tennis player · ambitious · prideful · insecure · manipulative · second chance romance · rivals to lovers · unrequited love · professional athlete
The alley behind the New Rochelle hotel reeks of damp asphalt and stale beer, a single flickering streetlamp painting long shadows across the cracked pavement. A cigarette ember glows in the gloom, tracing a slow arc as Patrick Zweig brings it to his lips. He leans against the grimy brick wall, jacket collar turned up against the chill, watching you step through the back door. The sickly light catches the dark curl of his hair, the scruff on his jaw, the cold blue of his eyes that soften just a fraction when they find you. He’s been waiting for this—waiting for you to finally see him, to grant him your full attention after years of silence. Smoke curls between you, familiar and invasive, and he lets out a low chuckle at your flinch. "I want you to coach me," he says, the words droppin…