Breaking the Grid

Surrounded

I was sprawled out on the couch, Milo snuggled against my side, his little snores filling the quiet hotel room. The soft hum of my phone's speaker was the only other sound, Kyra's voice filling the space as she talked while clattering around her kitchen.

"Alright, now stir it," I instructed, trying to stifle a laugh.

Kyra groaned loudly, and I could practically hear her rolling her eyes through the phone. "I am stirring it, Blair. Stop bossing me around."

"I'm not bossing you around," I replied, grinning. "I'm helping. You called me because you didn't know what to do next, remember?"

"Yeah, well, you're making it sound so easy," she shot back. "It's not my fault cooking hates me."

"Cooking doesn't hate you, Kyra," I said, laughing softly. "You're just terrible at it."

"Gee, thanks," she muttered, though I could hear the smile in her voice.

As she stirred the pan, the sound of sizzling and the occasional clink of a spoon echoed through the phone. I shifted slightly, Milo pressing closer to me as I adjusted.

"Anyway," Kyra said, her tone lightening, "Marco sent me something earlier. You're not going to believe it."

"Oh no," I said, already bracing myself. "What did he do this time?"

"It's an edit," she replied, and I could hear the grin in her voice. "Of you. On TikTok."

I groaned, covering my face with my free hand. "God, what did he use?"

"Some dramatic music, slow-motion clips of you racing, a bunch of your pictures... '"

I laughed, shaking my head. "Why is he like this? I swear, Marco has too much free time."

"I think it's sweet," Kyra said, giggling. "And honestly? He's not wrong."

"Oh, stop," I said, feeling my cheeks warm. "You're ridiculous."

"You love it," she teased.

"Unfortunately, I do," I admitted, grinning.

The conversation flowed easily as she continued cooking—or at least trying to. I listened to her tell me about training, her teammates, and how Katie kept making jokes about us. It was nice, just hearing her voice and knowing she was okay.

But then, the inevitable happened.

"Uh..." Kyra's voice trailed off, a note of panic creeping in.

"What?" I asked, sitting up slightly.

"I think I burned it," she said, her voice small.

I couldn't help it—I burst out laughing. "You burned it? Kyra, I literally just told you to keep an eye on it!"

"I was keeping an eye on it!" she protested. "It just... happened!"

"Mmhmm," I said, shaking my head. "You know what? I'm messaging the cook right now. I don't want you burning my house down while I'm gone."

She groaned, and I could picture her pouting. "It's not that bad..."

"It's that bad," I replied, still laughing.

Just as she started defending herself again, there was a knock on my door. Milo perked up, his tail wagging lazily. I glanced at the screen, holding the phone so Kyra could still hear me.

"Hold on, amore," I said, getting up and heading toward the door.

When I opened it, Michelle stood there, dressed in workout gear and holding a bottle of water. She smiled warmly, her gaze flicking to Milo for a moment before meeting mine.