Page 22 of Rivals and Liars

"Hey."

Kate's voice was quiet. She ran a hand over the back of her neck as she looked at her.

"I don't want to be like this, Kate. I'm suffocating."

"This isn't the time, Leire—"

"Please," she said, and couldn't help glancing toward the door. "I'm sorry about the other night. I wasn't expecting it and I didn't know how to respond."

"I didn't need you to respond. I just needed to know you were there."

"I know." Leire dropped her gaze, ashamed of herself. "And I don't know how to make up for that. I wish I could go back, but I love you, Kate—that I can promise you. I just need—" She pressed her fingers to her forehead, rattled and restless.

"What do you need?"

"You."

Kate exhaled and shook her head, and Leire put one hand in the center of her chest and the other on her waist.

"I know things aren't okay between us, but please don't leave, Kate. I need more time to—"

She stopped again, because she didn't even know herself. She'd never felt so lost, and the fear of losing what she had with Kate had her so frozen she could barely think past the next moment.

"Are you—" She couldn't finish. Her eyes filled without warning and her lip and chin started to tremble.

She took a step back and pressed her hand over her mouth, holding it there for a few seconds to push down the knot in her throat.

"Hey," Kate whispered, moving toward her.

She put a hand on her waist and with the other pushed the hair away from her face. She knew she shouldn't be doing this, that she wasn't the one who should be giving ground, but she loved this woman and she knew her, and she knew Leire had hit a wall, and that any decision she made right now would only come from desperation.

"Sorry," Leire said, clearing her throat, and glanced toward the door again.

Kate did the same. It used to bother her a lot when the Spanish woman did that, but she was used to it now.

"Are you playing Toronto? I know the Open is the last one, but I wasn't sure—" Leire was unsettled. It still hadn't fully sunk in that Kate, one of the most talented players she'd ever known, was going to have to retire because of an injury. It didn't seem fair—but what she'd been doing to Kate wasn't fair either, and that only made her feel worse.

"I'm entered, but I'm not going. I talked it over with Diane and Thomas. Better to use those days to rest and get ready. I'll go to Cincinnati to start getting back on hard courts."

"Hard courts are your thing," Leire said, looking at her with a sadness in her eyes.

"They are, though I won't be competing there either. I'm saving that for the Open."

"Are you going back to Melbourne until then?" the Spanish woman asked.

"No. I want some quiet. I'm going to the Azores with Diane."

"I'm going to Madrid for two days and then flying to Canada."

"Then I'll see you in Cincinnati." Kate's voice was low and her hand tightened on Leire's waist.

"Can I kiss you?"

The corner of the redhead's mouth curved and those little lines appeared beside it as she let out a breath of a laugh through her nose.

"Yeah, of course you can."

Leire didn't hesitate, catching her lower lip between her teeth after the kiss and releasing it slowly.