The Harper Effect by Taryn Bashford

Author:Taryn Bashford
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Published: 2017-11-20T05:00:00+00:00

But something’s changed.

That night, when Colt and I sleep side by side, I glow from the inside out as if I have something precious cupped in my chest.

In the early morning light I devour him while he sleeps, his arm covering his closed eyes to keep the world out. I’m no longer confused. The friendship I’d nursed between us had changed to something hazy and exciting and just out of sight, but now it’s changed again. It’s loud and real and currently making my heart bounce around my ribcage like a tennis ball. But for so many reasons he’s off limits, and I can’t make the same mistake with him as I made with Jacob.

Milo has whipped me into the best shape of my life and taught me a lot about self-belief and mental toughness, and maybe that’s why I don’t feel as tired or anxious as I otherwise might when every set goes to a tie breaker the next day. Maybe that’s why the court seems smaller. Maybe that’s why Hosek drops her racquet after one of my serves hurts her wrist, and maybe that’s why I don’t turn to putty; when Hosek loses a point I don’t feel like I’ve taken something from her – she chose to give it to me. But my match play also improves because I have Colt openly supporting me, cheering for me, advising me, and somehow that motivates me more than anything ever has. His enthusiasm also makes me wonder if something’s changed for him too – like that kiss meant more than he’s admitting.

After I beat Hosek in the final, Colt hugs me and spins me around and happiness busts out of me as though he unzipped a bag of it inside me. And when it’s clear Colt’s going to win his final, too, I anticipate the hug we’ll share, my body thrumming with expectancy. But how can I feel like this when I’m filled with all this love for Jacob? Is it simply that there’s a hot guy sharing my bed and my hormones are out of control?

Hormones, and whatever’s going on between us, don’t appear to affect our games adversely so we continue as secret roomies in Cambodia. We train and strategise together, win games, share breakfast, lunch and dinner; Team Milo is inseparable.

One morning I wake to find Colt lying on his side, studying me.

The earth pauses for a soft moment.

My heart wafts inside my chest, a falling petal in the breeze. I return his gaze. And when he says, ‘Morning,’ rolling away to take a shower, I touch the sheet to absorb the warmth he leaves behind.

On the evening Milo announces the latest rankings – I’ve reached number 89 and Colt is 103 in the world – we lie on our bed and talk into the night, blitzed on excitement. Colt’s face slips wide open. He’s as relaxed as a lion stretched out in the sun and words spill out of him.

Hours later we agree it’s time for sleep.

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