Epilogue Two West
“It’s only been six months since I stopped drinking, baby.
It’s not that big of a deal.” I still smiled when Cassidy dragged me up the stairs to my room.
“Not that I’m complaining about getting my hands on you, but I don’t want you rewarding us for shit that should just be expected. You’re worth more than that.”
She paused at the top of the stairs and turned to face me. “It is a big deal. You’re taking care of yourself now and it means so much to me. After things with my dad… I just want to make sure you know just how happy you make me.”
I moved up the last steps, forcing her to move backwards until her back hit my door. “The last six months have been the happiest of my life, Cassidy. That’s been the reward for staying sober.”
Tears filled her eyes and for once she didn’t rush to wipe them away. “I love you so much, West. They’ve been the happiest in my life, too.”
Not wanting her to cry, I tried to lighten the mood. “Even though the pictures of you dressed as Dolly went viral?”
Her cheeks went red. “Why the hell would you bring those up right now? I’m trying to suck your dick and it’s like you don’t want me to.”
I pinned her to the door and dropped my forehead to hers. “I definitely want you to suck my dick, sweetheart. Don’t ever doubt that. I dream about your mouth nightly. Now on your knees.”
“Here?!” She looked down the stairs and tried to pretend like the idea of getting caught wasn’t making her wet. I knew her body too well to fall for her lies. “There are people downstairs, West.”
I put my hand on top of her head and smirked as I pushed her down. “Yeah. And? I want my reward.”
Her knees hadn’t even brushed the ground yet when my phone started ringing. She bounced back up and laughed at my expression. “Shouldn’t have protested so much at first. You snooze, you lose.”
I wrapped my arm around her waist when she tried to slip away and opened my door to pull her inside. I only checked my phone to make sure it wasn’t important but then I saw it was Savannah. I groaned and showed Cassidy. “I’ve gotta take it.”
She pressed a quick kiss to my cheek. “That’s fine. Maybe you’ll get your reward later tonight.”
“I’d better.” I answered the phone while reaching for Cassidy to keep her from leaving. “Hello, little sis.”
Cassidy shook her head and mouthed at me. “I’ll just go.”
“Hey, bro. I was actually hoping I could talk to Cass, though.” Savannah sounded nervous as she rushed on. “If she’s there, I mean.”
“You want to talk to Cassidy?”
Cassidy froze and her eyes went so round that I almost laughed. She pointed at herself and shook her head.
“Yeah. Is she there?”
I let out a surprised sound and then cleared my throat. “Yeah, she’s here. You’re not going to upset my girl, are you?”
“Just shut up and give her the phone, West.” Savannah grunted. “Please.”
“Fine. Jeez. But I’m going to listen in. Just so we’re clear.” I passed the phone to Cassidy, who looked like a deer in headlights.
“I’d expect nothing less from my nosiest brother.”
Cassidy took the phone and sat down next to me on the bed. “Um, hi. It’s Cass.”
Savannah was loud enough that I didn’t need the call to be on speakerphone to hear her clearly. “Hi, Cass. It’s Savannah… But you already knew that. So…”
I raised my eyebrows and listened to the painfully awkward interaction. I didn’t agree that I was the nosiest brother but that didn’t mean I wasn’t holding my breath so I didn’t miss a sound.
Savannah let out a strange laugh and forged on. “This is weird, right? I mean, you live with my brothers now and I’m going to come home to visit soon and I don’t want things to be this weird.”
Cassidy shrank into herself. “Oh. Yeah. I don’t want you to feel weird, Savannah. This was your house first. I could stay somewhere else if it’d make you more comfortable. I-”
“Fuck that.”
“No fucking way, Cass!” Savannah paused and then laughed. “See? West and I agree. You’re not leaving your home. Plus, my brothers clearly would never agree to that. And I’d never ask. I just thought maybe we could talk and clear the air before I come.”
“Oh. Oh!” Cassidy grinned at me and nodded happily. “I think that’d be great. I’ve wanted to talk to you but I didn’t know if you’d want to hear from me and it’s just so awkward, right?”
“So awkward!” Savannah laughed again and it warmed something in my chest to hear my baby sister sounding so happy while talking to my girl. “I owe you such a huge apology, Cass. I was wrong about you.”
