Love Set Match – Sam Marshall

Not the pleasant warmth of early summer or even the sticky humidity of typical August in New York, but something more sinister, a suffocating blanket of dense, superheated air that makes each breath feel like drawing fire into your lungs. “Jesus,” Stewart mutters beside me, already wiping sweat from his forehead though we’ve been outside for all of thirty seconds.

“It must be a hundred degrees.” “One hundred and four,” I reply automatically, having checked the weather app obsessively all morning. “Heat index of one-twelve with the humidity.” Across the net, Martinez and Diaz look equally miserable, their practice shirts already darkening with sweat as they adjust strings and check rackets. The quarterfinal match we fought so hard to reach has suddenly transformed from exciting opportunity to endurance test, the shimmering air above the court a visible warning of what we’re about to endure.

“They’re talking about suspending play if it gets any hotter,” Stewart says, setting down his bag in what little shade exists at the edge of the court. “Apparently three players have already retired from matches this morning.” I nod, surveying the court with professional assessment rather than trepidation. Extreme heat changes everything about tennis, the ball flies differently, the strings lose tension faster, the court surface itself becomes dangerously hot. Every element requires adjustment, both technical and mental. In Evan’s system, heat protocols were precise and non- negotiable: electrolyte balance calculated to the gram, hydration schedule timed to the minute, tactical adjustments mapped to the specific temperature threshold.

The routine was rigid but comforting, a clear path through challenging conditions. Today, I have no system. Just Stewart beside me, looking concerned as he studies my face. “We can withdraw if you want,” he says quietly, the suggestion so contrary to competitive norms that it momentarily stuns me. “No shame in prioritizing health.” “We’re playing,” I reply, the decision immediate and certain.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This book is a work of fiction.

Any reference to real events, people, or places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons; living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Published by: HSV Publishing House OceanofPDF.com contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Epilogue Review Request About the Author OceanofPDF.com The alarm makes my phone shiver against the nightstand at 5:30 a.m.

I silence it before it can breathe twice. The backup, set for 5:32, keeps its place in the routine. I’ve never needed it, but I still set it anyway. That’s the rule. My feet find the waiting slippers automatically. Three steps to the bathroom. Light on. The tile still manages to shock my arches with its seeping cold. I splash water over my face—once, twice, three times —the sting pulling me into myself.

The towel hangs exactly where I left it last night, neatly folded with the crease still visible. I quickly pat my skin dry, careful not to meet the mirror’s eyes. Mornings are easier when I don’t have to look at myself. Back in the room, my clothes wait on the chair. Compression shorts. Tank. Light jacket. I slide into them piece by piece, muscle memory doing the thinking. The jacket’s zipper ghosts my throat, louder than it should be in the quiet.

For a moment, the air smells like rubber soles and the faint steam from yesterday’s wash. Then routine takes me again, smoothing everything over. The kitchenette hums when I flip the light. The food scale sits ready. I scoop the powder, level the top, and let it fall like sand into the shaker—twenty-eight grams exactly.

Eight ounces of water. Three cubes. I shake twenty times, not one more, not one less. The rattle fills the stillness, hollow and precise, a sound I could follow in my sleep. The first sip tastes like chalk. The second sticks to my tongue. By the third, I don’t even notice it anymore. 5:41. Perfect.

My fingers find the white wristband on the counter.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: 0d824297187ee3a4
• File Extension: .pdf
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• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• Pages: 310
• Language: English (en)

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• Estimated Reading Time: 477.55 minutes
• Total Words: 95,509
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• Average Characters per Page: 1911.19

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