Golden State Valks

“You’re my favorite person to be around.”

sorry but this is my new fav picture of them

Mature themes implied.

Golden Bridges, Bold Beginnings

Chapter 5

As much as Veronica knew it was the right thing, the breakup still stung. She knew that Emily had taken it badly. She’d temporarily blocked her on all socials before reversing that a few days later. After a week of silence she’d called Veronica, begging her to take her back and for them to try again. It wasn’t in Veronica’s nature to be cruel or to be unmoved by somebody’s pain. Especially someone she used to love. But she had stayed firm: their relationship was over. She had tried to suggest that they stay friends but she knew in her heart of hearts that wouldn’t happen. Emily was too hurt and angry.

‘It’s her, isn’t it?’ She inferred angrily when she called Veronica late one evening.

‘Who?’ Veronica asked, already knowing what the answer would be.

‘Kate.’ Emily responded. It sounded like she almost spat Kate’s name out.

‘No. It’s not.’ Veronica said, firmly. ‘This is about you and me, Em. We haven’t been good for a long time.’

‘Only since you met her.’

‘That’s not true. I can’t keep doing this. Kate has a girlfriend. There is nothing going on with us.’

‘Yeah, but you want there to be. I know it. And if I know it, her girlfriend probably does too.’

That stuck with Veronica. She knew that she had been leaning on Kate during the breakup. She’d tried not to, but Kate was her best friend on the team. Kate understood better than anyone else seemed to. She gave Veronica the best advice and told her to trust her instincts with the breakup. If she felt it was the right decision, then it was. But Veronica hadn’t thought about Claire much. She had barely seen her. But she was sure she couldn’t be that happy with Kate spending that much time with her.

So, she resolved to stop relying on Kate and called two of her best friends. They both dropped everything and agreed to fly out to cheer her up and keep her company. P, her best friend, insisted that she had never liked Emily- as was her best friend’s prerogative. They would be staying with Veronica in her apartment for the weekend and heading to the game that evening. The team always had tickets and a suite ready for the players’ friends and family.

The game went well, especially for Veronica, and afterwards they caught up with her near the locker room.

‘Hey! You were amazing!’ P yelled, hugging her tightly.

‘Ha! Thanks!’ Veronica responded, still try to catch her breath from the game.

‘Eww. You’re so sweaty!’ P shouted, pushing Veronica away.

‘Well yeah, I just played almost 40 minutes!’ Veronica yelled back, laughing.

‘Ok, well go get showered because we are going out and our friend Claire is coming with us.’ P said, indicating the pretty blonde next to her.

Veronica was taken aback to see Claire standing there smiling.

‘Oh, cool. You guys met. Great.’ Veronica said, trying not to sound shocked. ‘I’ll be out in a bit and I’ll let Kate know’.

‘Oh, I already texted her.’ Claire said, breezily.

Veronica nodded awkwardly then walked into the locker room, heart racing.

She showered and threw her clothes on as quickly as she could. As she was slipping her shoes on, Kate appeared at her side.

‘Hey, I guess we’re all going out tonight. Claire said she met your friends and they were really nice and invited us out with you. That’s so kind’, She said.

‘Yeah, they’re sweet like that.’ Veronica responded, picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. ‘See you back at the apartments?’ She added, not waiting for an answer and dashing out of the locker room.

Kate was a little taken aback and tried not to read too much into Veronica abruptly leaving.

Back at Veronica’s apartment, she immediately relaxed. Her friends never failed to make her laugh. P had braided her hair beautifully and helped her select an outfit so she felt cute and confident. They were blasting music and handing Veronica shots, which she eagerly downed.

‘Take it easy, V!’ P giggled. ‘I am not carrying you home!’

Veronica ignored her. She needed this. Needed to shake off the stress and drama of the breakup; wanted to blow off some steam and release the tension of the last few games. She threw back another shot and ran over to the speaker on her kitchen counter, skipping to a different song. The music pulsed through the kitchen, the friends all starting to dance around with drinks in their hands. Veronica was doing her classic, silly dance move: rolling her arms above her head. It wasn’t fully a joke- that was her actual go-to move- but she didn’t mind that she wasn’t the best dancer. P pulled out her phone and filmed them, joking with Veronica.

‘Nice moves, V!’

Veronica stuck her nose up and pouted, trying not to laugh. She felt free, happy, for the first time in a week.

‘Time to go!’ P yelled, turning the music off.

Veronica slipped her shoes on and took one last look at herself in the mirror. She looked good. She felt good too.

They wandered out of the apartment and downstairs to the street to wait for their ubers. Not long after, Kate and Claire came out of the apartment building and walked over to join them.

‘Hi!’ Kate said, cheerily.

‘Kate!’ Veronica’s friends greeted her, pleased to see her.

Veronica smiled. She loved that her friends instantly liked Kate. But then again, everyone liked Kate as soon as they met her. It was her superpower. She was so friendly, so charming, and had this unique ability to make you feel like you were the only person in the room.

