Just as things were beginning to heat up, the phone rang… again.

Dana: You have got to be fucking kidding me…

The athlete drew her lips away from Alice, and momentarily rested on the blonde’s shoulder, shaking her head in disbelief. Dana clambered off of the bed, and made her way over to the phone.

“Hello?” She answered in an irritated tone. “Yes… oh, ok I understand… I don’t know that she’s ready yet.” Dana sighed, “No, I see… well we’ll be there shortly, thank-you.” The athlete hung up the phone and turned round to meet Alice’s enquiring gaze. “It was the police officers who arrested Tonya earlier,” Alice flinched at the mention of Dana’s ex-fiancée’s name. “They said that she’s ready to make a statement, and that we need to be present in order to give evidence for or against her version of events.”

Alice sighed “I don’t want to see her Dane, she’s a fucking psycho…”

Dana: It’s ok, I’m coming with you, you won’t be on your own and as long as she’s remanded in custody, there’s nothing she can do. The police won’t let her off-

Alice: -No Dana, I don’t want you with me.

Dana looked at the writer, surprised and hurt. “Alice, I-”

Alice: I mean it Dana, I was the one she attacked, and I’m the one who has to give evidence against her. If you’re there then it might make things worse, and provoke her further, please, just let me deal with it.

Dana just stood dumbfounded. Only hours ago Alice had been lying unconscious on the floor of the radio station, fragile and vulnerable. She couldn’t understand where this steely determination had come from, and why she was pushing Dana away.

Dana cleared her throat and turned away from Alice to disguise the tears in her eyes. “You can’t drive because of the pain meds the doctor gave you earlier, so, I’ll go and get the car… I’ll wait downstairs.”

“Ok,” Alice replied softly. She was glad that Dana had turned away, because she didn’t want the athlete to see her own moment of weakness as the tears streamed down her face. She hadn’t meant to push her girlfriend away but deep down she was trying to protect Dana. Alice was afraid of Tonya’s reaction, and she knew full well that Dana’s ex had no remorse for her actions, and given the chance would go further to drive them apart.

Tonya was a powerful character in the world of public relations, and Dana was so close to reaching her dream; as much as Alice hated to admit it, her accomplishment was largely thanks to Tonya’s successful management. Now that Tonya was ‘heartbroken,’ or more likely now that her ego had taken a severe bruising, Alice was sure that Tonya would sacrifice her achievement and do everything within her power in order to destroy what she had so carefully built.

Tennis was always Dana’s first love; if Tonya decided to put an end to Dana’s career she could. If Tonya put pressure on Dana, there was no guarantee that her reputation on the world circuit would come second to Alice, and she was so scared. So terrified of being pushed to the side yet again that she pushed first. It was Alice’s only defence mechanism, and one that she’d had plenty of practice to perfect over the years. Wearily, Alice got up and dressed. She wiped the tears from her eyes and went downstairs to meet Dana in the car.