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Steven didn’t protest, knowing that Luke wasn’t really talking to him anymore. He was wrapped up in his own head and thinking about Nelson. It was a huge betrayal in Luke’s eyes, and it had messed him up for a while after it happened. Steven saw it all and he knew that he’d never want to do that to Luke.
“I still can’t believe that he was idiot enough to cheat on her,” Steven couldn’t help but comment. Luke agreed again, but still looked at his oldest friend with doubt. Steven was thinking in his head that Nelson was a legit moron. He’d gotten the best thing he’d ever get in his life and then he’d just thrown it all away. It made no sense.
“Not just once either. I’ve looked into it, and he has been cheating on her for a while, years from what I gathered. I don’t want to see Nelson around here anymore. He shouldn’t be stupid enough to show his face. He will get nothing good out of coming here to see me. He can see his kid, but that’s it. He’s lucky I let him come here at all.”
Steven just nodded, not trying to stir anything up. The way Luke talked, getting so worked up with the idea of the two of them coming together, Steven knew that he was never going to have Cassandra. He had promised that he wouldn’t touch her, and Steven meant to stick to his promise. Somehow he would, even if the very thought of it made him hurt.
***
Steven did his best to stay away from Cassandra. He was trying really hard to be a good friend to Luke and to keep his distance from his tempting sister. His old and best friend had made it clear that he didn’t want the two of them together. He had to acknowledge that and do what he could to keep the promise that he had made to him. He said that he wouldn’t look at Cassandra that way and he tried hard not to. He figured the easiest way to keep his word was to stay as far away from her as he possibly could.
Riding with Luke though, took them over to Cassandra’s place, and Steven felt off being there. Cassandra wanted to know where he had been, and he said that he had been busy. He was always busy but would also make time for her. She was worth it.
Luke didn’t stop there with the surprises though, because he wasn’t there long before he told Cassandra that he’d be back. He was taking Dennis to go get a slushy and then to see something at his job. It gave Steven the opportunity to talk to Cassandra, but it was weird. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing, but so many conversation starters felt wrong with her.
“Haven’t seen you around in a while.”
Steven agreed, though he didn’t know what to say about it. He didn’t want to say that Luke had warned him away again and made him feel guilty. She didn’t need to know their private conversations, and Luke wouldn’t have appreciated it. Steven wouldn’t rat him out like that because Cassandra wouldn’t take kindly to him telling her how to live. It was all just a big battlefield that he didn’t want to have anything to do with.
“Yeah, I’ve been busy.”
She giggled. “So you keep saying. Here I was thinking that my brother had warned you away from me. I swear he thinks that I put Nelson under some kind of voodoo. I didn’t.”
Steven smiled and asked her if she wanted some coffee. She got up to make some, but he stopped her. “You look like you’ve had a long day. Let me.”
“Okay,” Cassandra started. Steven took it as a breather that he needed and set to work on the task. He had underestimated what it would be like to be around her. Steven had been right to stay away, but now that he was there, next to her, what was he supposed to do? It was easier to forget his feelings for her when he wasn’t around her. Now though, being alone with her again, it was all coming back to him in a tidal wave.
Chapter 13
Cassandra
“You know, I’ve missed you.”
Steven turned to her and said that it hadn’t been that long since they’d seen each other. He was preoccupied with making her coffee and Cassandra couldn’t see his face, though she was just amazed that he was making her coffee to begin with. Steven was so different than any man she had been with in a long time. Most men were so worried about showing off, that they didn’t do anything to take care of her, just to impress her. Cassandra wasn’t so young and naïve anymore; care and effort were what impressed her now. It wasn’t Steven’s millions and what it bought that made her look twice, it was the humble cup of coffee that he made her that really got to her. Cassandra didn’t want to think about Steven like that, but watching him, she felt something that she shouldn’t.
“You said that you would be around if I needed you, but you don’t actually answer your phone. Maybe I should go see you in your ivory tower? It’s not far, right?”
Steven’s ears turned red, but he didn’t turn around. “No, it’s just a couple of blocks away.”
Cassandra made a sound like she was really thinking about it, but she wasn’t. “Would you mind if I came to visit you sometime, Steven? You know, if you aren’t busy.”
Steven shrugged and said that she was always welcome.
“Do you mean that?”
He agreed, still not turning around and Cassandra pushed it more. “I feel like Luke is keeping you from visiting me. Did he say something to you too?”
Steven just brushed it off, not talking about it. He finally turned around, eyes down, and he handed her some coffee. It had cream and sugar just like she liked it.
“How did you know how I took my coffee?” Cassandra really was surprised. He just seemed to know things about her, and he shouldn’t have. It was complicated with Steven and him knowing everything about her just made it worse.
“I pay attention, Cassandra.” It was all that Steven said and she sighed to herself. Steven was such a mystery to her, and it was clear that whether he wanted to admit it or not, he was not ignoring her like she feared. He noticed her, but why was he staring so far away, when at one point it had seemed like Steven wanted some alone time with just the two of them? She wondered what had changed. Had her brother read him the riot act again?
Cassandra didn’t know why he was watching her, but he made her feel better about all of it. She was being noticed, and to be noticed was almost all she needed. Almost. Cassandra still had real needs that were likely to come up.
“I do too. Where is your girlfriend?”
Steven scoffed, “You know that I don’t date.”
