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Everything keeps coming back to that night. To one decision made in the name of… I don’t know. Reclaiming my youth? Eradicating John’s bullshit claim on me as my one and only? Silly, selfish desire?
“I…” Stepping back from Gideon, I attempt to rake my hands through my hair, silently cursing the restrictive French braids I did last night. I tug on the ends instead, a nervous habit I thought I’d grown out of. “I can’t deal with this right now.”
Pushing past Gideon, I rush into the hallway. I need to be alone, at least for a few minutes before the bell rings, and thankfully, my classroom is blessedly empty. Planting one palm on my desk, the other on my rolling stomach, I suck in deep gulps of fresh air, silently thanking whoever cracked a window in here before I arrived.
When I hear the door closing, the soft snick of a lock engaging, I shake my head. “Not now, Gideon.”
“Not Gideon.”
Head snapping towards the unexpectedly deep voice, I wince. Back against the closed door, Cass is too calm for my liking.Carefullycalm. Long fingers tug on the collar of a worn leather jacket before scratching stubble lining a strong jaw, rising higher to displace the cap atop his head and flick off the sunglasses hiding his eyes.
Dark, wary eyes.
“It wasn’t me,” I’m so quick to blurt out, the words are barely distinguishable. “I mean, obviously I didn’t take them but I mean, like, I didn’t hire a photographer to sit outside my apartment on the off chance you ever stopped by.”
“I didn’t think that.” A slow smirk curls full lips. “I am a little suspicious now, though.”
A panicked laugh scratches my throat. Turning so the desk digs into the small of my back, I tear my gaze away from Cass, digging the heel of my palms into my eyes and rubbing until I see stars like that might erase the pap shot seared into my brain.
Footsteps approach. Knuckles knock against the desk I lean against. The air above my shoulder shifts, like a hand hovers there for a moment before disappearing. “You okay?”
“Not sure.”
Cass shifts, the warmth of his body bleeding into mine. “You pissed?”
“Yup.”
“At me?”
I hesitate. “A little.”
“That’s fair.”
I’m not sure it is. It’s not like he asked for this. But it’s easier to be mad at the tangible man standing beside me than the nameless, faceless sack of shit actually responsible.
For the second time in a long weekend, Cass doesn’t do what I expect him to. He doesn’t tell me it isn’t a big deal. He doesn’t demand I calm down. He doesn’t insist it’ll blow over. He does let me freak out a little before moving another inch closer, my elbow brushing a hard, cotton-covered abdomen. “If it makes you feel any better, this is kind of an initiation. Don’t have a single friend who I haven’t been romantically linked to.”
Bleary-eyed, I glance at him warily. “Yeah?”
“Allegedly, my sister is a beard for me and my brother-in-law.”
That drags another laugh out of me, and with it, some of the hesitance melts from Cass’ expression. Something soft replaces it. Head tilting to one side, he traps me with his onyx gaze. “I’m sorry. I should’ve been more careful. Didn’t think Sun Valley had a big pap population. I usually get through visits unscathed but I guess since I’m here for a while…” he trails off, rubbing the back of his neck, and I can’t tell if it's the subject of paparazzi making him so uncomfortable or the thought of being here for longer than a visit.
“You shouldn’t have to be careful.”
“Comes with the territory.” Cass smiles ruefully but he’s quick to wave off my sympathy, quicker to distract me from it. “My agent wants me to release a statement. Deny the relationship, ‘we’re just friends,’ that kind of thing.”
“Okay.” When Cass frowns, I do too. “You don’t agree?”
Huffing a breath, Cass runs a palm over his short curls. Broad shoulders lift in a frustrated shrug. “Been doing this for a while, Sunday. I know how it works. If I address something, single out one specific rumor, it only draws more attention. Makes people more suspicious.”
“So, what? You just ignore it? Hope it goes away?”
“If you want me to say something, I will.”
“But you don’t think you should.”
“No,” Cass answers after a moment’s hesitation. “I don’t.”