Kate and Claire were happily chatting with P and the others while Veronica stood quietly, taking in Kate. She looked good, as always. Slacks, loose t-shirt, hair pulled back into that bun so her neck and jawline were visible. Edible.

Wait, what? She didn’t mean that. Right?

Veronica shook her head slightly and was relieved as the ubers pulled up. Kate, ever the gentlewoman, let Claire get in first and then moved behind Veronica, her hand at her back.

‘You look beautiful.’ She whispered into Veronica’s ear as she moved behind her.

Veronica smiled but didn’t look back.

The bass was thumping at the bar. Thankfully, it wasn’t too busy and the bar itself wasn’t too crowded. They wandered over and P insisted on ordering for everyone.

‘V, Kate, you get whatever you want ‘cause you both balled out tonight!’

‘Yes!’ Everyone shouted in agreement.

They ordered drinks- as well as shots that P insisted they all have- then stood chatting, Veronica’s friends admitting they got distracted and didn’t realise how many points she had.

‘Oh wow, thanks’. She laughed, sipping her drink.

‘Well P almost got into a fight with someone after you missed a free throw’. Jay, one of Veronia’s friends, pointed out.

‘What?!’ Kate gasped.

‘Yeah, they were doing too much on my girl.’ P retorted, proudly.

‘I get it.’ Kate added. ‘She’d usually carrying us and we all get so protective when she hits the floor.’

‘I do not hit the floor that much!’ Veronica responded, going to shove Kate with her forearm but then thinking better of it given that Claire was right next to her.

She quickly tried to distract from it. ‘Let’s go grab a table’. She suggested.

Thankfully, everyone was in agreement and they wandered over to an empty one, pulling up some extra chairs so they could all sit together. Veronica’s friends immediately began grilling Claire about her life and relationship with Kate. She answered all the questions politely, but Veronica couldn’t help picking up on how she seemed to answer for both her and Kate.

‘So, Claire, do you think you’ll get a job out here?’ P asked her.

‘Maybe.’ She mused. ‘But we were thinking of getting a dog. We both love dogs and it would be so fun to have one to come home to.’

‘Oh, wow! You’re at the dog stage already.’ P replied.

‘Yeah. I guess so.’ She continued. ‘But I mean, we’ve been together for over a year now and I think it could be a really cool thing for us to do.’

Veronica focused on Kate as Claire was talking, not sure how to read her face. She wasn’t sure if Kate was happy to let Claire talk for her or if she felt uncomfortable that this was being shared. Veronica drained the last of her drink in an effort to distract herself and stood up, offering to go to the bar to order another round of drinks for everyone.

‘No, that’s ok.’ Kate said, standing up. ‘It’s my turn. I’ll go.’

Veronica was about to offer to accompany her when P shot up. ‘I’ll come with you. I need something different and I wanna look at the menu.’ She said, following Kate.

Them leaving brought the conversation to a swift halt. Veronica sat awkwardly, swirling the last drops of her drink in the bottom of her glass, staring at the floor.

‘Man, Kate’s just the best, huh?’ She heard Jay say.

Immediately, Veronica perked her head up, smiling. ‘Right? She really is.’ She answered, eagerly.

As she looked up at Jay, she saw that she was turned to Claire, who had paused halfway through answering her and turned to look at Veronica with a surprised expression on her face.

‘Oh, sorry, V…I meant Claire.’ Jay said.

‘Oh…of course…. yeah…sorry.’ Veronica was flustered. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and clutched her empty glass in both hands. Her cheeks were flushed and she suddenly felt hot and very exposed. She tried to play it off with a smile and a laugh, but it came out hollow and forced.

Claire and Jay didn’t say anything but went back to their conversation. Veronica was feeling embarrassed and sat silently, replaying the moment over in her head. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before P and Kate returned with the drinks.

Veronica continued to knock hers back, desperate to shove down the discomfort that was slowly creeping over her. She was thankful for the release of the alcohol, eventually feeling the tension in her shoulders relax and her guard come down more. She loved watching her friends bond with Kate. It was clear they all liked her. Kate was funny, had great conversation and made everyone feel included. She wasn’t afraid to joke about herself either.

‘Hey, I’m just glad I didn’t fall over my own feet on that shot.’ Kate exclaimed, partway through a story of how the fourth quarter had gone earlier that evening.

‘You mean when you almost lost the ball on that drive?’ Veronica joked, giving Kate a light push with her arm.

‘I did not!’ Kate retorted.

‘Oh please, I could see the fear in your eyes! You were like’- Veronica snickered, throwing herself forward in an impression of Kate’s move. She leaned her body into Kate’s, placing her arm against Kate’s shoulder and almost laying her head on it. As she pulled back, laughing, Claire suddenly moved to Kate’s other side, grabbing her arm and pushing her body into Kate’s.

‘Don’t listen to them, baby’, she said, grabbing Kate’s face and pulling her down into a kiss. She then looped her arms up around Kate’s neck and deepened it. If Kate was surprised, she didn’t show it, kissing Claire back intently and bringing her hands to Claire’s waist.

