𝑳𝑬𝑺𝑺𝑶𝑵𝑺 & 𝑳𝑨𝒀𝑼𝑷𝑺

𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑹𝑻𝒀 𝑺𝑰𝑿; 𝑾𝑯𝑨𝑻 𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑷𝑬𝑵𝑺 𝑰𝑵 𝑴𝑰𝑨𝑴𝑰 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝒀𝑺 𝑰𝑵 𝑴𝑰𝑨𝑴𝑰

It had been about month since Sloane agreed to go to Miami with Haven and the basketball team. At first, she was hesitant, obviously because of Paige, A break sounded nice.

Haven walked into the room, adjusting the straps of her backpack. "You ready?" she asked, her usual grin on her face.

Sloane nodded, grabbing her phone off the bed.

They met up with the others at the airport a little before sunrise. Sloane spotted Paige almost immediately, standing with Aubrey and Nika, looking effortlessly good in sweatpants, and a hoodie and her hair down. Paige glanced up, locking eyes with Sloane for a brief second before quickly looking away. It was still weird between them—awkward in the way only exes could be—but Sloane knew that at least this trip would help them find some sort of balance... maybe?

"Yo!" KK called, running over to hug Sloane. "You ready for Miami? We're about to have the best week of our lives!"

Sloane smiled at KK's energy. "Yeah, i'm excited"

Soon enough, they all checked in and went through security, gathering at their gate. There was only a small portion of the team here, but they still took up a good amount of space and it wasn't long before the playful banter began. Nika, KK, and Azzi were already cracking jokes, while Caroline and Ines tried to keep things organized.

Sloane and Haven found their seats on the plane, with Haven sitting between her and Nika, who took the aisle seat. Nika immediately started talking about how hyped she was for the trip, while Haven leaned over and whispered, "You gonna be alright with Paige here?"

Sloane shrugged, trying to keep her cool. "Yeah, I'm fine. I mean, it's been 2 months and we're like mutual now."

Haven gave her a look but didn't press further. Sloane was grateful. She stared out the window as the plane took off, her thoughts drifting back to Paige. They had only spoke once since the breakup, and this trip was their first time being together in a social setting. She wasn't sure what to expect, but maybe a change of scenery would help them clear the air.

By the time they landed in Miami, everyone was buzzing with excitement. The sun was already bright in the sky, and the warmth hit them as soon as they stepped out of the airport. Paige and Aubrey had already ordered an Uber to take them to a nearby dealership where they had arranged to pick up two spacious cars that would fit the entire group.

"Let's go!" Aubrey said, holding up the keys to a sleek SUV.

Sloane watched as the group split up into the two cars. She ended up in the car with Haven, Aubrey, Nika and KK. Paige was in the other one with Ines, Azzi, and Caroline . The drive to the Airbnb was filled with music and laughter, the perfect start to their vacation.

The house was stunning—a beautiful white house with a massive pool, palm trees swaying in the breeze, and the beach just a short walk away. They arrived early, around 10 a.m., and after dropping their bags in their rooms, everyone agreed that the best way to start off the trip was with a beach day.

Sloane slipped into her hot pink bathing suit and threw on jean shorts before joining the others downstairs. Paige was already waiting, her eyes hidden behind sunglasses, but Sloane could feel her staring.

The walk to the beach was short, and soon they were laying down towels in the sand, everyone ready to relax. The group settled near the water, but it didn't take long before most of them ran into the ocean, splashing around and laughing.

Sloane stayed back, her eyes scanning the area until she realized Paige was still nearby, sitting on the sand next to her. It was just the two of them now, the others too distracted with the waves to notice.