get to practice."
Coach Rivera had us running defensive drills from the moment we hit the court. Exactly what I needed—no time to think, just react, dive, recover, repeat. My body moved on autopilot, muscles burning with familiar pain.
"Martinez! More height on that jump!" Coach called.
I nodded, gathering myself for the next drill. Five more reps. Then ten more. Then fifteen.
"Hydrate!" Coach finally shouted, blowing her whistle.
I grabbed my water bottle, dumping half of it over my head. The cool liquid mixed with sweat, dripping down my neck and back. For a blissful minute, my mind was blank—just the sensation of water and the burn in my muscles.
"Uh, Tori?" Josie nudged me, her eyes fixed on something over my shoulder. "You have a visitor."
I turned, water still dripping from my chin, to find Ethan Harrington standing at the edge of the court. He held two coffee cups and wore an uncertain expression I'd never seen on his face before.
"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered.
Around me, my teammates straightened up, smoothing back hair and adjusting shorts. Maya even sucked in her stomach.
"What's he doing here?" Josie whispered, not very subtly.
"No idea." I grabbed my towel, wiping my face roughly.
"Aren't you going to talk to him?" Maya asked when I made no move to approach him.
"I'm in the middle of practice."
"We're on a water break," Josie pointed out unhelpfully.
With a sigh that hopefully conveyed exactly how annoyed I was, I walked over to where Ethan stood. Up close, I could see the uncertainty in his eyes was genuine. He looked almost... nervous?
"This is a closed practice," I said by way of greeting.
"I know." He offered one of the coffee cups. "Peace offering?"
"For what?" I crossed my arms, ignoring the coffee.
"For the study room thing." His easy smile looked forced. "That was messed up."
"It wasn't your fault." The words came out stiff.
"I didn't stop it either."
I shrugged, trying to look like I couldn't care less. "Whatever. Is that all?"
Behind me, I could practically feel my teammates straining to hear every word. Their curiosity burned against my back.
"I also came to apologize for," Ethan said.
"Ok.”
He nodded, and there was an awkward silence. He shifted his weight, and I made the mistake of looking down. His athletic shorts revealed powerful legs, tanned and muscled from tennis. I jerked my eyes back up, irritated at myself.
"Anyway," he held out the coffee again, "I thought maybe we could reschedule? The project's due next week."
"Fine." I finally took the cup, careful not to let our fingers touch. "Thursday, same study room. If it's not reserved for some special tennis ceremony."
I meant it to sting, but he just nodded, accepting the jab. "Thursday works. Four o'clock?"
"Five. I have practice."
"Five it is." He glanced over my shoulder at my teammates, who immediately pretended they weren't watching us. "Sorry to interrupt your practice."
"It's fine." It wasn't.
"Martinez!" Coach Rivera called. "Break's over!"
"Gotta go," I said, already turning away.
"Tori." My name in his voice made me pause. "One more thing."
"What?"
"I told Reynolds we need that study room on Thursday. Said it was for a mandatory project that affects my athletic eligibility." His mouth quirked up at one corner. "So we're guaranteed the space this time."
For a second, I didn't know what to say. It was... thoughtful. And completely unexpected.
"Thanks," I managed finally.
He nodded, taking a step back. "See you Thursday."
I watched him walk away, those tennis-toned legs carrying him across the gym with an easy grace that shouldn't have been so noticeable.
"Oh. My. God." Maya appeared at my side the moment he was gone. "Ethan Harrington brought you coffee!"
"It's nothing." I took a sip to seem casual. "Just project stuff."
"Sure," Josie joined us, grinning. "Project stuff that makes him crash our practice looking like a lost puppy."
"He did not look like a lost puppy," I protested.
"He kind of did," Maya said. "All hopeful and nervous. It was cute."
"Can we please get back to practice?" I begged.
Coach rescued me with a whistle blast. "Ladies! Circle up!"