CHAPTER THIRTEEN
MANON
“Leooo!” I heard Cassie’s high-pitched voice call out from the living room.
The sound of smooches and air kisses filled my room as I tossed and turned in my sea of covers. I was nowhere near ready to get up yet, even if the sunlight that was making my eyelids grow red was telling me otherwise.
“Leooo?!!” she called out again, much louder this time. Instantly forcing myself to blink my eyes awake and stare blankly at my pale ceiling above. As my eyes trailed downward, I watched as the same color bleed into the walls that filled my space.
Shit, maybe my place was boring.
I never really considered it before. But after we got out of the shower last night, continuing with another round in my bed; Cassie broke down to me how she thought my place needed more “life or color.”
I immediately chuckled. I couldn’t fathom the fact that she had just came in my mouth, and the first thing she had to mention was the color of my walls. But now that I’m looking at it, she was right.
It looked cold and lifeless, like a forgotten classroom or a sterile hospital. Nothing like what you’d want to see after having the best orgasm of your life. Or the morning after, when you're recovering.
It represented the exact opposite of how I was feeling. My heart was bright and warm as my chest felt numb and fuzzy. I was turning to Jello. There wasn’t a solid bone in my body. Cassie was turning me into something I couldn’t even recognize. I didn't crave anything else but her.
My brain chemistry was being rewired with her as my sole interest, and I didn’t care how quickly it happened. It felt like a sudden switch in my life, but at the same time, I had already felt this way the moment we met. I was so busy focusing my attention on the surface crap that I didn’t leave room for me to explore anything further.
To be fair, I never left room for me to explore my feelings or emotions at all. Maybe it was just the way I was raised. Or maybe it was way I isolated myself from experiencing things, in an attempt at preventing them from being crushed. I figured I never had the time to go down that rabbit hole. If I did, I would be light years behind my life’s plan.
But now, that I was here, and ahead of my mutuals, for some reason, I still felt like the one behind in life. I hadn’t experienced what most people did on just a random Tuesday, and now I was becoming paralyzed from… pleasure ?
My body felt weightless as I finally swung my legs over the edge of the bed. It was as if someone gave me a full-body massage and then left me to rest. It felt more like a workout the way my jaw tightened, and thighs strained. Like Pilates, I felt free and relaxed all while tight and sore. But for some reason, the emotion that trumps everything is pride.
I felt proud of letting go of my fears physically and mentally.
It took a lot out of me, opening up to Cassie about how I felt, and even more to act on it. I was acting out of character, but I had to live with that decision.
I had to live and be okay with the fact that I had just broken every rule that I’d followed for the past 28 years of my life. But what was most unsettling was how calm I was.
After all these years of imprisoning my feelings and not letting myself live. I was rolling in them like they were a field full of daisies; not problems that could eventually tear my life apart. For once, my life felt full–complete in all aspects.
When I dropped down from the bed, letting my full weight settle on my ankles; I could still hear Cassie in the distance.
Geez, she still hasn’t found him yet?
I knew my place was bigger than what he was use to, so I figured he would want to roam. But not to the point where he stressed his mother out.
Cassie’s voice dragged out for the fourth time. “Leooooo, where are you?”
I turned the corner and started heading down my floating staircase that led from my loft-style bedroom straight into my living room. The sound of bare feet running across my hardwood floors stopped me in my tracks.
When I saw a glimpse of pink hair flash from behind the couch, my brows furrowed.
“Uhh, what’s going on here?” I asked as I watched her head snap back up. I could only see her eyes from where I was standing, but based on how the corners of them wrinkled, I knew she had to be smiling.
“Oh, you're up! Thank God. Maybe you can help me?” She exclaimed.
All I could do was laugh as I watched her body retreat out of view.
“What? You can’t find the little guy?”
I could still hear scoff from where she was lying on the floor. I quickly approached just in time to see her on her knees, face pinned to the ground. If I wasn’t so concerned about Leo, I probably would have started round six right then and there.
When she sat back up, I tried to hide my disappointment.
“That ‘little guy’ has been missing all morning, I’ve tried opening a can of food, I shook his treats—.”
Her wide-spread arms dropped down to her side exasperatedly. “—and still nothing.”
My lips pinched together as I tried to hide my smile. I watched as her breasts shook underneath the loose blouse she was wearing—damn, everything about her was a distraction.
