𝑳𝑬𝑺𝑺𝑶𝑵𝑺 & 𝑳𝑨𝒀𝑼𝑷𝑺

𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑹𝑻𝒀 𝑺𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑵; 𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑳𝑳 𝑯𝑬𝑹𝑺

Sloane sat cross-legged on her bed in the dimly lit air bnb room, the morning Miami sun shining through. Her mind had the events from last night on replay ever since they happened. Paige giving her that necklace, the touch she felt as Paige clasped it around her neck.
The make out they had after was intimate and so full of love, slow, full of unspoken words.

Sloane absentmindedly touched the pendant now resting on her collarbone, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She was still processing it all, the way Paige made her feel like she was both grounded and floating at the same time. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.

Haven, waltzed into the room with her usual casual energy. "Sloane! are you in there?" she asked with a playful smile, flopping onto the bed beside Sloane.

Sloane blinked out of her daze. "Yeah, what's up?"

"So, me, Nika, Caroline, and Ines are about to go out to this little shopping plaza while the others are gonna go play basketball or something. But obviously you're not doing that so you should come with us!" Haven said, her eyes lighting up at the plans.

Sloane chuckled. "Okay! I'll come."

Haven grinned. "Get dressed, we leave in ten."

Two separate cars later, Sloane found herself walking through the upscale outdoor shopping plaza with Haven, Nika, Caroline, and Ines. Miami's energy was infectious, and the air was warm, making Sloane glad she'd chosen a light sundress for the day. They had spent about an hour wandering in and out of stores, picking out random items and laughing at everything. Haven was currently trying to convince Ines that she absolutely needed a pair of neon green platform shoes, which had Ines laughing so hard she almost dropped her iced coffee.

As they strolled down another row of boutiques, a girl approached them with a friendly smile, her dark hair in waves and a cute confidence in her step. "Hey, I couldn't help but notice how pretty you all are," she said, eyes twinkling.

Nika, never shy, smiled back. " Awww thank you!"

The girl chuckled and leaned in slightly. "I'm throwing a party tonight, and I'd love for you all to come. It's gonna be lit. I could send you the details."

The group exchanged looks, the idea of a party instantly sparking interest. Sloane, always cautious, stood a little behind the others, but the girl's attention soon zeroed in on her.

"What's your Instagram? I'll send you the address."Sloane wondered why the girl asked for her instagram out of all of the girls there but she quickly pushed it to the side.

Sloane hesitated briefly, feeling Haven's eyes on her. "Sure," she said eventually, pulling out her phone and exchanging handles with the girl.

"Awesome," the girl smiled. "I'll send you  everything later. See you there!"

As the girl walked away, Haven raised an eyebrow at Sloane. "looks like someone's popular today."

Sloane rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her.

"right" Caroline teased.

They spent a few more minutes shopping before piling back into the car. The conversation shifted to what to wear to the party the next day , and Sloane found herself relaxing into the comfortability of everything. As they drove toward the basketball court, she let her thoughts drift back to Paige, wondering what she was doing.

When they arrived at the court, the sound of sneakers squeaking and the thump of a basketball echoed in the air. Aubrey, KK, and Paige were deep in a three-on-three game with another group of players who looked just as competitive but definitely not as good. The tension from the court was thick, and Sloane could immediately see it through Paige's movements.

They all climbed out of the car, taking seats on the bench nearby. Sloane's eyes naturally gravitated toward Paige, her ponytail swinging as she moved across the court. But then, she noticed one of the girls on the opposing team glancing her way—right before each shot she took. Sloane shifted uncomfortably in her seat, hoping Paige hadn't noticed.

Haven, Nika, Ines, and Caroline all started giggling softly, sensing the subtle tension. "Someone's got a fan," Nika whispered, elbowing Sloane gently.

Sloane groaned. "Stop."

But it seemed Paige had already noticed. Sloane watched as her movements became more aggressive, her determination to win heightened. Each time the girl made eye contact with Sloane before sinking a shot, Paige's expression tightened. Sloane could tell she was trying to push her emotions down because, after all they weren't together but they were both mutually not going for anyone else.

The moment the girl made a three she glanced at Sloane again, this time with smiling and even pointing at her.
Sloane's cheeks burned as everyone sitting with her burst into laughter.

"Oh my God, Sloane's gonna be famous at this rate," Ines joked, barely able to contain her laughter.

But Paige wasn't laughing. She was done playing. The next few minutes, Sloane watched in awe as Paige dominated everyone, sinking shot after shot.

After the uconn girls win, the teams split, but the girl who had been making eyes at Sloane as all the girls from the bench had walked over. "Good game."she said to Paige, though her eyes flickered to Sloane once more. "Yo!, you got a number I can text?"

Sloane smiled politely, shaking her head. "Sorry, not interested."

The girl shrugged, before she had a look on her face, one showing a very bruised ego before it was quickly replaced with a look of being 'unfazed' before she walked away.

Sloane looked over at Paige, who was wiping sweat from her brow but had a small, satisfied smirk on her lips. That smirk said it all—Paige had won the game, but more importantly, she had won Sloane, her saying no to the girl asking for her number was all the proof she needed to know Sloane was still hers.

A/N: Hiiii guysssss do i smell a get back coming soon or what!!! anyways i literally had weight room today and a game right after im so tired bruh but we won😜😜 and im almost positive i only have this idea for this chapter and the next bc i read it in another book but i literally don't know which so!! lmk if u know ig😭😭 and i have a game the same day of my friends birthday party.. lowk don't know which one to go to🤭

love u alllll

-lea

oct 8