Cassidy feltlike a nervous kid on their first day of school as she maneuvered through the crowded Boston streets. The coffee shop wasn’t far away, and every step filled her with dread and excitement.
What if he isn’t there? What if heis?
The questions played on an endless loop in her head as the coffee shop came into view. She’d been to it a couple of times with Aida before her friend became Julian’s mate. Although, Aida sometimes occasionally still bought herself a cup.
What if he was there and left already?
This was another possibility as it had taken her more time than she anticipated to get out of her apartment. Kyle and Julian had parked themselves on the couch to play video games. Except, instead of ignoring her like they usually did, they paused the game to interrogate her. Most of the time, she loved her overbearing brothers; tonight, she’d contemplated choking them.
It hadn’t helped that it took her two hours to figure out what to wear. When she wasn’t working, her wardrobe usually consisted of jeans and whatever band T-shirt or sweater she happened to toss on, but suddenly casual wasn’t right, and she wanted to be a little sexier—something she hadneverwanted to be before.
She had nicer button-up shirts and black pants for work, but her work clothes weren’t sexy, and she’d prefer not to wear them outside of work. She didn’t feel like wearing her faded, old T-shirts either.
This level of uncertainty wasn’t something she was used to, and she hated it. However, she couldn’t stop herself from pawing through her drawers over and over again, even as they repeatedly yielded the same results. In the end, she settled on a formfitting, black, long-sleeved shirt and her favorite pair of jeans.
The shirt wasn’t exactly thrilling, but at least the jeans hugged her ass and legs in all the right ways. She vowed to do some shopping one of these days, but as she was thinking it, she knew it was a lie.
She far preferred to spend her money on more frivolous things like rent, utilities, and the blood they bought from the hospital every month. The man who supplied them was a vamp who worked in the hospital and had a side hustle going, but he charged a fortune. She could feed on humans to save herself money, Kyle did, but the couple of times she did, it felt weird, so she stuck to blood bags as much as possible.
Before leaving her room, Cassidy pulled her hair into a ponytail, tugged on her boots, and laced them up over her jeans. Tugging on her olive anorak jacket, she tucked a couple of stakes into the inside pockets. She never left home without them.
When she inspected herself in the mirror, Cassidy didn’t know if she looked like the vamps who hung out in the underground clubs or not, but she didn’t think she’d stand out like a sore thumb. She debated makeup but decided against it in the end, mainly because she didn’t have the time.
It was ten minutes to six, and she was already cutting it close when she finally left her room to encounter her brothers. She almost groaned when they paused the game and turned their attention to her. They only had a couple of nights a week off from Addy’s, and she usually spent them whipping their asses at whatever game they picked out.
“Where are you going?” Julian asked.
“For a walk.”
Kyle glanced at the clock on the cable box. “At this time of night?”
“Why not? It’s beautiful out.”
She didn’t worry they would offer to come with her; they wouldn’t pry themselves from the couch until Aida was almost finished with work, and then Julian would go to meet her.
“I’ll see you guys later.” She opened the door and rushed out of the apartment before they could question her further. She wasn’t lying to them; she was going for a walk, but if they kept questioning her, she might have to lie or tell the truth, and she wasn’t sure which would be worse.
Cassidy had fled her building but kept herself restrained from running to the coffee shop. She was already feeling out of sorts enough without arriving sweaty and a little breathless.
Still, her hand shook as she reached for the door of the coffee shop.Is he here? Did he leave? He didn’t ask for my help, but would he stand me up? Was it considered being stood up if he never agreed to meet?
She hated the rapid-fire questions rolling through her mind and the fear making her mouth feel like she’d been chewing on cotton balls. Self-doubt wasn’t often her companion; she had to have a fair amount of confidence to sing in front of people, but her confidence had taken a hiatus at the worst possible time.
No, she wouldnotallow this neurotic mess to become her normal. If he was here, then great, but if he wasn’t, she would deal with it. It wouldn’t be the end of the world, it wouldn’t break her, and she wouldstopsecond-guessing everything, including her clothes.
With that resolve firmly in her mind, Cassidy’s hand stopped shaking as she lifted her chin, opened the door, and stepped into the coffee shop. The scent of baking pastries and brewing coffee filled her nose the second she entered. The aromas did nothing for her appetite, but they were pleasant, and she could see why people liked hanging out here.
The tables were clean, the booths inviting, and the scent calming. The staff moving behind the glass countertop served the small line waiting for their orders.
People were gathered in the booths and at tables. Some of them spoke with friends, but most had a computer or tablet in front of them and headphones. The dim lighting was enough to give the place a cozy feel, but not so much it made seeing a keyboard difficult. The interior was mostly painted a coffee brown, but the vivid pictures and positive sayings hanging on the walls brought splashes of color to the place.
She scanned the crowd for Dante. She’d told herself she would deal with it if he wasn’t here, but she couldn’t deny the pang stabbing through her.
She was about to leave when a man with a belly that would make Santa Claus jealous received his change and stepped away from the counter. With him out of the way, she spotted Dante sitting at a high-top table in the back corner of the building.
When his chocolate eyes landed on her, everything around her slowed until the world faded and all she saw was him. There were no customers or tables anymore; there was only them. A single heartbeat pulsed in her ears, and with unfailing certainty, she knew it was his.
This same thing happened the first time he walked into Addy’s, but it was stronger this time. Her breath eased out as all her anxiety vanished. She probably looked like a foolish idiot, but she couldn’t stop herself from beaming at him.
