Elias smirked my way. “Hey, Fisher.” He extended his hand to shake mine. Hooking his thumb in my direction, he told his sister, “We used to compete against each other. He’s on Noah’s coaching team now.”
“Ah,” she breathed out, sadness filling her brown eyes.
I feel it, the wall growing between us, the one that says we’re on opposite sides we can’t cross.
But I’ve never wanted to demolish a wall more.
Shaking myself free of the memories, I set the glasses down and murmur a quick goodbye to the girls before hurrying away and upstairs to my room. I no longer think of it as a guestroom but as my own space. Noah has suggested many times that I justlive here during our rare off times instead of keeping a nearby apartment, but it’s still nice to have my own space to retreat to.
Unfortunately for me, Elias is lurking in the hallway.
“Hey,” I say, stopping a few feet from him.
“Do you really think Noah’s going to retire?”
His question catches me off guard. As caught up in my thoughts about Ebba as I am, when I saw him, I thought he was confronting me about her.
“I think so.”
“Huh.” He scratches his jaw. “I know he’s in a different place in life than I am, but I can’t imagine retiring yet.”
I shrug. “After Annie,” I say, referring to Noah’s first wife who passed of cancer, “I think Noah’s learned he prefers to prioritize family.”
“Makes sense,” Elias sighs. “But it’s going to be weird not having him on tour at some point in the near future.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to start looking for a new partner for doubles?”
“Nah.” He shakes his head. “I only do it because it’s fun with Noah. Once he retires, I’ll only do singles.” Clearing his throat, he says, “After we came inside, he mentioned that you’ll be in search of someone else to coach and maybe I would be interested.”
I slide my hands into my pockets and shrug. “I don’t expect you to take me on. I’m sure I’ll find someone.”
I enjoy working with Elias, but that would also put me near Ebba, and I don’t know if I want to subject myself to that kind of torture.
“I like your coaching style. We get along well. I would love to have you on my team when the time comes for Noah to step away.”
“That would be great,” I say with a smile I don’t feel.
He claps me on the shoulder. “We’ll table it for now, but I wanted to say something before you started looking elsewhere.”
“I appreciate it.”
“I’m going to go check on my girl.”
Elias heads down the set of stairs I came up, and I let myself in my room, exhaling a breath as I do. Digging through the dresser I pull out a fresh pair of athletic shorts and a t-shirt and head across the hall to the bathroom.
My mind always wanders in the shower, and this time is no different. I can’t help thinking about Ebba. I actively trynotto think about her, but ever since the incident in Paris with her now ex, thoughts of her have occupied an embarrassingly large portion of my brain.
We never got true closure to our relationship, but I think even if we had I would’ve still found it impossible to move on.
Frustrated, I get out of the shower and towel off. I yank on my shorts and scoop up my shirt before I open the door and nearly collide with the very woman I can’t stop thinking about.
“Oh.” Her cheeks darken. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were in there.” Her eyes drop to my chest and trail lower.
Do not get hard right now just because she’s looking at you. Don’t be any more pathetic than you already are for her.
“I’m done,” I say dumbly. “All yours.” I step around her and we switch spots.
I need to walk away, not stand in the hallway and gawk at her like a prepubescent boy seeing boobs for the first time.