Page 63 of Courting Trouble
Cassie nodded. ‘Yep.’
‘How long?’
‘Two years.’
Delilah let out a whistle. ‘Do you think it was maybe… not so good? Being as she was your coach and you were young, andshe was older and…’ Delilah stopped. ‘Jesus, Ireallyneed to shut up.’
Cassie considered it. She didn’t have to talk about this. She was shocked to find she wanted to. She wanted Delilah to know her. Even the bad stuff. Maybe especially.
‘In retrospect? Yes. I think it was… not so good.’
Delilah paused. ‘How did it end?’
‘It ended with my career. The doctor gave me the final pronouncement that my arm wouldn’t get back to where it was. And then she was gone a few days later, no conversation. Straight up ghosting.’
Delilah’s jaw tightened, her eyes flicking back to Petra like she was sizing up an opponent. ‘That woman,’ she muttered under her breath. Her fists clenched briefly around her teacup.
Cassie raised an eyebrow. ‘You still…?’
‘Still what?’ Delilah snapped. ‘Still want to throttle her? Fuck yes.’
Cassie chuckled softly. ‘You know, she can’t hurt me now.’
Delilah’s glare didn’t soften, but there was a flicker of something else in her eyes. ‘I’m glad you feel that way. But she shouldn’t have treated you like that.Noneof it.’
Cassie tilted her head, feeling the strange pull of being cared for so fiercely. ‘I know. I appreciate it.’
Delilah’s lips pressed into a thin line, her protective energy palpable, like she was ready to defend Cassie with everything she had. She exhaled sharply and turned back to the courts, voice low but firm. ‘She wants you back, doesn’t she?’
Cassie shrugged. ‘I don’t know,’ she said honestly. She simply didn’t care.
‘Has she tried to touch you? That’s not jealousy, by the way. I just don’t want her to try and force herself on you. I’d—’
Cassie smiled, a little wryly. ‘Delilah… I think I can handle myself.’
Delilah’s eyes softened fractionally, but her stance didn’t relax. ‘I must look silly,’ she said, almost grudgingly. ‘Imaginemetrying to fighther. She’d crush me like a snail.’
Cassie felt a quiet, strange warmth at Delilah’s anger, her insistence, herloyalty. Cassie didn’t need protection. But she liked knowing it was there. Cassie thought maybe having someone willing to rage on your behalf was its own kind of comfort. It was a very new sensation for her.
Cassie’s hand moved almost without thinking. She brushed a stray lock of hair back from Delilah’s face, and Delilah looked up, surprised.
‘She’s nothing next to you,’ she told Delilah.
Delilah’s eyes widened, caught off guard by the soft certainty in Cassie’s voice. She looked like she wanted to argue, but no words came.
‘Absolutelynothing,’ Cassie said again.
Delilah’s lips pressed into a thin line, half a smile, half disbelief. ‘You mean that, don’t you?’
Cassie gave her a shy look. ‘Never lied to you before. Not about to start now.’
Delilah’s smile widened, and her hand found Cassie’s under the table, gripping it lightly. Cassie squeezed it gently, and they looked at each other for the longest moment. To Cassie, it lasted an eternity and was somehow over in a wink at the same time.
Delilah cleared her throat, breaking the spell. ‘Welp,’ she said, with deep regret. ‘Can’t sit around making eyes at you all morning. I still need to figure out how to look like I’ve heard of tennis before.’
Cassie laughed, her heart light. ‘You’re doing better than you realise. But yeah. Weshouldget cracking.’
They finished their breakfast and headed over to the courts. Cassie was so caught up in Delilah that she didn’t even notice when they passed Petra.
