daughter if she needed to, and she
instinctively moved closer to her as well, in case he was going to mention
something else about Ben.
“My name is Gunnar,” He leaned down and shook her tiny hand, “I’m an old friend
of your mothers.” He looked over at Cassie again and shook his
head. “I’ll be going now,” he said quickly and made to leave.
“Wait,” Cassie caught up with him outside the door, and caught his arm.
He pulled himself away and spun on her. “Yes,” he clenched his jaw.
“Something else you may have left out, like another marriage, or a terminal
illness, or anything of extreme importance that you may have forgot to
mention?”
Cassie searched his face. “Is this really a problem for you?” Her
heart pounded, and she really didn’t want to hear the answer.
“The little girl herself,” he paused, “of course not. Another of your
subtle manipulations? Yes.” He turned around to leave again.
“I didn’t plan any of this,” she started to yell. “What happened last
night was as contrived as the moon itself falling from the sky, but obviously
it was just business as usual for you, so it’s easily tossed aside.” She
went to reach for the door, but he was back beside her instantly.
“Nothing is easy for me where you’re concerned.” His eyes flared at
her. “Why didn’t you tell me? She’s obviously a little more
important than a tiny detail, you have to at least give me that.”
“I didn’t tell you before because you were always too busy slinging insults at
me to get a word in edge wise, and last night was...hardly the right time,
and... that brings us to now.” She was holding it together on the
surface, but his reaction meant everything to her.
“Contrary to your low opinion of me, I do not just hop into bed with everything
that moves. All though I do admit to purposely not seeking out any messy,
long, drawn out involvements. You can make all the excuses you want but
you had plenty of time to tell me about this, and yet you didn’t.”
Whatever Cassie wanted to hear, it certainly wasn’t what she was getting.
“I di-”
“Does Wes know about this?” He interrupted her.
“Yes,” she answered, and watched him nod slowly, as if he was figuring out some
diabolical scheme she had hatched to keep him in the dark. He turned to leave
again, without looking back.
“You’re never going to get over our past are you?” She called out after
him. “No matter how many new experiences we share, your lack of trust
will always negate anything new we have.”
He stopped, but he didn’t turn and he didn’t speak, he just waited for a
moment, and then kept right on going.
Cassie watched his back till he disappeared around the corner, and slumped
against the door. She knew last night wasn’t going to change the world,
or somehow make all of her life sort itself out again, but she was hoping it
would be a start. Hell, she hadn’t even expected a commitment, and was
willing to take it for what it was, a beautiful coming together of two people
who found exactly what they needed in the other person. But when she saw
his face as he looked at Abby, remembered the comments he’d made, and thought
about how quickly he’d used an excuse to bolt, she felt empty. She could pawn
it off in her mind as something else, but when she really let herself admit it,
she knew that last night had meant a tremendous amount to her, and she had
desperately wanted to believe that it had meant as much to him too. She
had
instinctively moved closer to her as well, in case he was going to mention
something else about Ben.
“My name is Gunnar,” He leaned down and shook her tiny hand, “I’m an old friend
of your mothers.” He looked over at Cassie again and shook his
head. “I’ll be going now,” he said quickly and made to leave.
“Wait,” Cassie caught up with him outside the door, and caught his arm.
He pulled himself away and spun on her. “Yes,” he clenched his jaw.
“Something else you may have left out, like another marriage, or a terminal
illness, or anything of extreme importance that you may have forgot to
mention?”
Cassie searched his face. “Is this really a problem for you?” Her
heart pounded, and she really didn’t want to hear the answer.
“The little girl herself,” he paused, “of course not. Another of your
subtle manipulations? Yes.” He turned around to leave again.
“I didn’t plan any of this,” she started to yell. “What happened last
night was as contrived as the moon itself falling from the sky, but obviously
it was just business as usual for you, so it’s easily tossed aside.” She
went to reach for the door, but he was back beside her instantly.
“Nothing is easy for me where you’re concerned.” His eyes flared at
her. “Why didn’t you tell me? She’s obviously a little more
important than a tiny detail, you have to at least give me that.”
“I didn’t tell you before because you were always too busy slinging insults at
me to get a word in edge wise, and last night was...hardly the right time,
and... that brings us to now.” She was holding it together on the
surface, but his reaction meant everything to her.
“Contrary to your low opinion of me, I do not just hop into bed with everything
that moves. All though I do admit to purposely not seeking out any messy,
long, drawn out involvements. You can make all the excuses you want but
you had plenty of time to tell me about this, and yet you didn’t.”
Whatever Cassie wanted to hear, it certainly wasn’t what she was getting.
“I di-”
“Does Wes know about this?” He interrupted her.
“Yes,” she answered, and watched him nod slowly, as if he was figuring out some
diabolical scheme she had hatched to keep him in the dark. He turned to leave
again, without looking back.
“You’re never going to get over our past are you?” She called out after
him. “No matter how many new experiences we share, your lack of trust
will always negate anything new we have.”
He stopped, but he didn’t turn and he didn’t speak, he just waited for a
moment, and then kept right on going.
Cassie watched his back till he disappeared around the corner, and slumped
against the door. She knew last night wasn’t going to change the world,
or somehow make all of her life sort itself out again, but she was hoping it
would be a start. Hell, she hadn’t even expected a commitment, and was
willing to take it for what it was, a beautiful coming together of two people
who found exactly what they needed in the other person. But when she saw
his face as he looked at Abby, remembered the comments he’d made, and thought
about how quickly he’d used an excuse to bolt, she felt empty. She could pawn
it off in her mind as something else, but when she really let herself admit it,
she knew that last night had meant a tremendous amount to her, and she had
desperately wanted to believe that it had meant as much to him too. She
had
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