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“No, I’ll be fine. Look, the house is right here, I’m perfectly safe, and Ocean…” I nod at him. “Find Shane. Make sure he’s okay. That’s all that matters right now.”
He hesitates a moment longer, then he’s off, running toward the house, and I’m hurrying after him the best I can, skidding a little on the hard, frozen ground.
A sound from my left has me turning without a conscious thought, and I see a shadow walking toward me—dark over white.
A man.
Shane.
I can’t even speak, I’m s
o shocked to see him. I’d convinced myself he wasn’t anywhere around. And above all, I can’t speak because my mind’s taken over by one single thought:
He’s okay. He’s fine.
“Cass?” he calls, and I notice that he’s wearing a blue jacket. Not his own. “Cass, wait.”
As if I could move from the spot. I’m rooted there—until he’s right in front of me, and I jerk forward, grabbing him in a death hold.
“Shane. God, I thought you left, I thought…” I grab fistfuls of the jacket, bury my face in his chest. His long hair tickles my face, cold and smelling of snow. “I thought something happened to you.”
His arms come around me, muscles flexing in his chest and back. “I’m okay. I… I remembered something and needed some air.”
“That girl, Kayla, was worried about you, and we found your jacket, and you wouldn’t answer your phone…” I stop, trying to control my voice before it breaks.
“Phone’s in my jacket,” his voice rumbles through his chest. “I borrowed a random guy’s jacket, because I couldn’t find mine.”
I snort, clutch him harder. “I was scared. Thought you got lost inside your head and were dying of cold out here. I thought it was my fault, for making you angry, for screwing up so badly with Jesse. Thought you hated me.”
“Shh.” He rubs my back. “I don’t hate you.”
“But you don’t care much either. When I kissed Jesse to make you jealous, you didn’t even blink. And knowing I forced him to do it…”
Ugh, why can’t I stop blabbing about everything that’s inside my head? Why am I making things worse? He’s okay, and he says he doesn’t hate me, so why can’t I let it be?
“The fuck? You kissed Jesse to make me jealous? Why?”
“Because I wanted you to notice me. I’m in love with you.”
He gapes at me.
Damn my big mouth.
“I’m stupid, okay?” I pull back, looking down at the toes of my shoes. “I know.”
“You’re not stupid.” He cups my face, lifts it until I have no choice but to meet his dark eyes. “Never were.”
But I am, and that’s why, even though I confessed my love for him and the reason I did everything I did without any reaction, I sigh when he kisses me and kiss him right back.
Chapter Seventeen
Shane
Wrapped up in Cassie’s arms, her taste in my mouth, her scent both relaxing me and getting me hard, I’m finally okay. Safe. Hopeful. Fucking happy.
Trying to wrap my head around the fact she kissed Jesse back then to make me notice her is tough. I mean, I noticed her the first time she walked into Halo and stared at her every time since. I thought she was aware of that and not caring.
Turns out I was wrong, and I want to laugh and yell and tell everyone that she wants me. She’s in love with me.
