He's my teammate

18 - A Funeral, Then A Wedding

June 2023 

"God this feels good." Katie moaned as she slid her back across a jet, letting the high pressure of water massage out some knots that had started to form. She could fall asleep there, it was obvious by the look of pure euphoria on her face as her eyelids drifted closed and her head fell back on the tiled edge.

"You know what would feel better?" Arabella asked, already pulling herself from the luxuriously hot water.

"Nothing." Katie said her tone as lightweight as she surely felt. Her eyes were closed to her friend's mischievous smile, and her plan as Arabella threw herself from the hot tub into the pool beside her. A splash of water came up and attacked her friend sending a shock through her system. She screamed, bringing the attention of everyone around the pool. Her body threw her from where she sat, she turned back only to find her friend standing in the pool giggling.

"Bitch." She breathed which only sent her friend into a further fit of giggles. "You are so dead." Katie vowed as she jumped into the pool sending waves of water toward her friend.

Their giggles along with the splashing water echoed around the pool deck. That combined with the two girls wearing bikinis and drenched with water, it pulled the attention of everyone around. Including those who happened to be staying at the same hotel.

Katie wasn't that surprised at their presence, considering Arabella had originally planned the be here as a guest of Max. Since Monaco, many things had changed between the two of them, but Arabella had yet to let her friend in on everything that had happened. Instead, Katie just waited, assuming her friend would tell her when she was ready.

However, there were a few things she noticed especially since they were all staying at the same hotel in Austria. The distance Arabella put between herself and Max, although he somehow managed to be around most of the time. He stood waist-deep on the other side of the pool, leaning against the side with his phone in his hands. Although the allure of a bikini-wearing, drenched Arabella made his glances over his shoulder more frequent. So frequent that Katie fought the urge to splash him.

She also noticed the glances from Max's teammate; Lando. Which wasn't anything new, but there was something different about them. They were more subtle than Max, as they always had been, but there seemed to be more emotion in them. Then there were the responding glances from Arabella. Before they had been quick, almost dismissive, ignorant of the emotions that Lando had for her. Now, her glances held more emotion, and when they met, it was almost as if Katie could feel the shift in the air around them.

At the pool, his glances were the most subtle. Lando lounged shirtless on one of the chairs, his sunglasses hiding the true focus of his gaze, but by the slight curve of his lips, Katie figured he was probably looking at Arabella. Watching her giggle and laugh, playing like a little girl in the pool. Arabella glanced towards him more than once, smiling at him before turning back to her water fight.

So, Katie remained patiently waiting for an explanation.

"Hey, Bella?" Lando called just as Arabella dove underneath the surface of the water. When Katie turned towards him he was sitting up, his sunglasses pushed up to the top of his head, making his curly hair stick up in some places. "Bella?" He called again this time looking towards where Katie stood. She pointed just as Arabella's head poked up through the water.

"Is someone calling my name?" She asked and Katie nodded, motioning towards where Lando was now standing.

"You're brother is calling you." He said holding her phone out to her.

"He's fine." She shrugged, waving him off. "If it's important he'll leave a voicemail." Lando shrugged, turning back towards his chair. He paused.

"He's calling again." Arabella frowned but came to the side of the pool. Lando held the phone out to her, but she struggled with her wet fingers.