Chapter 20
Emmy
I know this is a monumentally stupid idea and not one I should be going along with.
The only reason I am is the look of pure hope on Hayleigh’s face when she got the call that Pete wanted to meet up to talk. As her best friend it’s my duty to make sure I’m there by her side when she needs me, just like she has been for me. We arrive at the restaurant and give our names to the hostess inside. It’s a bit posh for my liking, there’s glass and crystal everywhere you look, making the room look endless. The floors are a bright marble and the walls, where there aren’t mirrors or glass, are a rich navy colour. All the fixtures are a rich gold, making the place look very lavish and expensive. It’s a bit tacky for my taste and not somewhere I’d pick for trying to reconcile my relationship. I think whether or not Cas would bring me to a place like this and just as I’m day dreaming again we round the corner and our hostess brings us to a booth, where Pete is sat. The only problem is, he isn’t alone.
Sat there right next to him is no other than Count Dickless himself. My stomach drops and all I want to do is run, until I remember that he no longer has a hold over me and so I square my shoulders and paste a smile on my face, after all I’m here for Hayleigh, no one else. I look over to Pete to say hi but can’t decipher the look he’s giving me, almost pride, but before I can think too much into it, he schools his features and says hello. I say hello back and move to sit next to Count Dickless while Hayleigh sits next to Pete. They’re turned towards each other and before I know it, they’re deep in conversation.
“Hi Emily.”
I turn my head and look him in the eyes “Hi Co…ahem…Chad”
I can’t believe I almost called him Count Dickless, Hayleigh must be half listening because she covers her laugh over with a fake cough. Before I completely lose it myself, I quickly recover “not busy today?”
I’m not particularly interested in his day but I can’t just sit here silently.
He smiles and it seems like a genuine one, “no plans today, apart from coming to lunch when Pete asked me. I must admit it’s a nice surprise to see you…I’ve missed you Emily”
his cheeks blush ever so slightly almost as if he’s embarrassed, but that can’t be right, Chad was never embarrassed about anything, he was always so sure of himself.
“Right. Well, we’re here for lunch, but then we have a pamper day planned,”
my blood boils ever so slightly at finding out this was Pete’s idea and he had no intention of needing a mediator but wanted to get us both together.
Usually, I’d wait for a barb from Chad, but instead, he surprised me again by saying, “I don’t blame you, Emily. I know I wasn’t the nicest boyfriend to you, but I promise I’ve had a lot of time to think about that, and if I can’t be with you and you’re not ready for that, then I’d just settle for your friendship for now. After all, we’ll spend more time together with the wedding just around the corner.”
I stare at him incredulously. Is he so self-absorbed that he doesn’t realise I’ve already moved on?
I look him in the eyes, ensuring he hears what I’m about to say “Chad. Let me make this perfectly clear for you. I appreciate that you have had a lot of time to think about how you were in our relationship, and I understand that you feel you have changed, but you aren’t the only one that has changed. I’ve moved on, Chad, and there will never be an us again. I’ll help you with whatever wedding stuff you need me to do, for Hayleigh’s sake, but that’s as far as it goes. I’m with Cas now.”
Chad sits there in shocked silence.
From the corner of my eye, I see Hayleigh beaming and Pete’s shoulders stiffening. He has the good sense not to say anything, he nods once and gives me a tight smile, but it isn’t genuine; beneath the surface, I can see the anger bubbling up. My phone started to ring at that very moment, I took it out to see Cas calling. Excusing myself, I walk away from the table and swipe it to answer.
“You have impeccable timing. How did you know I needed saving with a phone call?”
I smile as I say it, and I probably seem a lot braver than I actually feel. My stomach is tied, and all I want is to see Cas.
He gave me that deep chuckle, “I kind of guessed when I came home and found you weren’t here, but my brothers said you and Hayleigh went to meet Pete. I thought I’d come down to give you some company but then I saw you give Count Dickless a shootdown and instead thought I’d call”
what he’s saying finally sinks in and as I look around outside I see him leaning against his truck looking like every woman’s dream.
I hang up and run full speed towards him, he catches me and my legs wrap around his waist as he twirls me around. I breathe in his scent, he feels like coming home. He sets me back down and that’s when I see Chad standing in the doorway of the restaurant, his eyes are blazing with hatred towards Cas but he doesn’t move toward us, instead he stalks back inside. We watch through the window as he says something to Pete, then he’s turning back around to leave the restaurant, he doesn’t say anything as he walks straight past us.