If I expected Cassidy to accept that apology, I was wrong. “No! You don’t need to apologize to me. I was wrong. I was mean to you when you got to UCA. I was bitter and jealous and-”
“And you had every right to be bitter and jealous! Cole was a fucking idiot. They all were. They owe you apologies, too, Cass. The stuff that got leaked and spread around was awful. So you need to accept my apology. I was a bitch and that’s that.”
“No, I was a bitch and that’s that. I’m sorry for how I treated you.
And you need to accept my apology.” Cassidy stood up and paced with my phone, not making eye contact with me.
“Maybe we can both just start over? You mean so much to your brothers and I wouldn’t forgive myself if I kept you away from them. ”
I leaned back on the bed as I watched her. The girl who’d shown up out of nowhere and lit our world on fire. She’d changed our lives with her smile and her sharp tongue. She’d made life so much fucking better and it seemed like she wasn’t done.
“I would really like that. After the way you ripped my men a new one, I think we’re going to be good friends.” Savannah blew out a sudden breath. “Um, actually. I wanted to talk about them, too. Would you ever be okay with talking to them again?”
“Fuck no.” I was on my feet before I could stop myself. I tried to take the phone but Cassidy twisted around so her back was to my front and held it out so I couldn’t get it. “I’m serious! There’s no way in hell that I’m letting them get close enough to hurt you again.”
Savannah’s growl came through the phone perfectly clear. “West! I wasn’t asking you!”
“I don’t care! Hang on. I’ll get Hayes and Cash up here to answer that question for you, too!
” I shouted down the stairs for them and then sat on the bed and dragged Cassidy into my lap.
The way she frowned down at me with her eyebrows furrowed had my dick hardening until Savannah’s voice broke through the haze.
“I know y’all hate my men but I’ve got news for you. I’ve studied the film from that game over and over again. They didn’t try to hurt y’all on purpose, West. I promise. If all of you big neanderthals could get together and talk, I think you’d actually get along.”
Hayes and Cash came in and I quickly gave them a synopsis of what was happening while Cassidy wiggled on my lap, trying to get away from me with the phone.
“I’m serious, guys. Watch the play tape-”
Hayes cut her off. “You think we give a shit about that in comparison to how they hurt Cassidy?”
Cassidy went still and stared at him with her mouth hanging open. She blinked a few times and then broke out in a huge grin. “That’s why you don’t want me talking to them? Not because of the game?”
“Of course, baby. The game shit is over. I don’t like the assholes but that’s nothing compared to how I feel about them being anywhere near you.” He stroked her hair and sat next to us. “I love you, Cassidy. It’s my job to protect you.”
Savannah was making kissing sounds and awwing on the phone. “Okay, that’s actually pretty romantic. Who are you weirdos and what have you done with my brothers?”
“Honestly? I don’t think I want to scrapbook with them but for family dinners, I think it’d be fine. How could I hold onto the past when I have so much now? I love y’all and I want to be able to be together with everyone without everyone worrying about how I’ll react or whatever.”
“Did she just say y’all?” Savannah laughed. “Her transformation to Texan is almost complete!”
Cash cupped the back of Cassidy’s neck and held her gaze. “You don’t have to do anything you aren’t comfortable with.”
Her face lit up. “I know. But Savannah and I are going to be friends. So you three will have to entertain her guys when we hang out.”
“Yes!” Laughing like a clown, Savannah spoke faster, the way she did when she was excited. “I’m going to love having another woman in the family, Cassidy! We can team up on my brothers and I’ll win for a change. This is all so exciting! And just in time for me and the guys to move home.”
I choked. “What’d you just say?”
I was still wondering a few hours later.
Somehow I’d gone from getting a blow job for being sober to listening to my girl plan a pool day with my little sister.
Hayes and Cash were sitting on the couch next to me, just as shellshocked as I was when Cassidy pranced back downstairs with her hands on her hips.
“Aunt Jolene and Elvis invited us to dinner.”
I sighed. “I just got the glitter out of my truck, baby.”
“We’re going. She said she has something to tell us.” Cassidy shrugged. “If we don’t go there she’ll just bring her glitter here.”