Veronica was startled and moved back slightly. Her stomach and chest tightened and she felt a wave of jealousy and embarrassment. She looked away, not wanting to watch.

‘Ok you two, get a room!’ P yelled, laughing.

Kate and Claire broke apart, Kate’s cheeks flushing slightly. She wasn’t big on kissing in public. Claire was grinning cheekily. ‘Oh, we intend to’, she said with a wink at P, who gave a delighted yell in response.

Veronica could swear that as Claire said it, she looked right at Veronica, her eyes like daggers. Like she was making a point, claiming Kate and telling Veronica to back off. Veronica felt her heart racing and her throat suddenly get dry. The room was too loud all of a sudden and the buzz of the alcohol seemed to immediately disappear. She felt exposed, like Claire was picking up on her feelings and warning her. It jolted her right out of her revelry.

Veronica’s change in mood must have been detectable to her friends as they suggested they leave not long after. They headed back to the apartments and Kate announced that the rest of their teammates were gathered chatting and playing games in the entertainment room on the top floor and had invited them all to join. Veronica’s friends were keen to keep the party going and eager to take up the invitation so Veronica reluctantly agreed. To her relief, Claire decided not to accompany them and said she’d go back to her and Kate’s apartment.

‘Are you sure?’ Kate asked her, gently.

‘Yes, you guys will just talk basketball and I’ll be lost. I’ll be fine, don’t worry.’ Claire responded. ‘Don’t be late though.’ She added, pulling Kate in for another kiss. As they broke apart, she shot Veronica another glance but her face was impossible to read this time. Veronica smiled back at her, weakly.

She was delighted to see her teammates in the entertainment room, but elected to switch to water. Her alcohol buzz had worn off and she might as well sober up at that point. The group chatted, laughed and joked for what felt like hours. It was so easy between them all now; they’d bonded so well. Eventually, though, Kate stood up and yawned.

‘Ok, guys. I gotta go to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow.’ She said, making to leave.

‘Nooooo! Lame! It’s still early.’ Veronica whined in an exaggerated voice, trying to grab Kate’s wrist and pull her back.

Kate shook her head and said goodnight, heading out.

Veronica pouted and turned back to the group. It wasn’t the same without Kate. She missed her straightaway. Her presence was calming, comforting, but also something Veronica was starting to want more and more.

She looked down and realised that Kate had left her phone on the table. She grabbed it and spoke to no one in particular. ‘Oh, Kate left her phone. I’m gonna go give it to her.’

Nobody seemed to register as they were all too busy egging on Julie answering the latest Truth or Dare question. Veronica stood up, climbing over the sofa to get out, and dashed out of the room to the elevator. Kate’s apartment was on the same floor as hers, at the other end of the hallway. She skipped out of the elevator and along the hall to Kate’s door, bringing her hand up to knock. As she did, she paused, hearing sounds coming through the door. They were low, moaning voices. One voice was gasping, high, frantic; the other murmuring. The sounds of a couple having sex right on the other side.

Veronica froze, horrified, not sure what to do. Her stomach was in knots and her chest tight. She turned and fled down the hall, Kate’s phone still clutched in her hand.

**

Things were weird for the next few days. Veronica didn’t mean to act strangely, but she couldn’t help it. She had returned Kate’s phone to her the next morning and said nothing about the night before. Instead, she retreated back from their friendship, telling herself that the ache consuming her was from the breakup, not from jealousy or longing. Kate noticed because she always noticed when Veronica was acting differently. She saw the small changes: the excuses not to hang out, avoiding her at practice and not giving much in conversation on the flights on travel days.

One morning, Veronica awoke to a loud knocking on her apartment door. Veronica opened the door, rubbing her eyes, and was surprised to see Kate standing there.

‘Kate?’

‘Ok, come on. We’re going out!’ Kate said, pushing the door open and striding past Veronica.

Veronica closed the door, still confused. ‘Kate, it’s 7am. It’s an off-day.’

‘Exactly, it’s an off day and you are not sitting in and moping over your breakup anymore.’

‘I have not been moping.’ Veronica said, defensively.

Kate raised her eyebrow and looked at Veronica with a look that said ‘sure’.

‘Ok, fine. Maybe a little bit, but I’m allowed to. It’s been like two weeks.’ She realised that Kate thought her behavior was over Emily and she felt no need to correct her. It wasn’t like that wasn’t true. She was still hurting knowing she’d wounded Emily. But beyond that, she had no feelings of regret.

‘Exactly. Two weeks is more than enough time to mope. We are going out and doing something fun.’

‘Like what?’ Veronica threw her hands up exaggeratedly.

‘We’re going to walk the Golden Gate Bridge’.

Veronica stared at her, hoping she was kidding.

‘That’s your big plan? Get windswept on the Golden Gate?’