When safely out of earshot I wrap my arms around Cas’s waist and plant a kiss on his cheek “I’m sorry about that, he’s mad at me. I told him there was never going to be an ‘us’ and that I was with you and…”
before I can even finish my sentence Cas puts his hands either side of my face and kisses me gently.
He pulls back and looks me in my eyes as he says “you never have to justify yourself to me. I don’t like that you were put in a situation where you had to try and make nice with him, but I’m guessing that was their doing and not yours or Hayleigh’s idea. I don’t have to like that you have to do things for the wedding together, but that doesn’t mean I’m mad at you or don’t respect you because I do. Ok?”
he searches my eyes and I smile and nod at him. He always catches me off guard with how he’s so relaxed and understanding. I’m slowly learning to accept that I don’t have to answer to anyone but myself.
“Come on let’s go in and see how Hayleigh’s doing”
we start to walk hand in hand back to the restaurant when out walk Hayleigh and Pete, she’s smiling so that’s a good sign, Pete begins to smile at me but his face turns stoney cold when it lands on Cas.
As usual, Cas takes it in his stride, “Hey Pete, nice to see you”
Pete huffs and instead of answering, he turns and kisses Hayleigh on the cheek and tells her he will see her later. He doesn’t even say bye or look at me as he walks away.
We turn towards each other, and Cas just shrugs his shoulders, Hayleigh looks just as embarrassed, “I’m so sorry, I think it’s because he’s just looking out for his brother. I haven’t a clue what’s gotten into him lately.”
Cas wraps his arm around her shoulders, “don’t worry about Hayl’s, I get it. I’d be the same if it were my brother”, he smiles at her, putting her at ease, but I can’t help thinking that Hayleigh is doing the same thing I used to do. Making excuses for someone she loves.
We spend the rest of the day browsing the shops in town while Cas headed home to see Scruff. It turned out that the work he and Cole were sent to do, didn’t need doing, the guy they went to see said that they never made any enquiries for work. Cas acted like he didn’t seem too worried about it, but something was simmering underneath that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
I dropped Hayleigh off at her house and watched her head in. Then, I locked my doors and made my way back home. Calling Cas from the car, he answers on the second ring, “Are you on your way home?”
I laugh at him, “I just dropped Hayleigh off, and yes, I locked my doors”
I hear Scruff yapping in the background, making me smile. As I’m about to respond, bright lights flash in my rearview mirror, “jeez, turn the lights down, you idiot”, I mumble.
Cas hears anyway, “What’s going on?”
he’s on alert immediately.
“Don’t worry, it’s nothing, just some idiot with those bright lights. I can barely see anything. I’m almost home now anyway,”
I indicate to make the turn towards home, and sure enough, as soon as I turn, the car behind me turns as well “Huh”, I can hear Cas rummaging around with the keys.
“Where are you? What does ‘huh’ mean?”
I want to laugh at him, I really do, but something tells me that whoever is in that car isn’t some everyday driver going about his own business, no, my gut is telling me this is someone else altogether.
Every turn I make he makes the same turn. “Cas?”
my voice is small, and I’m almost whispering, which is ridiculous because it’s not like whoever is following me can hear me.
“Emmy, don’t worry, just drive as normal as you can, and don’t speed, we don’t need you to have an accident. You’re almost home now, just keep your eyes forward for me, baby, and concentrate on the road ahead. Can you do that?”
I nod but then realise he can’t see me “yes, I can do that. I definitely think he’s following me,”
I make the last turn before our road, and sure enough, the car behind me turns again. I try not to keep looking in my mirrors, but I want to try and catch a glimpse of whoever it is. I can hear Cas saying something else but the whooshing in my ears is too loud to make out what he’s saying clearly.
I can see the turning for our road just up ahead, and Cas is waiting for me on the corner. I make the mistake of looking in my mirror to see the car behind quickly swerve out to the side of me and overtake me, and because it happens quickly, I panic and turn my wheel to get my car out of the way. Only I seriously misjudge the force I put on the steering wheel and instead of turning nicely I somehow mount the curb and before I know what’s happened my car is on the grass banking, my hands are glued to the steering wheel and Cas is trying to rip open the door.
