PRESENTING THE PAST - Paige Bueckers x Nika Muhl, Diana Taurasi x Sue Bird

CHAPTER 21

~SOPHOMORE YEAR~

NIKA

"Thanks," Paige says as I toss the ball to her. It's the first day of our sophomore year's summer session. I just nod before dribbling my way back to where Olivia and the others are, while Paige walks over to the rookies.

"We're not used to not seeing you two flirting," Evina teases, making me force a laugh.

"Duh! Get used to it!" I reply, giving her a playful push. Saying that stings my heart. I dribble the ball between my legs before draining a three-pointer.

"Nika, pookie, what really happened?" Olivia asks, sitting beside me after some drills. I shake my head in response and take a drink from my squeeze bottle. "You two were fine during the Big East Championship, and then things started slipping during March Madness. You both said it was just because you were focused on the tournament." I glance at her and shake my head again.

"Nothing happened, Livi. It just didn't work out," I say, shifting my gaze back to the court where the others are still shooting threes, doing layups, or cooling down before heading back to the locker room to shower.

"Okay, little sis. Just know I'm here, alright? If you're ready to talk, I'm here." She gives me a reassuring smile. Olivia has been the big sister I never knew I needed. Growing up as an only child and not knowing any of my biological siblings, Olivia filled that gap, that longing in my heart.

"Oh, are you going to use the shower?" Paige asks when we bump into each other by the cubicles. In my defense, I was texting my mom and didn't notice her.

"Oh no, it's fine. Sorry, I didn't see you coming," I answer, looking into her eyes. God, those eyes always get the best of me. The eyes I used to pray would look at me the way they did months ago. "You go first," I say, snapping back to reality.

"No, you should go first. You'll dry your sweat and might get sick," she says. Her concern for me is still there, even if it's just teammate-level concern. There's a long pause as we both stare, like she's found a universe in my eyes—the same universe where we still exist.

"I'll just wait for Aaliyah. She's almost done, I think," Paige finally says, looking away as if the connection was too long, too revealing.

"Okay, thanks," I say, stepping into the cubicle. I sigh as I hang my towel and clean clothes on the rack. After that dreamy freshman year, I feel like the next three years here are going to be impossibly tight, in more ways than one.

...

"They're really getting close..." Evina observes, watching Paige and Azzi sitting together with Caroline, Aaliyah, Amari, and Piath at a table in the athlete's cafeteria. It's just us, the women's basketball team, eating here right now, which rarely happens. Usually, we have to squeeze into one table because that's all that's left.

"I saw them once walking home together from training. Paige was carrying Azzi's stuff," Christyn shares, fueling the conversation. I try hard not to react.

"Are they dating?" Dorka, the new transfer from Ohio State, asks. Aubrey just shrugs.

"They seem really close. I also saw a few of Paige's Instagram stories after the summer session. They spent some time together," Olivia adds, her voice tinged with bitterness. She's still trying to figure out how Paige and I went from inseparable to strangers.

"Oh, that's weird. When I came here, I thought you and Paige were dating. You two have so much chemistry," Dorka mutters casually. The seniors nearly choke on their food, Evina and Christyn stifling laughter, while Olivia just shakes her head, still anxious about the situation. I can't blame her. She was a big part of what Paige and I had. She was as invested as we were—or were we really? Because it seems like Paige has moved on from our freshman-year bliss, while I'm trying to start fresh in my sophomore year. Olivia, though, still seems stuck in the past, more committed than either of us.