It Starts with Love

Chapter 20 - Finally

A/N: I'll get this out of the way so you guys can finish this story and not hear from me anymore LOL. A big thank you to everyone who's supported the story!! There will be an epilogue *wink*. Also, BTL first chapter is going up as well. So you guys get a treat :)

I won't make this long so here it is, the last chapter hehe.

    Taliana slipped out of the Zverev's place in Wimbledon Village during the wee hours of the morning after she had woken up with a start. Her breathing came in short pants and her hands were shaking. She needed to get moving. Waiting for it to pass was no longer an option. When she had finally gotten herself out of bed, she went straight to her flat to change into some workout clothes.

    Once she had slipped her running shoes on, Taliana took off. She tried not to put too much pressure on her ankle but it was feeling a lot better anyway so she kept running. Running had always been her escape and she savored the quiet morning.

    Her thoughts were chaotic as usual—her fourth-round match with Belinda, the dinner with the Izabella's family, and Sascha's admission last night—but she forced herself to worry only about her priority, which was to get herself in the right head space for the high stakes match she was going to play in a few hours.

    In between breaths, Taliana repeated "quarterfinals" to herself over and over like a mantra. Her focus should be on her quarterfinal match.

    She was on her way back to her flat when she heard someone call her name. She slowed to a walk and looked around for the owner of the voice. "Belinda?" Taliana asked with incredulity in her voice.

    "Hey," Belinda said. She had several bags in her hand and she looked like she was packing them into the car parked on the street. She must be flying out already. "I wanted to talk to you."

    Taliana was skeptic. "Why?"

    Belinda shoved her hands in the pocket of her jacket. "I realize I might have said something I shouldn't have."

    "You think?" Taliana scoffed.

    "Cut me some slack, will you?"

    "You shouldn't have said anything in the first place."

    "I'm trying to apologize," Belinda snapped.

    "Why bother? It's not like you didn't mean it."

    "That's just the thing, I didn't."

    Taliana clenched her jaw. She wanted to clap back at Belinda for what she said yesterday but she also wanted to hear what she had to say.

    Belinda took a deep breath and continued, "What I said, I said out of frustration. Losing is fine, it happens and I can accept that, but losing to you..."

    "It was harder than it should have been," Taliana finished for her.

    "Yeah, exactly."

    "Sascha said the same thing. He said it was hard to watch." Taliana bit her lip.

    "We've known each other for a long time."

    "You don't have to rub it in."

    Belinda laughed nervously. "I didn't mean anything by it. I just meant that we've been friends since we were young and we've supported each other over the years. That won't go away all of a sudden."

    "I understand but I don't have to like it. Have a safe trip, Belinda." She started to walk away. To her, the conversation was finished. Belinda didn't stop her.