After Kiera Parker transfers to UConn her junior year of college after was offered an internship for a sports agency, senior Paige Bueckers and her have an instant connection.
The sun blazes down at us as we step off the plane in the Bahamas. The heat hits immediately, wrapping around me like a warm blanket after the chill of Connecticut. Paige is beside me, her fingers brush against me every now and then, the light contact sending a jolt of excitement through me. She convinced me to come, and though it was a risk, being with her here, in paradise, makes it all worth it.
I wasn't supposed to be on this trip-technically I'm not staying with the team-but Paige found a way to get me here. I'm staying at a nearby hotel, and we're trying to keep things as lowkey as possible. We'll sneak away when we can, but the team won't know. Or at least that's the plan.
We make it through the airport and onto the team bus without raising any suspicion. I give Paige a quick hug before heading to my own hotel, and I watch Paige smile to herself. She's got a game tomorrow, but for now she can enjoy the sun, the sand, and me.
I settle into my hotel room, but my thoughts are elsewhere. I glance at my phone—Paige texted me as soon as she got to her room.
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Meet me at the beach in 30?
A smile tugs at my lips. Even though we're walking on thin ice, being here with her, sneaking around like this, adds a thrill I can't deny. I quickly change into a swimsuit, throw on a cover-up, and head down to the beach.
The resort's beach is stunning—white sand stretches endlessly, and the turquoise water glistens under the warm sun. I spot Paige waiting by a couple of lounge chairs near the edge of the shore, her sunglasses perched on her head, a grin lighting up her face when she sees me.
"There you are," she says as I approach, wrapping her arms around my waist in a quick hug. She pulls away just as fast, looking around to make sure no one's paying too much attention. The team's staying on a different part of the beach, so we're safe for now, but the thrill of being almost caught hangs in the air.
I laugh softly. "Relax, no one's watching us." "Yet," she teases, pulling me by the hand towards the water. We wade in until the cool waves lap against our legs, the ocean stretching out before us, a moment of peace away from everything.
For a while, we forget about the rest of the world. We splash each other, swim lazily in the gentle current, and bask in the warmth of the sun. It's easy, being with her like this, even if it's in stolen moments. She's all I see, all I feel.
Paige pulls me closer, her fingers lightly tracing circles on my back as we float in the water. Her eyes lock onto mine, that familiar intensity making my heart race. For a moment, everything else fades—the team, the secrecy, the pressure. It's just us, here in paradise.
"I wish we could stay like this forever," she whispers, her voice soft but laced with the unspoken weight of what awaits us when we return home.
"Me too," I say, brushing a strand of wet hair from her face. "But we'll figure it out. I promise."
