Courtside Hearts

Chapter 15 - Nightmares

Colet tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, a small smile playing on her lips as she glanced over at Aiah in the passenger seat. The hum of the engine and the soft music in the background filled the comfortable silence between them. Aiah had her arm resting on the window, the wind tugging at her hair, as she watched the scenery pass by.

"So, you really had no idea where we're going?" Colet asked, her tone teasing. She knew Aiah had been skeptical about taking a break, always focused on either practice or studies, but somehow, Colet managed to convince her.

Aiah chuckled softly, "You just said 'get in the car' like I had a choice." She turned to Colet, raising an eyebrow playfully. "Though I admit, I'm curious. What are we doing?"

"Well," Colet began, her eyes flicking back to the road ahead, "I figured we could use a break from basketball. So... I'm taking you to the beach."

Aiah blinked, momentarily surprised. "The beach?"

"Yeah, you know, sand, waves, sunshine," Colet smirked. "Ever been?"

Aiah smiled faintly, shaking her head. "It's been a while. I didn't expect this."

"Well, I like surprising you," Colet said, her voice softer now, almost as if the admission caught her off guard. She cleared her throat quickly, focusing back on driving as Aiah looked at her curiously.

After a few more minutes, they arrived at a small, secluded beach. The sound of waves crashing greeted them as they stepped out of the car. Colet grabbed a couple of bags from the backseat and nudged Aiah toward the sand.

Aiah hesitated as she took in the scene—empty beach, clear skies, and the soothing sound of the ocean. "Wow, it's beautiful," she murmured.

"I know, right?" Colet grinned, clearly proud of her choice. "Come on! Let's hit the water!"

Without waiting for Aiah's response, Colet dashed toward the shoreline, her feet kicking up sand. Aiah watched her for a moment, laughing under her breath at Colet's infectious energy. Shaking her head, she followed her, feeling the cool water lap at her toes as she approached.

"Are you just gonna stand there or are you getting in?" Colet called out, already waist-deep in the ocean. She waved Aiah over, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"I don't know if I'm ready for this!" Aiah yelled back, though there was a teasing smile on her face. She waded in cautiously, the water cool but refreshing against her skin. Colet, never one to be patient, splashed water toward her, earning a playful glare from Aiah.

"Too late for hesitation now!" Colet said with a laugh, diving under the next wave and coming up with water streaming down her face. "C'mon, it's not that bad."

Aiah couldn't help but smile at Colet's enthusiasm. They spent the next hour playing in the water—racing through the waves, splashing each other, and at one point, Colet even tried to teach Aiah how to dive properly into the larger waves.

"You just have to time it right," Colet explained, standing beside Aiah as another wave formed in the distance. "If you dive too early, you'll get hit by it. Too late, and it'll just push you back."

Aiah nodded, but her first few attempts ended with her sputtering as the wave knocked her off balance. Colet, laughing but determined, stayed beside her, encouraging her until Aiah finally managed to dive under just in time.

"See? I knew you'd get it!" Colet cheered, giving Aiah a high-five. They stood there in the water, both of them grinning, their laughter mixing with the sound of the waves.