‘Yep. And you’re not getting out of it. Come on, let’s go. You need to get dressed.’ She indicated towards Veronica, who blushed when she realised she was wearing only a worn t-shirt and sleep shorts. She ran a hand through the messy hair piled on her head.

‘Ok, give me a few minutes. And you take me to get coffee first.’

‘Deal!’ Kate laughed.

The wind was whipping through the bridge. It was so much colder than Kate had anticipated.

‘Well, at least your sadness is getting blown away, right?’ She yelled to Veronica, who was struggling to keep her hood up.

‘Oh, was that the plan?’ Veronica laughed, accepting defeat with the hood and letting the wind whip through her hair. ‘I’ll send you the receipt for my new braids, shall I?’

‘If it means you’re distracted, that’s fine with me!’

Kate noticed that Veronica was visibly shivering and reflexively moved to rub her arm.

‘Ok, we’re actually going to turn to ice in a minute. Let’s just say we walked the whole thing and go get lunch?’ She said.

‘God, yes!’ Veronica gasped, with a relived sigh.

In the café things were much quieter- and calmer. Kate insisted on buying lunch, despite Veronica’s protests. They were both warming their hands around their coffee cups, laughing about Temi’s hilarious messages on the group chat from Eurobasket.

‘I miss everyone’, Veronica said, smiling.

‘I know. But I’m loving all the newbies. Kaitlyn seems really sweet. Maybe we should invite her and LA to Uno night with us?’ Kate replied.

‘Oh, you want to open up our Uno games?’

‘Well, it is a little boring just beating your ass every time’-

‘Excuse me!’ Veronica gasped, stifling a laugh and almost choking on her coffee. ‘I am amazing at Uno!’

‘Nobody agrees with that. Not one person’. Kate responded, dryly.

‘I’m better than KT!’

‘KT cheats!’ Kate laughed.

Veronica couldn’t help but laugh as well. It was what her and Kate did most when they were together. She was so grateful for it, especially with how heavy the last couple of weeks had been.

They sat silently for a few moments, watching each other sip coffee. Kate staring at Veronica with that intense eye contact again. It was so disarming. Veronica was smiling too wildly and she knew it. Her eyes darted down to her coffee. ‘What are your plans after this then? You and Claire doing something fun?’

Kate’s face fell and she was suddenly very interested in her coffee cup. Eventually, after a few aggressive sips, she sighed and responded. ‘Claire’s actually moving back to Chicago.’

Veronica was shocked. ‘Wait, what? Why? But you guys… Didn’t you guys just get a dog?’

‘Fostered a dog and he’s being adopted this week by a big Valkyrie fan apparently…. I don’t know, V. She’s really lonely out here. She misses her friends. There’s nothing for her to do all day. I thought maybe the dog would help but it hasn’t. She wants to get a job out there and do long distance again, which is fine. Honestly, I think we both need the space. We’ve been arguing a lot.’

‘Kate…I’m so sorry… are you guys gonna be ok?’

‘Yeah of course. We’ll just go back to how it was the first year we were together and I think that’s better for us anyway.’ Kate knew that she didn’t sound convincing when she said it, but she had to believe that was true. She took another sip of coffee and wrinkled up her nose.

‘Women.’ Veronica said, jokingly rolling her eyes.

Kate snorted, almost spitting out her coffee across the table. She grabbed a napkin, desperately trying not to laugh while Veronica lost it.

**

Kate was definitely bummed by Claire leaving. She didn’t show it at practice, of course, but Veronica could sense her hurt, could see how she was masking the pain. Whenever anyone asked how she was, Kate was always a little too eager to tell them how great she was, how normal this was, and how unaffected her and Claire were. It was like she was trying to convince herself as much as everyone else. Veronica wanted to take the pain away. She hated seeing Kate like this. She offered hugs as often as she could but then worried she was doing too much. So she pulled Kaitlyn and Laeticia into their circle more. The four of them got on so well. They all had the same sense of humor. It was easy and free.

Then Eurobasket finished and Julie got waived. She had been close to Veronica and Kate. They were both devastated she was gone and the way in which she was waived hurt even more. It just felt so careless, so heartless. As much as Veronica tried not to think about the decisions out of her control and above her head, she couldn’t help but be bothered by how Julie had been treated. None of the players could. Even Kaitlyn seemed to feel guilty for taking Julie’s roster spot. Veronica felt like she needed to be a leader and to pull the team out of their sadness, which wasn’t easy when she felt it so heavily too.

The team was in the middle of an intense road trip. Thankfully, that had taken everyone’s attention and they were all locked in and focused on the games coming up. Veronica herself would stay up late each night studying film and the scouting report. She wanted to keep getting better.

The knock on the hotel room door was so soft that Veronica thought she was hearing things. She put down her book and slid off the bed.

‘Hello?’ She called out, walking towards it.

‘V?’ The voice on the other side came.

‘Kate?’ Veronica rushed to unlock the door and opened it to see a red-eyed Kate standing in the hallway sniffing.

Veronica grabbed her arm and pulled her into the room; her voice filled with concern. ‘What’s wrong?’

