Page 98 of Best Year Ever
Her next match isn’t until Thursday, so she has a break on Wednesday. We make plans to spend more time talking tomorrow night, streaming a show together again.
At this point, I’m realizing that we’re going to wait to have the conversation we need to have a little while longer. Neither of us seems to be willing to go there on our FaceTimes.
But it’s only a few more days and camp will be done, which will let us see each other when she’s home between tournaments.
And hopefully have a real conversation about the gala, which is now about three weeks away.
As long as the outside world doesn’t keep throwing curve balls our way, that is.
Unfortunately, this week is about to be no different than the last two on that front.
The next evening, Rori FaceTimes me at seven like we planned. Only when I accept the call, all I hear is her crying.
Rori isn’t a crier. If anything, she holds back her emotions too much. What the fuck is going on?
“Landon, I’m so sorry, I’m a mess,” she manages to get out before sobs erupt again on the other end. Her eyes are red and panicked looking.
My heart’s in my throat. Can we not catch a break?
“What is it? Tell me,” I say, trying to speak in soothing tones despite the anxiety I feel.
“There’s so much,” she says, trying to slow her sobs, but looking absolutely miserable. “Some paparazzi caught a picture of my Dad and Julie kissing. Like full on kissing.”
I hold back from responding because I’m not sure what the problem is. She’s obviously had suspicions about them being together and wasn’t too upset at the prospect.
“I don’t care—I want them to be happy, and you know that I’ve felt basically for the whole summer that something is going on. ButHot Stuffis making it into a salacious story. That Julie somehow seduced Dad inappropriately.”
“What?” I can’t mask the shock in my voice, not expecting that turn.
“Yep, and they even mixed the story together with the pictures of us from the Triumph shoot to slut-shame both Julie and me atthe same time. They brought in the Trinity story, too, to smear me by association with you.”
What the hell?
Rori breaks off to cry again. I quickly google, and see the headline:Tennis Star & Coach – Getting Around More than the Tennis Tour.
Shit. This story doesn’t even make sense when you know the truth, but sex sells, and that’s obviously the objective here.
I’m not worried about myself in this situation, just Rori. I’ve never seen her this upset. She’s so sensitive to any press at all, let alone this BS. A sick, twisting feeling rises up in my stomach as I think about how the article must feel for her.
Unfortunately, all I have to lean on is the reassurance that the gossip will die down. “Rori, this sucks, especially when you’re at a tournament. But it’ll blow over. Have you talked to Julie and your dad?”
She pauses and looks at me through the camera with devastated eyes. “That’s why I’m crying more than anything. Julie’s mortified by this article. She just resigned as my coach, apologizing for causing so much trouble.”
“Wait, she quit?” I ask. I don’t even know what not having a coach would mean for a tennis player.
Rori wipes her eyes before answering. “Yep, she left my room like forty-five minutes ago. I tried to tell her that I don’t care about any of it—her relationship with Dad, the bad press. She said she didn’t feel like she could continue, regardless. She’s flying back to Florida as soon as she can.”
I try to think of what to say. I know what Julie has meant to her during her comeback from the injury.
“I don’t think I can do this without Julie, Landon. We did all of this together, the last year wouldn’t have happened without her,” Rori gets out before crying again.
I’m at a loss. I’m halfway across the continent and totally unable to help her in any real way. I hate it.
“Is your dad there? Maggie?” Maybe one of them can come help her. Oh wait, her dad didn’t come on the trip, shit.
“Actually, Nina’s involved now, from New York,” she explains, misunderstanding the reason for my question. She’s still choking out small sobs. “Nina’s trying to talk Julie off the ledge, saying it’ll make everything worse. It’s so unfair. No one did anything wrong.”
I sigh. This is a fucking terrible situation, but that’s exactly why Nina is probably the right person to step in and play hardball to fix it.