Although, I couldn’t stifle my laugh when I realized what she had said. The words sounded foreign to someone who had never owned a pet before. It was cute and endearing to see all the trouble she would go through for him.
“He’s probably still traumatized from last night.”
Cassie’s eyes snapped back to mine, sending daggers straight through me. I clamped my mouth shut and immediately joined the search party.
“LEO!” I yelled, more like belted. I didn’t care though. Even when Cassie’s head popped back up to look at me as if I had grown two of my own. But I had a feeling he didn’t care for the silent whispers or mockery of his voice. He was a cat who demanded attention, so I was going to match his energy.
Cassie didn’t seem impressed, “You can’t possibly think that—”
A loud, dragged-out meow cut her off, and we spun around, whipping our heads back and forth. Within seconds, a black furry arm stretched out from the space between the foot of my stairs and the top of my wall-to-wall bookshelves.
“Aha!” I yelled, satisfaction dripping from my voice.
I hastily headed straight for him with arms out and ready to catch him like a cheerleader. I didn’t need to turn around to know that Cassie was pissed. I could feel her gaze from a mile away. She had been downstairs for however long, just begging for him to come out.
With one big leap, he was purring in my arms. I held his curled-up body like a baby before turning around to face a speechless Cassie. Her eyes narrowed while she tilted her head, she was in sheer disbelief.
“You cannot be serious! What the fuck, dude?!”
She started taking large strides towards us until we were only a few feet apart. But I stepped back dramatically before covering his ear with one hand.
“Hey now, don’t be jealous, just because he likes me more—.” My lips curved into a smirk before toughening my tone.
“—And don’t use that language around him, our son has done nothing wrong.”
I’m too busy scratching the back of his ears and snuggling into his face to realize what I had just said. But when I never hear a response, my face freezes.
What the fuck did I just say?
I never felt the feeling of instant regret surge through me before today. It felt like someone had pressed pause , nothing moved. Not even the air.
I wished I could hit the rewind button and take back those two little words that I let slip out.
“Our son.”
I should have rushed to apologize and correct myself, but the sad part was that it felt true.
It felt like time had never moved faster, falling into small routines for the past few weeks. Even without us speaking every second of the day, we had our roles that worked for us. I’d feed Leo because I woke up first, then head back to the loft to start my morning routine. While Cassie would just then be starting to wake up on the twin-bed-sized chaise lounge of my couch. The one that she insisted on sleeping on. I never asked her to, but as if she timed it perfectly, I’d come back downstairs to find a plate full of whatever recipe she found that day.
At first, I thought she was doing it to try and repay me for staying here. I refused and begged her to stop forcing herself to try and match my ridiculous schedule. I did that until I noticed the smile on her face every time, I came down the stairs. She lit up like she had been waiting—counting the minutes until we spoke.
When I’d come home from work, it was always just in time for me to feed Leo dinner. We’d share a few shallow words about our day and then move on. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted at the time. But what we did have, I enjoyed. So much that I found comfort in it, not just my time with Cassie but my time getting to know Leo too.
He and I had grown so much since we first met. From meeting me at the bottom of my staircase every day to nightly snuggles before bedtime.
We all had a routine.
So yes, I slipped up and called Leo, “ our son.”
But luckily, I didn’t have to face the music, suddenly saved by the bell.
My body jumped when I heard a loud ding coming from the kitchen.
I knew that sound, it was my email.
The sound drew my attention like a dog to a whistle. Immediately turning on my heels to follow it, I didn't even spare Cassie a glance. When I turned to see my laptop charging on the green countertops, I knew I had to have left it downstairs after last night.
It wasn’t until I moved to sit on a barstool that I finally set Leo down. Even then, he still meowed like a baby who wasn’t ready to be let go. His tail wrapped around my leg as he paced back and forth at my feet. I was beginning to understand his language, and I knew it meant he wanted to be held again.
“Hold on Leo, give me one second to check my email.”
When I opened my laptop and the bright screen practically lit up the dim kitchen, I groaned. Still not fully prepared to be blinded. I lowered the brightness with one swipe but nearly brightened it again when I unlocked my laptop to see an email from the name Nick Leed.
I almost choked on my breath, but I swiftly covered it with a cough. I didn’t need Cassie freaking out prematurely, so I clicked on the unread message before I could think twice.
