Page 17 of Courting Trouble

Delilah lunged and connected. It wasn’t in, but it was close.

Cassie watched the ball hit the net and bounce back to Delilah. Delilah swore softly under her breath.

Cassie collected the ball. ‘Again,’ she said.

Delilah nodded.

Cassie reset her stance. For the first time in a long while, she felt like something was happening.

She tossed the next ball. Delilah was already moving.

Nineteen

She arrived five minutes early, determined to beat Cassie for once. Not on the court,obviously, but just in terms of punctuality. It was overcast and breezy, and she’d jogged the last hundred yards, which was probably unnecessary but made her feel like she belonged here. Like shewasthe kind of person who trained.

Only the court gate was locked.

She frowned, leaning against the wire mesh. A handwritten sign flapped in the wind.

Courts are closed today due to a maintenance issue. Sorry!

‘Fuck’s sake,’ she muttered, wiping sweat off her forehead.

‘Well, that’s just great,’ said a voice behind her.

Cassie. She wore her usual black track jacket, zipped halfway, her hands stuffed into the pockets.

‘They didn’t send a warning?’ Delilah asked.

‘Not to me,’ Cassie said. ‘Probably decided it wasn’t worth the trouble. God forbid we plan around it.’

Delilah stared through the fence at the empty court, livid. She’d brought a proper water bottle today, not just the sadreusable one with a half-cracked lid. She’d wanted Cassie to see it for some reason. See Delilah taking this seriously.

But now she felt thrown. Like she didn’t know what to do with all the adrenaline buzzing in her blood. She’d wanted to sweat.

She glanced sideways at Cassie. ‘So… I guess we cancel?’

Cassie tilted her head. ‘Looks that way.’

Delilah hesitated, then blurted, ‘Or… we could get coffee?’

Cassie blinked. ‘What?’

Delilah felt heat creep up her neck. ‘You’re here. I’m here. And there’s a café over the road.’

Cassie studied her for a long moment. And Delilah’s desire to sweat was fulfilled.

‘Coffee, then,’ Cassie said.

Delilah tried not to sound terrified by the acceptance of her own idea. ‘Great. Coffee sounds great.’

***

They ended up at a small place with mismatched chairs and a chalkboard menu. Delilah ordered something ridiculous with oat milk and cinnamon. Cassie asked for black coffee, no sugar.

They took their drinks to a small table by the window. Delilah tried not to feel nervous, seeing as she’d been the one to make this happen. Why the hell had she done that? What madness had taken her?

Cassie looked like she always did. Contained, quietly impossible to read.