Chapter 33 – Rhiannon
I’m nervous.
I smooth down my black leather skirt and adjust the velvet, gold long-sleeved top I chose to pair it with.
Thick, fleece lined nylons, and my trusty black Doc Martens complete the look.
It’s not an outfit that I’d usually wear to a formal, in-person therapy session, but this isn’t therapy, and nothing about this situation is normal.
The outfit feels like a safe middle ground. The fleece nylons and boots hint at a casual, low-expectation vibe, like I’m just heading out for a girls’ night in the city, while the gold velvet top adds a touch of style.
If you can’t tell, I’m overthinking everything.
My hair is blown out, shiny and clean, the only real giveaway that I’ve spent more time obsessing over this than I normally would. And it’s not just my outfit I’ve been obsessing over. It’s everything.
Since leaving the thrift store and my cousin, all I’ve done is replay every single moment of the last eight months since I met Cain.
Each step forward, every attempt to keep him at a distance has been met with something that pulls him back into my orbit like gravity.
For so long, I’ve hidden from joy, convinced that I didn’t deserve it because of what happened with my parents. But being around Cain has shown me that I don’t have to feel guilty for letting someone take care of me sometimes. For letting someone look out for me.
Gabriel’s words echo in my head. It’s time. Time to do something for myself. Time to take the risk of trusting someone. To open myself to love. To put myself out there. To be vulnerable. To allow someone else to carry the weight for once and to believe they won’t drop it—or me.
If Gabriel’s willing to try again after his wife left him barely a year into their marriage, then surely, I can too.
The train screeches to a stop at Manhattan’s station. I grab my purse and tablet from the seat beside me and step off.
Snow is falling again, the icy wind cutting through my tights as I hurry toward the hotel where Cain lives. I’m already ten minutes late to his appointment due to the extra time I took drying and curling my hair, and by the time I reach his penthouse, it’ll be closer to twenty.
I pick up the pace, careful not to slip on the slick sidewalks as I dodge other pedestrians and toss out Happy Holidays! Because this year I feel like it might be a happy holiday after all.
The warmth of the hotel lobby is a relief. The bellman, recognizing me, swipes his card at the elevator for the penthouse level and gives me a nod. My heart races as I ride to the top floor, nerves and anticipation churning in equal measure.
And when the doors finally slide open, I brace myself, having no idea what to expect.
Cain is standing there in his foyer, the same one where I threw a glass vase at him just a few weeks earlier.
And the sight of him knocks the breath from my lungs.
His simple, gray sweatpants hang loosely on his hips, paired with a casual black T-shirt that stretches over his tall frame.
His chestnut hair is tousled, like he just rolled out of bed or came straight from the shower, and his green eyes meet mine. Unblinking and intense.
“Rhiannon. You came.”
I shake the snowflakes off my jacket before stepping into his home with a smile.
“Of course.”
His gaze softens as it drifts over me, and before I can stop myself, I’m running straight into his arms. He catches me easily, strong hands wrapping around my waist and lifting my butt as he pulls me in and buries his face in my hair.
He inhales me like he’s been starving for my scent, and I do the same, trying to memorize the warmth of him, the solid weight of his chest against mine and remembering how he’s always felt like home.
I don’t know what he’s about to say, maybe he booked this session to tell me it was all a mistake and he’s reconsidered, but something deep in my chest knows better. This feels different. This time being here feels like coming home and it’s only because he’s here.
When he finally pulls back, there’s a smile tugging at his mouth. He nods toward the living room.
“Should we get started with our session then?”
I laugh and follow him as I step down the small, carpeted step into the large, open room. I take a seat on the cloud cushion that I’ve cleaned a dozen times and wring my hands together, wondering where to even start.
He takes a seat on the coffee table that’s facing me instead of the couch, his knees bumping against mine playfully.
“Hi,” he murmurs his green eyes sparkling.
“Hi.” I smile. “So... tell me what you’d like to work through in our session today.”
“I met a girl,” he blurts out, his tone is steady, eyes focused on mine.
I clear my throat and sink back into the couch. “Okay...”
“And she changed my whole world view.”
I squirm in my seat, crossing and uncrossing my leg.