My brain finally engages and I can move my hands, I unlock the door and he opens it, almost ripping it off the hinges, he reaches over and unbuckles my seatbelt before grabbing my handbag off the passenger seat. He scoops me up, and I try to get down before he growls. “Do not push this, Emmy. I’m carrying you home, now stop wriggling so much.”
I rest my head on his shoulder and wonder what will happen to my car. “Don’t worry about your car, Rafe is sorting it”
Huh, I must have said that out loud.
We get back to the house and Cas gently sets me gently on the couch, my brain feels foggy and I’m shivering but I don’t feel cold. I see him drop down in front of me with a cup of tea, I grab it between my hands and slowly start to feel the warmth spread through me. He looks like he wants to say something but doesn’t know how to approach it “Cas just say what you’re thinking”
he shakes his head and looks away, Scruff bounds on the couch and snuggles in at the side of me so I tickle his ear while waiting for Cas to figure out what he wants to say.
After a few minutes he looks back at me and says “I know you don’t think this is Count Dickless, but Emmy…something isn’t right with this whole situation. Did anything ever happen like this before, I mean when you were with him?”
I shake my head. “So this only really started when you left him?”
I think about it for a minute, and then it dawns on me. I tell him, “Not actually, it didn’t start right away. I mean he was a bit of an arsehole at first but that was just him lashing out like always. It really started when I moved here.”
He nods and then says something that I didn’t expect: “Do you think that Pete could be helping him?”
I start to shake my head “no way. Pete has only ever been nice and kind to me, he was furious with his brother when he was caught cheating. I think his recent behaviour is just because he and Hayleigh are going through a rough patch, and the fact that I’m now with you and not his brother.”
He doesn’t look convinced, but he drops the subject and kisses my forehead, “I’m just glad you’re ok. Let’s get to bed because tomorrow I’m taking you out somewhere.”
We lock up and head up to bed.
I go into the bathroom and go through the motions of getting ready for bed. As I stand there brushing my teeth, I look at my reflection and that’s when something clicks. I look at someone who has been through so much crap in her life, I made myself weak when I was with Chad, I put up with his crap because that was better than being alone. Deep down, I knew it wasn’t right to be treated the way he treated me, but he was so good at making me feel like things were my fault. If I were off work for the day, I’d always have to be doing something because sitting down and doing nothing was lazy. If we were out to eat, I’d have something that he wanted me to have because if I had something I wanted, then that was the wrong thing to have, and I’d get fat. If I saw something I liked and wanted to buy it, I didn’t consider what we needed as a couple, and he would tell me that he wouldn’t waste his money on such stupid things. Clothes couldn’t be too revealing or he would mention my rolls or skin that was exposed.
Now the woman looking back at me has a sparkle in her eyes again, she looks healthy and happy and most of all she looks strong. It isn’t because of Cas, it’s because of me, and I don’t need to cower anymore. With that, I finish up and decide, I’m going to go after what I want, and I’m not going to apologise anymore or feel like I’m less. Whoever this person is trying to scare me, I won’t give them the satisfaction.
I open the door of the bathroom and walk back into Cas’s…our, room and see him sitting up on the bed. He’s shirtless with just his boxers on, his legs are stretched out before him and crossed at the ankles while his back is against the headboard, he has one arm up behind his head and in his other hand he has a book.
He hasn’t noticed me yet. I lean against the doorframe and watch him; he’s gorgeous and all mine. Finally, he must sense my eyes on him because he looks up, and when he catches sight of me standing there, completely naked, he throws his book to one side and sits up even further.
“Fuck Emmy. You’re beautiful. C’mere.”
He crooks his finger towards me.
A small smile plays on my lips as I stalk slowly towards him. Any thought of embarrassment has gone with the way his eyes hungrily eat me up. I reach the bed and push him back to his original position, he complies and sits back as I straddle his lap. Reaching down I press soft kisses on his neck and slowly move up to his cheek and then across to his lips, his eyes are closed and his breathing becomes heavy, I deepen the kiss and put my hands either side of his face, he reaches up to wrap his arms around my body but I beat them away.
Pulling away, I whisper “keep them down and no touching or I stop”
he groans but nods. I sit up, move back, and grab the waistband of his boxers. Ever so slowly, I start to peel them down. He’s already hard as his cock springs free. He’s sitting on his hands now, squirming in anticipation, I keep his boxers on the bottom half of his legs and tuck the fabric underneath so he can’t move. He chuckles but soon swallows the noise as I start to kiss his legs, moving slowly up I bypass his cock and kiss either side of the base then I move up towards his stomach kissing a trail all along to his chest, his neck and finally his lips. He kisses me back fiercely and I feel his hard cock moving underneath me. I decide to put him out of his misery and trail soft kisses all the way back down. I place a small kiss on the head of his cock and he blows out a breath, like it’s taking all of his energy not to blow.