Kate wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater and sniffed again. Veronica had never seen Kate cry before and it worried her deeply. She led Kate over to the bed and helped her sit on the bed before grabbing a box of tissues. She sat on the floor in front of Kate and waited for her to speak.

The hotel room was quiet except for Kate’s occasional sniff and the bang of doors closing further down the hall. Kate thumbed the edge of her sleeve and wound one of the frayed fibers around her finger.

Veronica took a breath and spoke in the softest voice she could. ‘Kate. What happened?’

‘We broke up.’ Kate replied, her voice thin and quiet.

‘Claire?’ Veronica asked, bringing her hand up to rest on Kate’s knee gently. She knew things with Kate and Claire hadn’t been great. Kate had admitted that they’d been arguing. Claire had been making excuses about why she didn’t want to go visit Kate in the Bay. It was too stressful after such a big move, she’d said. She was focused on the job hunt in Chicago.

Kate nodded.

‘What did she say?’

‘She said she knows she's not my priority and she doesn’t feel like I’m a good girlfriend anymore.’

‘What? Kate that’s crazy. You are the best girlfriend anyone could ever have.’

Kate glanced up and they locked eyes for a few moments. This time Veronica didn’t look away. She gazed right back. Honest, true, unflinching. Kate’s face softened. She placed her hand on Veronica’s on her knee and her mouth turned up at the edges, almost a smile.

Golden Bridges, Bold Beginnings

Chapter 5

It was finally here. The start of the season.

Veronica was filled with anticipation. But she felt calm, assured, ready. Her nerves were nothing to do with the games. She believed in her teammates; believed in the gameplan. She was nervous because Emily was coming to town.

Things were awkward with them. Veronica knew that she was withdrawing from their relationship, and she could feel it from Emily’s side too. Emily had been upset that Veronica hadn’t answered her call, and she hadn’t responded to Veronica’s calls or messages the next day in return. Normally, Veronica would be upset when she did that but this time, she was just irritated. It was the last thing she needed when she was on the edge of something so new, so defining.

The Mystics came to town the day before the game but there would be little downtime for Emily and Veronica to spend together. They agreed that that evening Emily would sneak out of her hotel and come to Veronica’s apartment. It wasn’t really sneaking as such. Technically it was against the rules, but coaches always turned a blind eye when someone had a partner in town.

Veronica was surprised to find that she was so anxious. Something was gnawing at the pit of her stomach. But she told herself it was butterflies at seeing Emily again after so long. A bunch of the team were meeting at Julie’s for a game night. They’d invited Veronica and Emily, but nobody expected them to go- they should have their couple time- but they did keep Veronica updated with how badly Temi’s team was losing on the group chat. She was about to respond with something sassy when Emily messaged to say she was downstairs. Veronica put her phone down on the coffee table and ran down to let her in.

It was undeniably awkward. Almost like a first date. Like they were both trying to put on a face. Neither of them saying what they really wanted to say- both unsure how to move. But when Emily drew Veronica in for a hug she couldn’t help but let herself be pulled into it. And when Emily moved in to kiss her, Veronica let her, wanting to feel closeness again.

They hooked up out of habit- or maybe it was obligation. Veronica felt herself grasp a little too eagerly, kiss a little too hungrily, cling a little too desperately. Like she was trying to prove something. She wouldn’t admit that as she had been there, hovering on the edge, it was Kate’s face she’d pictured; Kate’s voice she’d imagined whispering in her ear saying the dirtiest things in the sweetest way. That it was only once she imagined Kate’s fingers tracing her hip and Kate’s hand on her neck that she was finally able to come, shattering with almost a sob. And when it ended, she felt the guilt descend. The twisting, brutal shame of the truth. Veronica pushed it down.

She pulled on a t-shirt and went over to the coffee table to pick up her phone. To her delight, the group chat was filled with hilarious photos of how the game night was going. At some point they had abandoned the actual board games and now there was a hot sauce eating competition between Kate and Janelle. Kate was winning.

‘What’s that?’ Emily asked, noticing the smile creeping over Veronica’s face.

‘Oh, Kate’s winning the hot sauce eating competition, despite Janelle insisting she’s not. But she obviously is. Janelle looks like she’s about to throw up. Of course she can’t beat Kate. Nobody can when it comes to hot sauce. She’s impervious to it, I swear. She eats it on everything. It’s crazy. Actually, it’s hard to beat her at most games. I think she’s the most competitive person I’ve met outside of my family. Which isn’t easy, but she manages it…’ She trailed off as she noticed Emily looking uncomfortable. ‘What?’ she asked.

Emily sighed and shook her head. ‘It’s just… you talk about her all the time.’

‘Who?’

‘Kate.’

That hit a nerve. Veronica opened her mouth to deny it, but the words wouldn’t form. She knew it was true. Kate was her favorite subject. She just didn’t realise other people had picked up on it and especially not Emily.

‘Is there something I need to know?’ Emily asked her, softly.

