Chapter 53

Kayla

Noah looked anything but thrilled by my presence as we approached, and I felt my heart sink a little. Did he not like me or something? We’d hardly exchanged more than ten words between the two of us since we’d met.

Nicholas, however, seemed as unbothered as ever. “Why would I leave my Luna sitting at home all day?” he chuckled as he set our bag down by the bench.

I hated the way that word—Luna—made my cheeks instantly turn pink every time he said it. It wasn’t fair how easily he could do that to me, knowing fully well that I was his Luna in title and title only.

Noah’s eyebrows lifted a little, but he didn’t comment further. Instead, he let out a small sigh and muttered, “Alright, then. I guess we’re making it a group game.”

“Actually, I’m pretty sure Kayla has never played before,” Nicholas said, turning to me and handing me a racquet. “She might need some practice first.”

I shot him a warning look. “I can figure it out on my own,” I said, even though the words sounded hollow even to me.

Noah snorted and folded his arms across his chest. “Look, I’m all for teaching someone the ropes, but Nicholas and I have been playing for years. I’m not going to spend the entire day babysitting someone who’s never even picked up a tennis racquet before.”

His tone was even, but the implication stung. It seemed Noah was looking forward to his guys-only day with Nicholas, and he was just pissed that I—the new ‘girlfriend’—was here to ruin their fun.

Well, I wasn’t having it.

My jaw tightened as I squared my shoulders. “How about this, Noah: you and I will play a quick one-on-one game. If I’m so terrible that you can’t stand it, then I’ll sit out and won’t get in the way of your date with my husband. But at least give me a chance to prove I’m not completely hopeless.”

Noah blinked, clearly caught off guard by my challenge. He glanced at Nicholas, who just shrugged with an amused expression on his face. “Hey, don’t look at me,” Nicholas said. “She’s her own woman. If she wants to take you on, then who am I to stop her?”

Noah exhaled through his nose, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, “This is going to be a disaster.” But then he grabbed a ball from the basket nearby and turned to me. “Alright, Kayla. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

The court felt enormous as I stepped onto it, the lines and nets suddenly daunting. I tried to shake off my nerves, holding the racquet in what I hoped was a competent grip. Noah served first, the ball flying toward me with alarming speed.

I swung—and missed entirely.

In fact, I missed so badly that the racquet flew from my hands and clattered to the ground, causing a few onlookers to stare.

Nicholas’s laugh echoed from the sidelines, and I shot him a glare. “You’re not helping!” I hissed as I stomped over to my racquet and snatched it up.

“I’m refereeing,” he said with mock seriousness, leaning lazily on the net. “No bias, I promise.”

The next few rounds went about as well as the first. Noah’s serves were brutal, his shots precise, and it was clear he wasn’t holding back. But instead of getting frustrated, I found myself starting to laugh along with Nicholas every time I flubbed a shot or sent the ball careening into the net.

It really was kind of funny. I felt like a baby deer running around, my limbs flailing wildly.

“You’re taking this surprisingly well,” Noah remarked after I lobbed the ball so hard it struck the ceiling directly above me and came crashing down nearly on top of my own head.

“What can I say? I’m a quick learner,” I replied with a grin, even as my arms ached from swinging the racquet all wrong.

By the time the game ended, I had scored exactly one point to Noah’s fifteen. But instead of sulking, I walked over to him and extended my hand across the net.

“That was fun,” I said, and I really did mean it. “Thanks for letting me play.”

Noah hesitated for a moment before shaking my hand. There was a flicker of respect in his eyes as he nodded. “You really weren’t all that bad for a first-timer.”

Before I could respond, Nicholas appeared at my side, draping an arm around my shoulders with infuriating ease. “I wouldn’t have picked her as my Luna if I didn’t think she could handle a loss,” he said coolly.

My cheeks burned again, and I quickly shrugged off his arm. “I’m going to get drinks at the bar,” I announced, turning on my heel before he could say anything else.

The bar area was quieter, the faint clink of glasses and low murmurs of conversation a welcome change from the adrenaline of the court. I ordered three sparkling waters with lime and leaned against the counter, letting the cool air conditioning calm my racing pulse as I waited.

“Kayla, isn’t it?”

The sound of that all-too-familiar voice made me stiffen, and I turned to see none other than Rebecca—the ex-fling from the birthday party—standing a few feet away. Her hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, and her tennis outfit looked like it had been designed specifically for a photo shoot.

“Rebecca,” I said cautiously, wondering what sort of nasty comments she’d have for me today. Or maybe she’d try to take pictures of me again. “What a surprise.”

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I saw you on the court earlier. You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. Not many people would play a whole game when it’s that embarrassing.”

And there it is.

“Is that supposed to be an insult or a compliment?” I asked.

She shook her head. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

Sure you didn’t, I wanted to say, but instead just cast her a terse smile and turned back toward the bar, indicating that the conversation was over.

But Rebecca didn’t seem to be finished.

“You know,” she continued, tilting her head slightly, “a doubles game might be more your speed. It’s less intense, and you’d have someone to help cover the court. What do you say? Boys versus girls?”

I hesitated, my instincts prickling. Rebecca’s sudden friendliness didn’t sit right with me, especially after the way she’d acted at the birthday party.

“I’m not sure if the guys are looking for a fourth,” I said carefully, not wanting to give any onlookers another reason to gossip. “You’d have to ask them.”

“Oh, come on,” she said, waving a perfectly manicured hand in the air. “Four is better than three when it comes to tennis. Don’t you think?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but Rebecca was already walking toward the courts, clearly expecting me to follow. Not wanting to cause a scene, especially with several other club members glancing our way, I grabbed the tray of drinks and reluctantly trailed after her.

When we reached the court, however, my stomach sank a little.

The guys were gone.

I set the tray down on a nearby table and frowned, looking around. I eventually spotted Nicholas and Noah all the way across the room, talking to an older man I didn’t recognize on the furthest court.

Sighing, I turned back to Rebecca. “Looks like they’re busy,” I said with a polite smile and a shrug, hoping she’d give up and leave.

But she just grinned and pulled her racquet out of her bag, twisting it expertly in her hand.

“Well, then I guess it’s just you versus me,” she said, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder and sauntering over to the opposite side of the court without a second glance.