“Cas, look at me”
I whisper, he shakes his head and chuckles then looks me in my eyes just as I swallow his head in my mouth. I twirl my tongue around it, then with one hand twisting up and down his shaft I massage the underneath of his cock with my tongue as I suck him harder. His eyes roll in his head, and I can see his hands wanting to move, but he does as he was told and keeps his hands to himself. I keep up the pace all the while watching him, his back is arching and his neck is straining upwards, his mouth open and the most sexual sounds coming out of him as he moans through the pleasure. I feel him tense up and grow bigger in my mouth, knowing he’s close.
“Emmy…fuck…Emmy, I’m gonna come…I…”
he makes eye contact with me and in that moment I feel like the most powerful woman in the world knowing I have his pleasure in my hands, the fact that I’m causing this look on his face. Our eyes stay locked and he moans low, almost growling as he spills into my mouth, I carry on swallowing him down till he can’t anymore.
Once he’s sated, I sit up and smile at him, watching him recover, he starts to laugh. Then he grabs me, flips me down on the bed and puts my arms above my head “keep them here Emmy…or I stop”
he has a wicked glint in his eyes as he mimics my earlier words to him.
There’s no slow kisses down my stomach this time, instead he’s practically feral as he spreads apart my legs with his arms, he’s looking right at my centre but instead of shame or embarrassment I feel hot, wanted and sexy. He lifts his eyes as he says to me, “my turn”, then he’s diving down licking one slow lick from the bottom to the top of my core. His tongue swirls my clit and he gently nibbles on it before repeating, before I know it I’m a quivering mess, my legs lock up tight and I pant but he doesn’t let up and instead his tongue flicks faster until I’m screaming his name and coming on his face while he laps every last drop up. We both lay down completely spent and naked, he turns me on my side and snuggles up in behind me before he drapes a blanket over the both of us. He kisses my neck slowly and whispers goodnight to me, and it’s at this moment that I realise that I am completely in love with this man, which is both terrifying and exciting.
**********
I wake in the morning relaxed and happy. I hear Cas milling about downstairs and trying to sing Mr Blue Sky, albeit a little off-key. The smell of vanilla pancakes drifts upstairs, and my stomach starts to rumble, so I get up and clean up in the bathroom. When I come out Cas is waiting on the bed for me with fresh coffee and pancakes, a daisy between his lips and a goofy smile on his face. I climb back on the bed and we dig into the pancakes, a comfortable silence settling over us.
He picks up one of the strawberries from my plate and dangles it in front of my face until I bite it from his hands, laughing and rolling my eyes. His eyes heat up and he gives me a lazy smile as he says “I was going to ask you if you wanted to come to my parents’ house today but with the looks you’re giving me I think we might just stay home”
he winks at me and it’s so corny I can’t help but laugh.
“What’s happening at your parents’ house?”
He picks at the pancakes again, “Whenever it’s towards the end of summer, they throw a big garden party BBQ for our family and friends…”
he hesitates as he swallows his pancakes, “…and by family, I mean our entire family…aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. There’s a lot.”
I look at his eyes shining as he talks about his family but also at the same time concerned about me, how I feel, and if I want to be introduced to them.
I think for a moment before I ask tentatively “how would they feel about me crashing your family day?”
I hate how timid I sound, but a small part of me needs to make sure he isn’t inviting me out of politeness.
Understanding fills his eyes as he takes my face in his hands and softly kisses my lips, “Emmy don’t ever think you’re crashing anything, you were personally invited…no wait…I was more or less threatened that I had to bring you by both my parents and Lacey. I think she’s just finally happy there is another woman about to help even out the testosterone”
he smiles at me. I nod “then I’d love to come”
he bounces off the bed and gathers the trays before leaning down to kiss me again “I’m going to walk Scruff while you get ready”
he’s almost out the door before he turns round, cringing he says “I forgot to say…we leave in an hour” he laughs at the look of panic on my face and his laughter carries on downstairs while I ungracefully scramble up to start getting ready, all the while cursing him for the short notice but also loving that feeling of being wanted.