Veronica shook her head, trying to figure out what to say. She didn’t even know the answer to that herself. ‘With Kate?’ She finally replied. ‘No. Of course not. We’re just friends. She has a girlfriend.’

Emily’s lips were pulled together in a strained half smile. Like she didn’t believe Veronica but didn’t want to push back. ‘Ok. I love you, V’

Veronica gave her a small smile. ‘I love you too.’ She responded softly.

**

The game against the Mystics should have been more difficult for Veronica. She should have felt weird going against Emily. But she didn’t. All she could think about was winning, driving to the basket, hitting her shots, finding her teammates. The final minutes seemed to pass in slow motion as she battled, determined to dig as deep as she needed to pull out the win. It went down to the wire, but they won. As soon as the buzzer sounded, Veronica threw her hands up into the air and looked to her teammates on the bench. They were just as ecstatic as she was- their first franchise win. They rushed onto the court to celebrate with her, and Veronica found herself looking to Kate, who was screaming and grinning animatedly, rushing at Veronica with the rest of the team. Veronica wanted to leap at her, pull her in and hug her tight. But she didn’t. She stopped herself from moving but beamed at Kate, their eyes locking.

The team was abuzz as they headed back to the locker room, eager to celebrate. Veronica’s voice sailed loud above everyone, the players happy to have her assume a leadership role and willing to let her enjoy her moment. Once inside, they were dancing, laughing, spraying water over Coach Nakase and the other coaches. Afterwards, as everyone filed to the showers, Veronica hung back, trying to let the vibrations in her skin settle. She looked over to where Kate was sitting in her locker, unwrapping her ankle tape. They looked at each other, smiling knowingly, mouths turning up at the edges with recognition that this moment could only be shared with each other. They knew what it meant to each other.

Eventually, Kate stood, eyes still on Veronica. KT returning and whooping loudly as she cracked a towel broke the moment, and Kate used the break in the spell to move to the showers. Veronica’s laugh was deep and real. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this alive.

Emily.

Veronica abruptly recalled that the Mystics would be leaving quickly after the game. She thought about dashing out into the hall to try and catch her but decided against it. She told herself that if they hadn’t already left, they would be about to and that finding her would be a little too public. Veronica hated public displays of affection. They made her feel exposed and uncomfortable.

‘Ok, y’all! Get your clothes back on because we’re going out to celebrate!’ KT announced, as the locker room erupted into cheers.

**

Sorry I missed you before you left. Call you tomorrow.

Veronica hit send on the message to Emily.

‘Hey, V. Phone away! We’re celebrating!’ Julie quipped, passing her a shot. ‘Come on. You’re behind.’

‘Woah, woah. Take it easy on our girl ok.’ Kate added, laughing. ‘Her back hurts from carrying us that last quarter.’

Veronica rolled her eyes and gave Kate a gentle shove on the arm, before throwing back the shot. Julie seemed to notice and gave her a look. Veronica felt her cheeks heat and tried to change the subject. ‘Ok, who’s getting the next drinks then?’

‘I got ‘em.’ Kate offered and disappeared towards the bar. Veronica smiled, watching her leave: her long hair slung over her shoulder, that gentle swagger as she walked, stopping to talk to everyone on the way.

There was a silence between her and Julie. Thankfully, Veronica pulled her phone out and saw Emily had responded so she could pretend to be occupied responding to that.

Sure.

Veronica didn’t know why the one-word message bothered her. No congratulations, no good game.

What’s that meant to mean?

She waited for Emily to respond.

Nothing. I’m used to not being your first priority anymore.

Normally, Veronica would be upset at that accusation. But now, she was just mad. It felt like Emily resented her for all the time she was spending working hard.

I don’t know what the problem is but that’s not true or fair. I’m trying to have fun with the girls right now.

There was a pause before the next message from Emily.

Whatever. Have fun.

And that was it.

‘You ok, honey?’ Julie asked, seeing Veronica’s furrowed brow.

Veronica nodded and sighed. ‘Yeah, just…girlfriend stuff. I don’t know when it got so hard.’

Julie looked like she understood. ‘I get it. Long distance is so hard. Especially when it feels like one of you is growing and the other isn’t.’

‘Wow. That’s… yeah.’

‘It’s ok to outgrow something, V’. Julie added.

‘Alright! Shots are up!’ Kate yelled as she reappeared, her hands filled with a shot glass between almost every finger.

‘Quick, Julie. Grab them before she drops them all!’ Veronica joked, sticking her tongue out at Kate slightly.

‘You know what, I’m not even gonna argue that one!’ Kate laughed. She handed Veronica two of the shot glasses, her gaze meeting Veronica’s and holding it.

‘Where’s Claire tonight?’ Julie asked, innocently, but the question seemed to knock Kate and Veronica out of the moment.

‘Oh. Team only. She’s at home. I promised I’d check out early and go see her.’

‘Lame!’ Veronica shouted, throwing her shot back, hoping it would burn away the flicker of jealousy in her chest.

