When we’d sobered, Annie said to me, “Thanks for coming.”
“Thanks for letting me,” I said.
A teammate called Annie’s name from across the grass. She ran off to join the others for pictures, the bag of gummies still clutched in one hand. Delphine moved closer to me, close enough that her shoulder brushed mine.
“You are a good person, you know that?” Delphine asked.
“I try to be.”
“You make it seem easy, especially to someone like me.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s no secret that I can be a little … difficult.”
“You’re not to me. You’re a force, don’t get me wrong. But that’s what I like about you. One of the things anyway.”
“Yeah?”
“Yep,” I said.
Across the field, Annie lined up with her team for photos. Delphine slipped her hand into mine while we waited.
The team finished their pictures, and Annie came jogging back. “Okay. Resort now?”
“Let the resorting commence,” I said.
I packed the chairs and slung them over one shoulder while Delphine gathered the cooler and Annie’s bag.
We drove the short distance to the resort with the windows down, Annie recounting the game in detail from the back seat. She explained the other team’s weak left side, Bella’s finishing ability, and why their coach should have changed formation earlier. Delphine listened, nodding occasionally, asking questions. I kept quiet, just taking it all in.
The Cliffside Bay resort appeared at the end of a cypress-lined drive, white walls and wide balconies perched above the water as if someone had built the place out of sunlight. Bougainvillea climbed along the entry, its color almost indecent against the white stucco. Hydrangeas crowded the beds near the front steps, their blooms beginning to turn blue at the edges. Below the terrace, the ocean struck the rocks in bursts of white.
Annie leaned forward between the seats. “I can’t believe we get to stay here.” She flopped back against the seat. “I feel like a rock star.”
“Soccer star,” I said.
I pulled up near the entrance, waiting for the valet. I glanced at Delphine. She was looking at the resort with a delighted smile on her face. That and Annie’s grin in the rearview mirror made me glad I had risked suggesting the trip.
“This is going to be one of the best days of my life,” Annie said.
Mine too, I thought.Mine too.
18
DELPHINE
Our rooms were across from each other on the third floor. Dorian handed me the second key card to Annie’s and my room and stepped back. “I’ll give you both time to settle. Text when you’re ready to do whatever comes next.”
“Swim,” Annie said. “And lunch.”
“Poolside?” I asked, surprising myself.
“Yes, yes, yes!” Annie said. “Please.”
“Consider it done,” Dorian said. “I’ll meet you down there in fifteen minutes?”
We agreed before Annie and I went inside to our room.
