Page 121 of Best Year Ever
NEW YEARS: FACETIME
THAT FRIDAY
@hotstuffdaily
THE SPORTS WORLD’S NEW ‘POWER COUPLE’?
Coming off of tennis star Rori Reilly’s semifinal win at the U.S. Open in New York, rumors are swirling that she and Orlando Waves linebacker Landon Battle are officially a love match.
The gossip mill will heat up even sooner if another juicy tidbit is true—Battle will attend Reilly’s U.S. Open final match tomorrow. With the Waves winning their second game of the season last night against Buffalo, Battle’s schedule is clear to show up in New York to cheer his reputed girlfriend on.
Representatives for Reilly and Battle are tight-lipped, but fans of both athletes are giddily celebrating the potential pairing.
“They are both so cool,” said @rorisfanclub. “Landon is perfect for Rori.”
“Imagine the babies ,” said @sportsgirlie.
Rumors about a “connection” between the two started to circulate when they appeared in steamy photos for their Triumph clothing shoot together. Battle also attended several tennis tournaments this year, showing up for Reilly’s matches.
More recently, tennis lessons with Reilly were an auction item at a Waves charity event. Who snagged the lessons? None other than Battle.
“Rori and Landon are both focused and driven athletes and continue to have huge goals for their careers. They have a lot in common and enjoy that they can support each other as they work toward their dreams,” an exclusive source close to the couple shared.
The two have been busy lately, with the Waves winning their first two games, and Reilly at the U.S. Open for her latest run. That hasn’t slowed down the gossip.
Meanwhile, getting to the final at the U.S. Open means that Reilly moves to #3 in the world. With the tennis season coming to a close, will we see her at a football game soon?
CHAPTER 45
Rori
SEPTEMBER
Hanna shoots me a fierce stare as she walks to her side for the third and final set of our U.S. Open championship match.
She may have melted a little bit when it came to defending the rest of us from Tessa’s nastiness, but I’m not surprised to see her game face on today.
I stare right back.
Not today, I think.Today ismyday.
I glance at my player’s box, and everyone has an intent look on their face, seemingly willing me to stay strong and confident.
Dad. Julie. Maggie. Taylor. Nina. Aunt Mandy. And Landon.
Don’t worry, I want to tell them.I got this.
And I do. Hanna, who’s usually unflappable, seems to get irritated at small things. Her topspin is a little flatter than usual, giving me more control on my returns of her shots. When I see the potential for a winning shot, I take it and make it. In contrast, she’s been hesitating, missing her own easy winners.
I claim the lead in the third set by playing my game and avoiding mistakes. 5-2.
The crowd buzzed like crazy when Landon appeared duringthe warm-ups as I traded pre-match hitting drills with Hanna. Some even screamed his name.
“LANDONNNNNN!”
We knew that him coming would essentially confirm that we were together, but we didn’t care. Most importantly,Ididn’t care.
Given the choice of having Landon miss my championship match versus causing a press frenzy by his presence, there was only one acceptable option. And Landon agreed, of course.
