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“Nice rephrase.” She gives me a knowing grin. “My sister-in-law is Hungarian, so whenever there’s a big family occasion, we meet up here in Budapest.”
“Why not Canada?”
“Laiken is based in San Francisco, and our parents spend half their time there with him and Kami, so they like to come here to see her family as often as possible.”
“Your family seem close,” she murmurs, dropping her gaze to my chest with a sigh. Her eyes glisten in the fog-diffused light, making it impossible for me to resist the urge to cup her face with my hand.
“For the most part.”
Cassidy nuzzles her cheek into my palm, meeting my stare once more before she whispers, “Sounds nice.”
“Sometimes it’s nice, others it’s a pain in the ass. A lot of it depends on what’s going on in our lives. Being close means that we’re always up in each other’s business. One for all and all for one type thing, which can be frustrating when things go wrong.” I pause, clearing my head before I say more than I mean to. “What about your family?”
There aren’t many times I want to pry into others. Not unless there’s something in it for me. I’ll turn up the charm, get the information I need, then I’m out. If I don’t keep prying, no one pries back, and my past stays in the past.
“Are you guys close?” I ask when her gaze falls again. “Do you have any siblings?”
“I’m an only child. So, I was close to my dad, but that’s it.”
Hooking my finger beneath her chin, I lift her face to mine and watch a slow, lonely tear fall down one side of her face. My insides twist at the sight of it. Cassidy might be an average five-foot-six, by no means tiny or petite, but swamped in my clothes, she looks minuscule and fragile.
“What about your mom?”
A frown flashes across her beautiful face as Cassidy pushes her glasses up her nose and tells me, “She left when I was too young to remember.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Before you ask, I never bothered looking for her because she never bothered coming back, and I’m at a point in my life where I’m at peace with not knowing.”
“That’s not what I was going to ask.”
Confusion and surprise pull at her brows, scrunching her nose. “Most people do. Apparently, it’s the done thing to search for a person that never wanted you.”
“But you’ve never been curious to find out more?”
“Nope,” Cassidy says with an acerbic pop.
“So, it was always just you and your dad.” I lean back against the doorframe and gently guide her with me, so her head is resting on my chest. It makes my chest squeeze with relief when she doesn’t fight or try to push away.
“It was, until he married my step-mum.”
“What’s she like?”
“Nice enough. I never bothered to get to know her until—” Cassidy stops, her body sagging into mine as though there isn’t an ounce of strength left in her.
“Cassidy.” I wrap my arms around her tightly, preparing to hold her together. “What happened to your dad?”
“He went and died on us.”
This is one of those times where I know prying will only push her away. Instead, I settle for imparting my feelings for her pain so she knows that even if she doesn’t want to show me her struggle, I can see it. I see her.
“Well, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry he went and did that.”
Cassidy tips her head to the side to look up at me. A sober expression schools her face, and her hands grip my forearms around her waist.
“I don’t want to like you, Leif.”
“Why not?”