“It was an accident.” He continues. “I’d gotten in an argument with my father and was feeling defeated one night. You see, I had this insane winning streak. Fifty cases in a row, no losses.”
“That’s quite impressive.”
He smirks. “It was. But that night, my father had said something to me that made me feel like no amount of winning was ever going to satisfy him. So, I went for a walk and ended up in Bryant Park at a food truck, trying to get some dinner before heading back to the office despite being exhausted.”
“I see.”
He nods. “It was spring, and something about the air made the whole city feel alive. Back then, I never did anything for myself. I spent all my time working at my father’s firm to follow in his footsteps someday because I thought that was what would make me happy. Turns out, that isn’t the case.”
“Hm.” I hum softly, giving him a nod to continue.
“Dating hadn’t been a priority to me. Women have never understood my work schedule, and I never cared about prioritizing them over my career. But that night, something felt different.”
“Different how?”
“Different like I was about to meet my future.”
My heart races.
“She was standing there, bathed in the spring moonlight, waiting for her order at the food truck. The most stunning, carefree woman that I’d ever met. And you know what the first thing she said to me was? She was offended that her girl crush wasn’t my girl crush too.”
A small smile tugs at the corner of my lips as I reach for my tablet, pretending to take case notes to distract myself. Because staring into Cain’s intense, handsomely torn and very serious eyes as he retells the story of how we first met is overwhelming.
“Sounds like she has good taste. Did you ever consider that you might have been wrong?”
He chuckles. “No. I wasn’t. Because that actress was nothing like the woman that I met that night.”
“What happened next?”
“We had an amazing night together then she disappeared, only to reappear six months later in the most unlikely spot. Riding a horse on one of my client’s music video sets.”
I snort. “Interesting…”
“We spent another night together, except this time, I didn’t want to tell her any lies. I wanted to know everything about her. After only knowing her for two days, I didn’t want her to disappear. I asked her to stay. But can you guess what happened next?”
I bite my lip, my eyes moving upward to meet his. “She disappeared again?”
He nods. “She did. But this time, I wasn’t willing to let her go. I knew her first name, and asked production for all the information I could possibly get on her.”
“You… you did?”
“But I didn’t get very far with my research because work pulled me away and the next thing I knew, she reappeared for a third time.
This time, she kicked my ass in court, caused me to lose my winning streak at the firm, and admitted she stole my lucky boxers.
But do you know what the most shocking thing about that appearance was? ”
“What?” I whisper.
“When she was yelling at me in the middle of the courthouse, I think I fell in love with her.”
I draw in a steady breath, my fingers frozen, hovering over my keyboard.
“I didn’t know it at the time, but something kept me chasing her.
After I realized she worked at my hotel, I would come home from the office randomly, hoping to run into her.
Then I followed her to Brookhaven after she sent me to the hospital and after I met her family, I knew I was gone for her even if I wasn’t ready to admit it yet.
Every moment since then has been consumed with thoughts of her and I’ve been trying to convince her to give me a chance. "
“Why... why didn’t you tell her all this earlier?”
“I was afraid to be vulnerable with her because I didn’t think she was interested, and I was working through my own feelings in my head.
I couldn’t figure out how to make a relationship work with my career, but I’ve since realized, I need to make my career work for my relationship and not the other way around. ”
“I… I see.”
“And then, she went out with a client to discuss work, and I blame myself for the way that he took advantage of her.”
“Cain.” I set down my tablet and place a hand on his knee. “That wasn’t your fault.”
“I should have cancelled my trip to the west coast and gone with you.”
I shake my head. “You can’t be everywhere with me at all times.”
“I can try.”
I laugh lightly. “That’s not how relationships work. We can’t always be together.”
“I disagree.”
I roll my eyes.
He grins. “Aw look, our first fight.”
“This is hardly our first. Also, relationships built on arguing aren’t healthy.”
“The thing is, I like the arguing with this girl. Can you explain that to me?” he asks. “Why do I like getting on your nerves?” He leans forward, his fingers cup my chin softly and tilt my face to focus on him. I miss his kisses.
“Well, sometimes people can become aroused from arguing. It might feel familiar to them if they grew up in a family with fighting as a means to getting attention.”
He shakes his head. “No, I think I like arguing with this girl because she dishes it back which means she cares.”