ɪ ᴡᴀɴɴᴀ ʙᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱ // ᴇʟɪꜱᴀ ᴅᴇ ᴀʟᴍᴇɪᴅᴀ

Chapter 5

JULIANNA BROCK

The anticipation of another road trip buzzed in the air as the team prepared for our next game. As we gathered our belongings and boarded the bus to go to the hotel, my mind wandered to the night before.

Elisa's message had popped up on my phone, breaking through the monotony of my evening routine. "Hey Jules, roomies for the trip?" The proposition brought a smile to my face, and without hesitation, I replied with "Sure!"

The memory played back as the bus rumbled along the highway, each mile bringing us closer to our destination. Elisa and I were hopeful that Coach wouldn't assign us a new teammate to room with this time.

As we arrived at the hotel, the team filed off the bus. "I'll go get the keycard," Elisa said, walking away from me and over to Coach.

Sakina approached me with a smile. "Wanna room with me?" she asked, her tone casual. I hesitated for a moment, caught off guard. "I- um, actually, I was going to room with Elisa."

Sakina's smile remained, and she nodded understandingly. "Figured, just wanted to make sure. You have fun." With a playful wink, she walked away.

As Sakina disappeared into the crowd of teammates, Elisa approached, her eyes searching mine for reassurance. "Everything okay?" she asked, sensing the mild confusion on my face.

"Yeah," I replied. "Sakina just wanted to double-check that I was rooming with you, we're good."

Elisa smiled, and we headed towards our assigned room. Our routine was familiar – unpacking, settling in, and discussing the game plan for the next day. But as the night progressed, I couldn't help but notice a subtle shift in Elisa's behavior.

Her touches lingered a bit longer, her laughter was more infectious, and her gaze held a warmth that went beyond friendship. I dismissed it initially, thinking it might be my imagination, the exhaustion playing tricks on me. Yet, the signs became more apparent.

Throughout the trip, her compliments took on a flirtatious undertone, and the air between us crackled with a newfound tension. It was both thrilling and unnerving, a dance of emotions I hadn't expected.

One evening, as we shared a quiet moment on the balcony, overlooking the city lights, Elisa turned towards me. "Jules," she said softly, "there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

My heart raced as I met her gaze. "What is it?"

She leaned in, her lips dangerously close to mine. "I-"