𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 ౨ৎ paige bueckers

𝐱. 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬

๛ ๋ ׅ ˖ 𝐢 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝅄 ׂ⭒

real life, present (maia's POV)

It had been a few weeks since everything had happened, and I hadn't seen Paige since. The end of college basketball season marked the beginning of her world tour: months spent traveling, partying, dining with friends. It was her first healthy offseason in years, so she aimed to spend it well.

With that in mind, it came as no surprise when she texted our group chat (originally titled "uconn girlies + maia + caitlin", now renamed "thank you for the roses!" after a chaotic insta live), proposing a trip to Florida. Normally, I would've jumped at the idea to get some sun and visit a new place, but Paige and I hadn't talked since the kiss - each of us with excuses of how busy we were. After conferring with Caitlin (too busy with her rookie season to join us, understandably) who said it would be weird if I didn't go, I packed my bags and met the girls at the airport.

I found Azzi first - always the most prepared and thus the earliest - and we made our way to Dunkin with a list of coffee orders. Ice and KK showed up next, each barely awake and complaining about the early wake-up time. Last to show up was Paige, in PJ bottoms and an old hoodie, looking as if she'd only just rolled out of bed. The exhaustion left her eyes as she saw us, smiling at each girl, then me. She leaned in for a hug, engulfing me in that familiar warmth I had grown to long for.

"Are you excited??" she asked eagerly, pulling away to look at all of us. Ice grumbled a little, but KK and Azzi answered with enthusiasm. I could only look at her with slight bewilderment, all of the pieces finally coming together.

She didn't remember the kiss.

౨ৎ

real life, present (azzi's pov)

I love planes. I love being able to read, uninterrupted, for as long as the flight permits. The illusion of being above the clouds, the silence from noise-cancelling headphones - it's all so peaceful. Usually.

Usually, the person next to me sees my book and gets the memo: that I'm here to zone out, not to chat. Usually, we co-exist in silent agreement and don't bother each other. Usually.

Today isn't the usual. I'm in the middle, for one, with Paige on my left (in the aisle seat) and Maia on my right, staring out the window. Paige has her head back, eyes closed - she passed out the second the plane left the ground. Maia, on the other hand, is wide awake and anxious. She thinks I don't notice it, but I do: the way she fidgets with her AirPods, unable to let a song play before skipping it, focus darting from ceiling to aisle to Paige, and back to the world outside her window. Her constant twitching obviously stems from some internal battle with herself, which is the reason I can't focus. I close my book and take off my headphones, making sure not to wake the girl next to me.

"Alright, spill." I say, nudging Maia. "What's going on?"

I lightly poke her shoulder and she jolts out of her funk, immediately defensive.

"Nothing!" she denies, obviously hiding something. "I'm just tired, is all."

"Oh, please! I'll wake up Paige right now, and we'll badger it out of you."