Page 19 of Rivals and Liars

"Have you told her yet?" her coach asks.

"No."

"Why not? Look, Kate, I don't know how this thing between you two is going to end, but you've been sleeping together for three years. If you don't have the kind of trust that lets you tell her what's going on with you, the best thing you can do is end this before it keeps tearing you apart."

Kate says nothing; she just thinks about trust, wondering whether they have it. Does she feel comfortable talking to Leire about the things that worry her? She turns it over for several seconds and concludes that yes, she does feel that comfort—but what holds her back is that she doesn't feel safe with her. What good does it do her to say anything if Leire isn't in a position to support her and be there when she needs her most?

"I'll tell her tonight," she decides suddenly, thinking that maybe something this serious could be the push her rival needs to finally face herself and fight for what she wants.

"Good." Diane gets into the car behind her, and they ride the rest of the way back in complete silence.

Diane worried about Kate's state—physical and emotional both—and the redhead carrying the pressure building in her throat from the decision she's just made: she's going to retire. The US Open will be her last tournament.

Chapter 11

Leire jumps off the bed when she hears the knock at the door. She'd been lying there with her legs crossed and her arms behind her head, staring at the ceiling, running through different ways to open the conversation about renewing with Costel. Her pulse spikes and she nearly trips over her own sneakers before reaching the handle. She opens it without hesitating and finds Kate standing there, as beautiful as ever, those freckled cheeks she wants to kiss before she even gets to her lips.

"Come in," she whispers, stepping aside.

Kate has a small bag over one shoulder, which means she's planning on staying again tonight, and that eases something in Leire's chest—because ever since Kate greeted her so professionally after the press conference, like they barely knew each other, like they were just rivals exchanging a polite handshake, the cold look Kate had given her while shaking her hand had left her terrified.

She pushes the door shut until it clicks, then steps closer and cups Kate's face in her hands, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

"How are you? You don't look great," Leire murmurs, tucking a few strands of hair behind Kate's ear.

"My back hurts a little. Last night was awful—the pain woke me up and for a second I thought I wasn't going to be able to play today."

Kate sits down at the foot of the bed.

"Why didn't you wake me up if you were hurting?" Leire asks, standing in front of her with her hands on her hips.

"What for? You couldn't have done anything."

Leire crouches down and rests her hands on Kate's knees.

"I could've found you something for the pain, or given you a massage, or helped you shift positions so you'd be more comfortable. I could've done things, baby. Don't keep something like that to yourself again."

Kate looks at her and nods, holding back the urge to tell her that she doesn't only need her when her back hurts—she needs her all the time. She wants her support, wants to know Leire is there, that she can count on her, call her and not have to wait for a callback because Leire was with someone she couldn't tell about her. She wants to tell her she's sick of being kept hidden, sick of never being the priority. But she holds it back, because she came here tonight to say something else, and that should be enough to make Leire react.

"Do you want me to get you a warm compress for your back? It might help."

"Thanks, but I'm fine. It's just a little discomfort."

Like Leire, Kate has spent hours rehearsing how to say this—that her career is over—but every version she'd prepared has gone blank, so she goes with the simplest thing, the thing she should have said days ago.

"I need to tell you something important," she starts, and Leire gestures toward the sitting area.

"You want to move over there? You'll be more comfortable on the couch."

Kate's fine with that, so she gets up and follows her, and while Kate sits slightly sideways, Leire tucks one leg under her and turns to face her completely.

"What's going on?" she asks, her pulse thudding in her throat, dreading that Kate might be tired of the whole situation and want to end things.

"When I was in Melbourne I had some tests done, and while I was on a layover in Doha the doctor called with the results."

Relief and dread hit Leire at the same time.

"My vertebral injury has gotten worse. The displacement has progressed, and the bottom line is that if I keep playing at this level, it could become permanent."