Chapter 24
Twenty-Four
Cassie stood back, watching Delilah try again. Each fall, each awkward roll, made her elbow twinge. But it was twinging psychologically. She’d lied to Delilah about that. This was bringing something up.
It wasn’t one injury she remembered; it was the slow accumulation, the small tears and strains she’d papered over until her body finally staged a full mutiny.
With it had gone everything she thought she was building—the career, the certainty, the person who swore she had her best interests at heart but seemed to confuse ‘love’ with ‘more laps’.
But she wasn’t going to talk to Delilah about that. She’d said too much as it was.
For a while, the court was quiet except for the dull thud of Delilah hitting the floor again. Cassie reached out to help her up as she tried to get up with a distinct newborn foal energy.
But when Delilah’s hand brushed her arm, Cassie felt a jolt of something. She barely caught herself from pulling back. Their eyes met for a brief moment.
Cassie’s eyes slid away quickly, her voice flat. ‘Again.’