Page 53 of Courting Trouble
Cassie replayed it over and over again, unable to stop. The way Delilah had looked up at her, bright-eyed and flushed, the unguarded grin on her face. And then that sudden press of lips. Pure electricity. And then, thelookon her face when she realised what she’d done. Mortified. Adorable.
Cassie groaned and covered her eyes with her hands. It was happening. This was actually happening. The current between them wasn’t imagined. Delilah liked her.
She rolled onto her side, heart skittering.
But now what?
Cassie wasn’t good at this part. She wasn’t good at sweet gestures or flirty back-and-forth. With Petra, it had been all heat and competition and throwing each other around. It hadn’t left room for a lot of romance.
And that’s what Delilah deserved, wasn’t it? Something intentional, something that said:I like you, too. You didn’t misread this.
But what could she even do? Where did she start? She didn’t have a clue.
All she knew was something had to happen. Because it was very much Cassie’s move now, wasn’t it? If she did nothing, Delilah might think there was nothing more to be said about that kiss. Cassie was scared to let her know how she felt, but she was more scared not to. So, for the first time in a long time, she needed to move in a forward direction.
She sat up, chewing her thumbnail, brain scrambling. How the hell to romance Delilah Day?
A letter? Cassie wasn’t much of a writer. Flowers? A bit over the top. A playlist? She wasn’t twelve.
Food?
An idea bloomed. Silly, small. But maybe right.
Cassie grabbed her hoodie and left the bungalow, heart hammering. She didn’t know what this was yet. Or how they’d navigate it. But she was doing something.
Because it was Cassie’s turn.
Fifty-Three
When Delilah came back to the cabin, she was alone.
Ashley had slotted her in for a last-minute self-tape audition, just two lines for some rubbish daytime medical show. Shaky as things were, Delilah couldn’t afford to turn it down. So she’d rattled through it on her phone, eager to get back to the cabin and see where Cassie stood after Kiss-Gate.
Because Cassie had blushed, hadn’t she? Which meant… what? That she liked it? That she likedher? If only Petra hadn’t pulled her little jump scare and ruined the moment.
Only Cassie wasn’t at the cabin to be read.
A terrible thought struck Delilah. While Delilah was standing behind a bush, looking into her phone and saying, ‘Sometimes the hardest part of this job isn’t the injuries. It’s watching people fall apart,’ Cassie had run off to find Petra. That the jealous look Petra had given them was what Cassie had been waiting for all along. That’s why they were really here. For Cassie to get Petra back.
Forget about that silly actress. It’s always been you, Cassie would say, and Petra would fall upon her like a hungry Russian wolf.
Delilah sat on the edge of the bed. The lamp on her bedside table glowed weakly, casting her reflection in the dark window:she looked tired. In no position to win Cassie’s heart, that was for sure. Whatever the situation with her and Petra, however toxic, Delilah had to look at it as though she were trying to play tennis against Petra. She simply couldn’t compete. She was vastly lacking in the needed skills. She didn’t even know what they were.
She stood, padding barefoot across the room to head for the shower. That’s when she heard the door.
But it didn’t open. It was like someone was simply… scrabbling at it.
Delilah frowned and stepped closer. The noise was persistent, a frantic scraping followed by a muffledthunk. Delilah opened the door.
Cassie was there, face pink and slightly sweaty, balancing a box so large she could barely see over the top of it. A keyring dangled uselessly from her other hand, clinking with every failed attempt to fit a key into the lock.
‘Cassie?’ Delilah blinked. ‘What on earth—’
‘Oh my God—hi—uh—hang on—wait—don’t—’ Cassie shuffled sideways, nearly toppling the box, clutching it to her chest like it contained priceless artefacts.
Delilah instinctively reached out. ‘You’re going to drop it—’
‘No! Don’t!’ Cassie yelped, twisting away. The keys fell with a jangle onto the porch. She froze, staring at Delilah with wild eyes. ‘It’s… It’s fine. I’ve got it. Totally fine.’ She frowned. ‘I should have just put the box down first.’