****

She probably should have slowed down but the eagerness to continue chasing the high of the game win meant Veronica had drunk way more than she intended. She needed to pee, badly.

‘I’ll be right back.’ She told the group sitting with her as she slid off the stool and steadied herself to make her way to the bathroom.

Heels and tequila were a bad combination. As she tried to walk down the corridor to the bathrooms, she rolled her ankle and fell towards the wall. Suddenly a strong arm wrapped around her from behind and another hand grabbed her elbow.

‘Woah! You good?’ It was Kate.

She guided Veronica to the wall, leaning her back against it gently. Her arm was still at Veronica’s waist, holding her firmly. They were close, face to face. Kate’s body framing Veronica’s against the wall. Veronica brought her hand up and placed it on Kate’s forearm, trying to anchor herself. Her head leaned back against the wall, chest rising and falling. She felt Kate’s arm loosen and ghost along her waist as she let go, her other hand still at Veronica’s elbow.

V nodded. ‘I’m ok.’ She breathed. She looked up at Kate, who was looking at her intently. The concern in her eyes was clear. Veronica pushed Kate’s arm down ever so slightly and Kate let go of her elbow and stepped back, aware of how close they were but not wanting to let Veronica fall again.

‘Take it easy, V. We need you.’ She said, in the softest voice.

Veronica could swear that as Kate was saying we need you, what she meant was I need you. She smiled at Kate, her head still resting against the wall. Her balance was slowly returning but the buzzing of her body where Kate had touched her was still there. She pushed herself up off the wall to standing. As she did, Kate threw her arms out slightly, preparing to catch her.

‘I’m fine, I’m fine.’ Veronica murmured, waving her off gently. She didn’t know if she meant it, but she had to be fine. She wasn’t going to admit otherwise. Not here, not like this.

‘I have to go’, Kate said. Veronica could swear she heard regret in her voice. ‘You sure you’re gonna be ok?’

‘Yes. Go. I’m good.’ Veronica tried to sound confident and waved her off. ‘Go be with Claire’.

‘Ok. If you’re sure.’

‘I’m sure. Get out of here.’ She pushed Kate playfully, trying extra hard to maintain her balance as she did.

Kate’s eyes were still fixed on hers. It unnerved Veronica how intense the eye contact was sometimes. Finally, Kate turned away and disappeared down the corridor towards the exit. Veronica watched her go.

She stumbled into the bathroom and grasped the sink, needing it to steady herself. She was dizzy and lightheaded, with the alcohol only partly to blame. She started at herself in the mirror.

‘Get it together’. She whispered to her reflection.

**

The Lynx game was tough; up and down. Minnesota was so skilled; so tall. But the crowd had been electric. The way they rallied for the team filled them with so much fire and belief. Veronica couldn’t help but be frustrated. She could see how the team had slowly started to find themselves and figure out how to play together. Their communication was good. But they just kept losing in close games, sometimes unbearably close.

Veonica was feeling more confident. She trusted her teammates; trusted herself. She was making the right reads, seeing the floor well, finding her teammates. She was also becoming a more vocal and confident leader. And part of that was instilling as much confidence as she could into everyone else. Veronica could see how much Kate was struggling. She would never show it openly, but she was filled with self-doubt. Her first games had been up and down- it was clear Coach Nakase was still trying to figure out how to best use her- and the last game she’d had a DNP. Kate was never the type to take it personally- she trusted Coach Nakase and would do whatever was best for the team- but Veronica could see how in her head she was, how much she was struggling to believe she truly belonged there. She masked it well, but Veronica had started to learn her and saw through the façade to the vulnerability underneath.

In the locker room before the game, Kate was her usual fun and loud self, but Veronica knew how strained her smile was; how her fingers were slow and unsure tying her shoes. Veronica leaned over as everyone started to file out towards the arena. ‘Hey’, she whispered, ‘you’re gonna do great, because you are great.’

Kate smiled weakly and pretended to nudge Veronica with her elbow. She always did that. It was her way of putting on a brave face. Veronica knew that.

As they lined up at the tunnel, Coach Nakase seemed to notice as well. She pulled Kate into a hug. ‘I’m your biggest fan’, Veronica overheard her say to Kate. She couldn’t help but smile. She knew how much that would mean to Kate. All she wanted was a chance and for people to see who she was as a player.

And then Kate found something. Something clicked and everything started to fall into place. She was confident, driving at the basket, taking on defenders, throwing up shots that arced perfectly in the air, barely touching the rim as they went in. She couldn’t miss. The crowd was alive and roaring every time she touched the ball. Veronica was on the bench. On the edge of her seat. She clutched her towel, unable to tear her eyes away from Kate. She was electric. She was unstoppable: every time the bench would sit, they’d be back up again. Veronica could feel herself jumping up, standing on the edge of the court screaming, her hand held with 3 fingers up for Kate’s litany of 3 pointers. It was wild and electric. She hadn’t had this much fun in weeks.