Subject: Blue Wheels Inc. v. Cassandra Deacon
Dear Ms. Kapoor,
I hope this email finds you well. As the lead legal counsel for Blue Wheels Inc., I am reaching out in the interest of resolving this matter amicably and efficiently.
After doing further research that we admit we should’ve done prior, our client remains confident in the strength of our case against Ms. Deacon. However, to relieve both parties of unnecessary cost and press coverage, Blue Wheels is prepared to offer a settlement.
Blue Wheels is willing to dismiss the claim being filed against Cassandra Deacon in exchange for the following.
Ms. Deacon to issue a public apology for the damages issued.
A partial repair cost and legal coverage of $5,000.
As you know, these lengthy litigations can be draining on all parties involved. So, we trust that you and your team will make the right decision based on financial responsibilities, and the evidence gathered.
Should this offer be accepted, Blue Wheels is prepared to settle immediately, without any further proceedings. This document can be submitted to the court within hours.
Please understand, this offer will remain valid for two weeks as this issue remains expedited. Should you, your client, and or firm decline the offer, we are fully prepared to proceed to trial.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best regards,
Nick Leed
Lead Counsel
Blue Wheels Inc.
(312) 555-4826
“Kind of early for you to be getting emails on a Wednesday morning. Anything important?” Cassie’s voice broke my wandering eyes. I didn’t realize how hunched over and crazy I must have looked.
“Uhh…” My voice faded into my thoughts.
What the fuck?
There was no way, Blue Wheels themselves had just emailed me, or I guess technically Nick Leed did. I smirked at the thought of watching him having to write this email. My eyes were the size of Leo’s, and I had to fight back the urge to scream.
Blue Wheels was trying to settle.
I had to say it in my head a hundred more times for it to even make sense.
I, Manon Kapoor, was scaring a multimillion-dollar company into wanting to settle before trial.
On one hand, I was honored and happy to know that Nick was most likely being forced to send this email. He’s probably lost somewhere, punching a wall. I mean, I would be too. The case he was admitting to not being prepared for, was falling apart right before his eyes.
I was there. I saw the glass break in his tiny egotistical brain, and now here he was kissing my ass. But it wasn’t enough. The pit of my stomach twisted when I read that they wanted Cassie to apologize , for what?
They were still acting as if they were the victims in the situation. As if someone was suing them . Even though they were offering to drop the fees a significant amount, they were still pointing the blame. My temper flared and my jaw clenched as I felt this sense of protection around Cassie growing to a new height.
I didn’t want her to take any blame at all. I didn’t care what they had to say. She didn’t owe them a damn cent.
It was clear what they were trying to do, was damage control. They could face backlash if this went any further. Although I hadn’t had the time to think about what that could mean for me. I figured it wasn’t even going to come close to what they’d have to deal with.
Now they were afraid of the fight. Finally admitting to not being prepared. But I wanted more for Cassie.
I could almost scoff at their audacity.
But I didn't, because my mind still lingered on one line out of the entire email.
After doing further research that we admit we should’ve done prior, our client remains confident strength of our case…
What could he have meant by that? Did he know something I didn’t?
My eyes glanced above my laptop as I watch Cassie walk into the kitchen and begin cooking breakfast.
No. Cassie told me everything she knew about the accident already.
And the Cassie I was starting to understand was too busy learning my schedule, to have the time to lie to me. I mean, the woman walked in here already knowing I didn’t usually get emails this early. How could I not believe every word she said?
I didn’t doubt her for a second. Who I didn't trust, was Blue Wheels.
I knew that, ethically, this was the moment I was supposed to forward this to my boss, Dylan. I should be typing up a lengthy email about what was going on and how this case could be going to trial. He would probably still be upset that I hadn’t told him earlier, but it wouldn’t be horrible timing. He’d still could think it over. Decide if this was all worth the fees, the chances, and our credibility.
But to me, the decision was already made. I didn't need to ask Cassie what she thought, there was no way I was going to settle for less.
Not for her.
As if she knew I was thinking of her, Cassie cleared her throat, quickly reminding me I never answered her question.
“..anything important?”
I thought about the question one moment longer before slamming my laptop closed and beaming a bright smile in her direction.
“No, not at all.”