Padel Courts & Palm Tree Secrets

Maya's summer wasn't supposed to start like this — stuck at her dad's new girlfriend's "fancy" resort in Miami, absolutely no WiFi because the cable was "mysteriously" out (yeah, right, they just wanted everyone to "bond" or whatever).

She was sprawled under a palm tree, supposedly reading but actually lowkey spying on the padel courts near the pool. Okay, not spying spying. Just... observing. There was this guy, maybe sixteen, playing padel with what looked like his little sister. He had this weird way of hitting the ball — all effortless, like he wasn't even trying, but every shot was perfect.

"You're not being subtle," said a voice from behind her.

Maya practically jumped out of her skin. It was him. Up close, he had these intense brown eyes and a tiny scar through his eyebrow. Cute. Annoyingly cute.

"I wasn't—"

"You've been watching me for twenty minutes," he said, half-smiling. "I'm Leo, by the way. And you're totally not a spy, right?"

"Maya," she managed, feeling her face burn. "And I was just... admiring your form."

"My form." He raised an eyebrow. "Sure. Anyway, you any good? Or do you just spectate?"

"Excuse me?" Maya stood up, brushing sand off her shorts. "I happen to be legendary at my community center back home."

"Prove it."

The padel match was a disaster — she tripped, missed every ball, and may have accidentally hit one directly at his sister (who turned out to be eleven and named Sophie, and who now thought Maya was the coolest person ever because "nobody ever hits balls at me, it's so badass").

But somewhere between her sixth failed serve and Leo's laugh — this genuine sound that made her stomach feel like lightning had struck — Maya realized something.

This summer might not be so terrible after all.

"Tomorrow," Leo said, as they walked back toward the resort. "Same time. I'll teach you how to not hit spectators."

"Deal," Maya said, palm still tingling where he'd high-fived her after Sophie insisted they were "besties now."

Who knew being stranded without cable could be the best thing that ever happened to her?