Page 122 of Double Fault

Ebba turns my way, bringing the breeze from her fan with her. “I’m not sure of the technical answer, but each type of court has its own pros and cons. I guess the variety evens the playing field a bit. Those who play closer to the net usually prefer grass”—she waves at the manicured lawn in front of us—“because the surface is faster.”

“Hmm.” Head tilted, I study the court again. I never would’ve thought the surfaces could have such an impact on play. “Do you know Noah’s favorite?”

She shakes her head. “You’d have to ask him.”

Noah’s opponent wins this set, meaning Noah is in the lead, two to one. With any luck, he will win the next, and the fifth set will be unnecessary.

“Don’t tell him I said this,” I whisper to Ebba as I watch him break a banana in half and take a bite. “But tennis is fun to watch.”

Her lips tip up as she mimes zipping them. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Did you ever play?”

“I always preferred dance,” she says, “but my body couldn’t hold up to it after an accident. Now I follow my brother around the world and get paid to post pictures.” The last part of that statement is coated in a thick layer of sarcasm, as if she’s been insulted for her career in the past.

“What happened? A car accident?”

“Sort of.” She inhales a deep breath and blows it out, her attention turning back to the court where the guys have returned to baseline. “I was out biking with my brother. Hit a rock and went flying over the handlebars and down a hill. I broke my leg and bruised my ribs. Needed stitches on the inside of my lip. I was knocked unconscious and Elias…” She exhales again, herbreath a little shaky. “Elias carried me the five miles back to the parking lot and sped to the hospital. I still don’t know how he did it. It could’ve been so much worse, though. Thankfully, I’m here. If the worst thing that came from it was the end of my career, then so be it.”

The words are drenched in sadness.

“It still bothers you, though, doesn’t it?”

She lifts one delicate shoulder. “It was my dream and it was gone in a blink. It’s hard, yeah. And the chronic pain it caused is like adding salt to the wound.”

My heart aches for her as I watch her work to maintain an even expression. I never would’ve guessed she suffers from chronic pain. I’ve never noticed her carrying herself as if it hurts to move, and she always seems so bright and bubbly.

Maybe I should pay more attention. It’s true that many who suffer the worst hide behind smiles, and I want to be there for my newfound friend.

At the thought of friends, it hits me that it’s been too long since I checked in with Lucy. We chatted via FaceTime a week ago, but since then, we’ve only had time to text here and there.

The match quickly becomes a nail-biter, and the entire crowd goes silent. Noah misses out on several match points, but eventually, he clinches the win.

Ebba, Maddie, and I break into applause as the game ends and Noah celebrates on the court.

“Time to head back to the hotel,” I tell Maddie as we make our way through the throng of people. “Unless you want to stop anywhere else while we’re out.”

Noah is having dinner with a sponsor tonight, so he’ll be late, which means we have lots of time to kill.

Maddie shrugs. “Could we go to a museum?”

I stop in my tracks, a smile splitting my face. “You want to go to a museum?”

Ilovemuseums. The nerd in me really comes out when I can stroll from one exhibit to the next, reading each placard as I go. Though despite my affinity, I haven’t been to many, and the ones I have had the privilege of visiting wouldn’t be considered more than mediocre. I’ve been dying to visit a few in London but haven’t had much spare time to do so.

“Yeah. I think it could be fun.” She toys with the lanyard around her neck. “What do you think?”

“I think that sounds like an excellent idea.”

While we wait for a taxi, I do a quick Google search, and then we’re off.

“This is so cool,” Maddie says, stopping in front of another display to read the plaque.

“It really is.”

Sure, I have mixed feelings when it comes to the numerous artifacts that have been stolen from their rightful countries throughout history, but I can’t deny how awe-inspiring it is to see many significant pieces in person.

We wander from one exhibit to the next for several hours, then stop for dinner before heading back to the hotel. After showering and changing into our pajamas, I start a movie for Maddie in her room and go across to mine, leaving the door cracked between us, and pull out my laptop to video chat with Lucy.

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