Page 59 of This Could be Love

“Oh dear.” Kay caressed my cheek. A caring gesture thatbrought my bad conscience back to the fore. What I’d said last night wasn’t untrue, but my tone and choice of words had been way off.

“Kay, I’m sor—”

“Shh,” she interrupted. “We can discuss all that once you’re better. For the time being, concentrate on getting your strength back.”

I wanted to argue, to tell her that I trulywassorry, but I didn’t manage to as right then I was hit by such heavy cramps that everything went black. In a flash, Kay scooped the bucket off the floor and held it out to me. I vomited back up the water I’d just had.

“Like I said.”

* * *

I didn’t really register much for the rest of the day. At times I slept, at times I just lay there. I stared at the ceiling or had weird dreams that I forgot as soon as I opened my eyes. I was too sick to watch TV, and I even left my phone untouched on the nightstand. When I finally did manage to look at it in the early evening, a text from Laurie was waiting. She’d sent it in the late afternoon.

Hey! I heard you’re sick?

Are you any better?

Not really…??

Shit. Intestinal flu is the worst!

??Get well soon!!!

I was about to put my phone down again when I suddenly had a thought.

How do you know that?

Vince ran into Gabe. He told him.

I tried to ignore the stab of disappointment I felt that Vince himself hadn’t gotten in touch even though he knew how bad I was doing. I’d never given him my number, true, but he could have asked Laurie. Or Gabe.

Sorry for not having written you last night, I wrote, adding the barfing emoji as an explanation.

No worries. Vince already told me that you all are getting along much better now.

I blinked. Read it again. Waited for a winking emoji or a GIF, but nothing. Vince had told her that we were getting along muchbetter? After kissing two times and falling over each other in the water,that’swhat he told her? Wow.

By the way, he sends his regards.

And get well soon.

Wooow. It just got better and better.

Thanks,I wrote, somewhat deflated, and put my phone to the side. In the end, I decided dozing off was probably the best option.

Chapter 25

When I wasn’t doing any better by the following morning, Kay’s doctor came to have a look at me. Dr. Chen said that I was suffering from an intestinal infection and that I had to stay in bed until I was better. Which made me feel even worse, naturally. I would miss valuable days of training and be back on the courts in a weakened state. It would probably take a week for me to get back to where I had been fitness-wise and to be able to give it my all. A week I didn’t have. The thought alone was enough to make me start to panic. An invisible weight began to press down upon my chest, and it grew even heavier when I counted the days until the US Open.

“That won’t work,” I muttered grimly toward the ceiling.

Self-pitying tears burned my eyes as I rolled into fetal position.Like a shrimp, a voice in my head whispered, and I lost it. Because Vince hadn’t been in touch. Because he’d said those things to Laurie.But, above all, because it all meant far too much to me. I pulled the blanket over my head and wallowed in my misery until I fell asleep.

By the time I woke back up, the reddish light of dusk was coming through the window. Kay had put a pot of chamomile tea and some crackers by the side of the bed. I was pouring myself a cup when my phone began to vibrate. Unknown number. I never answered when I didn’t know who was at the other end, so ignored it. The tea had steeped too long and grown bitter, but it made my throat happy all the same. My chapped lips too. I was putting my cup to the side when my phone started to vibrate again. This time it was a message, though from the same number.

Hey! I just tried to call you.

I hope you’re doing better?