Twenty

I never thought I'd be standing here—my heart racing, my mind a million miles away—looking at Paige as though everything had changed. But it had. The kiss, her lips against mine, the heat that spread through me like wildfire... it was undeniable. Yet, as the moment hung in the air, I knew something deeper was shifting between us. This wasn't just about physical attraction anymore. It was more complicated, more dangerous—at least that's how it felt.

I pulled back slowly, my breath catching in my throat. "Paige..."

She didn't let go of me, her hands still on my arms, but her gaze dropped to the floor, her jaw tightening. I could see the conflict in her eyes, the same struggle I'd been feeling since the moment I realized how much she meant to me.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, though I didn't know if she was apologizing for kissing me or for everything that had led up to this.

I swallowed hard, trying to steady my pulse. "Don't be sorry. I just... didn't expect that."

She nodded, a soft chuckle escaping her lips, though there was no humor in it. "Yeah, neither did I."

We stood there in the silence for a beat, both trying to find something to say, something to break the tension that had completely taken over. The gym was quiet now, the rest of the team having filtered out, leaving us alone in the dim light.

"Look, I don't want to make things weird," I finally said, my voice shaky. "But I can't keep pretending like nothing's changed."

Paige met my gaze again, and this time there was no hesitation in her eyes. "I don't want to pretend either."

The words hung between us, heavy with meaning. I could feel the weight of everything unsaid, all the things we hadn't acknowledged before. And I knew deep down that this wasn't something we could ignore anymore.

Before I could respond, a voice called from the hallway. "Yo, India, you still alive in there?"

It was Nika, of course—always the one to interrupt those moments that felt too big for words.

"Yeah, I'm here!" I shouted back, forcing a laugh to break the awkwardness.

Paige stepped back, letting her hands drop from my arms, her eyes flicking over to where Nika stood in the doorway, looking a little too curious for her own good.

"You two okay?" Nika asked, a teasing grin on her face.

I shot her a look. "We're fine, Nika. Just... talking."

Nika raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Talking, huh? That's a new one. You sure it's not something more?"

Paige let out a soft laugh, rubbing the back of her neck. "Nothing to worry about, Nika. Just a conversation."

But Nika wasn't convinced. She glanced between us, her eyes narrowing slightly before a knowing grin spread across her face. "Alright, alright. Whatever you say, P. Just don't leave us hanging, yeah?"

"Go on, get out of here," Paige said with a small laugh, waving her off. "We'll catch up later."

"Sure, sure," Nika said, still grinning like she knew exactly what was going on. "But you two better figure this out soon, or I might have to start charging for advice."

Once Nika was out of earshot, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. I looked at Paige, who was now leaning against the bleachers, arms crossed over her chest.

"You know she's going to make this into something, right?" I said, the corner of my mouth pulling into a grin.

Paige smiled back, though it was laced with a little bit of frustration. "I know. But honestly, at this point, I don't care."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You don't care?"

"No," she said firmly. "If we're going to figure this out, we can't keep hiding it. I don't want to hide from you anymore, India."

Her words hit me harder than I expected, and for a moment, I found myself speechless. "I don't want to hide either," I admitted softly. "But this is... this is complicated, P. You know that, right?"

"I know," she replied, her tone a little softer now. "But I'm tired of making everything so complicated. I want us to be something more."

I swallowed, suddenly feeling the weight of her words. "More?" I echoed, trying to keep my voice steady.

She nodded. "Yeah, more. Not just teammates. Not just friends. I want us to figure this out, whatever 'this' is."

I took a deep breath, feeling a mixture of excitement and fear settle in my chest. "Paige, I don't know what's going to happen. I don't know if I'm ready to open up like that."

Her expression softened, and she stepped closer, not touching me but close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating off her. "I don't need you to have all the answers right now. I just need you to be real with me."

For a moment, I wanted to tell her that I was scared—scared of the unknown, scared of what it would mean for us as teammates, as friends. But something in her eyes made me pause.

Maybe we didn't need all the answers. Maybe we just needed to take the next step.

"Okay," I whispered, finally allowing myself to believe in what she was saying. "Let's figure this out."

Paige smiled, her eyes lighting up with something I couldn't quite place. "Good. Because I think we might have something worth fighting for."

Later that night, the team gathered for another round of training. But today, something felt different. There was an unspoken understanding between Paige and me, a quiet acknowledgment that we had crossed a line we couldn't uncross. I tried to focus on the photos I was capturing, but it was impossible to ignore the way Paige moved on the court, the way she kept looking at me between drills, like she was waiting for something—waiting for me to see it too.

During a quick break, I found myself sitting next to Lou, who, as usual, had a mischievous grin plastered on her face.

"So, what's the deal with you and P, huh?" Lou asked casually, not even looking at me but clearly waiting for an answer.

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "You're all over this, aren't you?"

"Wouldn't be me if I wasn't," Lou teased, finally turning to look at me. "But seriously, India, I can see it. You two are dancing around it, but it's clear as day."

I glanced over at Paige, who was talking to Nika on the other side of the court. "It's complicated, Lou."

"I don't think it's that complicated," Lou replied, her voice surprisingly soft. "You just need to stop being afraid to go after what you want. It's not every day you find someone who makes you feel the way P makes you feel."

I thought about that for a moment. Lou wasn't wrong, but I still wasn't sure what was going to happen next. "Maybe I'm just not ready for this," I admitted.

Lou leaned in a little closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Then don't worry about being ready. Worry about what feels right in the moment."

I looked at her, then back at Paige, who was still watching me with that same steady gaze.

Maybe Lou was right. Maybe I didn't need to have everything figured out. Maybe all I had to do was trust what was happening between us.

And for the first time, I felt a little less scared.