The energy infected Veronica too. She had herself a game as well. But it wasn’t enough. Minnesota pulled out the win. It was disappointing but seeing Kate play as well as she did, Veronica was filled with joy. When they were called into the press conference together, Veronica tried to stay focused, but she couldn’t help it- Kate was distracting. She was so proud of her; so delighted for her. Finally, finally, people could see what she saw.

And what she was seeing right now wasn’t just a great teammate and really good basketballer. It was something else. The flush of her cheeks, the way her hair stuck to the sheen on the side of her neck, the way she ran her fingers lightly along her jawline as they sat at the table waiting for questions. Veronica tried to be present and answer them, she really did. But she couldn’t help glancing over, smiling, reliving Kate’s game in her head. And then Kate caught her eye and smiled back. Veronica could feel the grin break across her own face, knew her eyes lit up. For a moment, they weren’t in the press conference anymore- they were alone, in Kate’s apartment, just the two of them. Veronica caught herself and immediately looked down at the stat sheet, tried to remember the question and answer it. She felt like she got away with it.

The game buzzed under her skin for the rest of the evening. They’d laughed in the locker room, despite the loss. Everyone congratulated Kate on her new career high. ‘We should celebrate’. Veronica had suggested, but Kate wasn’t so sure.

‘Well, we still lost. We should probably just watch some film.’

‘Well, we could watch together? I can bring career high cake.’ Veronica said, cheerily.

‘Career high cake?’

‘Yeah. Don’t they have that in Iowa? It’s a thing.’

Kate shook her head and snorted. ‘That’s ok. I think Claire will probably want to hang just the two of us.’ She added.

Veronica could feel her face fall slightly at the mention of her and tried to strain a smile. ‘Uhuh, yeah, no worries. Another time.’

Kate also could feel the shift in the air between them and mumbled a goodbye as she left the locker room.

At home, Veronica found it hard to settle. Her skin was still humming, her mind still racing, reliving the high of the game, the screams, the cheers, the moments of celebration with the team. For a moment there, they’d been unstoppable. She wanted to ride that feeling out as long as she could. She messaged Kate.

You played so amazing tonight. So proud of you

She waited for a few moments for a reply but it didn’t come. She checked to see if Emily had messaged her but there was nothing.

Despite this, she still felt her whole-body thrumming with excitement. She took a long shower, letting the hot water calm her muscles, then crawled into bed to hopefully get some sleep. But her body was betraying her. It ached- which was normal after a tough game- but there was a fire in it as well. She wanted to keep chasing that high and slipped her hand low, between her thighs, touching herself firmly but gently.

She needed this. Wanted this release. Her hand worked her with rhythm, purpose; chasing the high, feeling it burn on her skin.

The ache was palpable, driving her on as her touched herself harder, faster; felt her thighs squeeze together, her soft gasps filling the quiet room. Her breath was ragged, frantic. Her back arching off the bed, her forearm burning.

And then Kate was there: in her thoughts, in her mind. It was Kate. Kate’s fingers replacing her own, Kate’s voice in her ear, Kate’s body on hers, pressing her down into the bed. Kate’s golden hair falling over her shoulder as she leaned over her.

‘It’s you, V. Only you.’ Kate breathed.

And that did it. She could feel her body tightening, her breathing more frantic, her legs shaking. She came hard, her orgasm crashing like a wave, seizing her entire body.

Afterwards she lay there, body still humming, legs still shaking. And the thoughts of Kate stayed. Kate’s hand running along her arm, Kate’s soft whispers, Kate’s mouth.

There was no denying it anymore. It was Kate. All Kate.

The next morning she called Emily. She didn’t know if it was shame or guilt that forced her. The conversation was stilted and awkward. They talked about the game and Veronica could feel she was stepping on eggshells, trying desperately not to bring up Kate and her performance.

‘You played well.’ Emily said, matter of fact.

‘Yes, but we still lost.’ Veronica responded. ‘I feel like we’re getting there though. We’re finding it.’

‘Well at least you can be happy with how you played.’

‘Maybe. I think I still made a lot of mistakes. I wish I’d done some thing differently.’ Veronica said, honestly.

Emily’s tone changed. ‘Well, you certainly looked happy in the press conference afterwards.’

Veronica’s heart did a little flip. She suddenly felt flooded with guilt: like she’d been caught out.

‘What do you mean?’ She asked.

‘Just that you two seemed pretty happy.’ Emily said, coldly.

‘I don’t know what that means.’

‘Ok.’

There was a pause and suddenly Veronica realised she felt nothing. Not sadness or anger of being accused. Just guilt for not being honest sooner. She needed to now.

‘Ems,’ she said, softly but determinedly. ‘I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep having this fight. It feels like that’s all we do lately, fight. Aren’t you tired of it?’

Emily didn’t respond, but Veronica continued, more resolved than ever.

‘We haven’t been good for a really long time and I think you know that. I don’t love you anymore. I’m sorry. We need to breakup.’

Nakase: “With that being said, we’re trying to construct the best team.” -

Veronica:

“the very best❤️”