Chapter Six
Cassi
Dinner was tense after Carly and my verbal smackdown.
Well, it wasn’t really a smackdown, but I like calling it that in my head because the outrage followed by panic that took over her was fucking priceless.
To be fair, I was only airing it out for Nicholas’ benefit.
My parents were already aware. They received a phone call from the dean when she was placed on probation, and her professor was fired.
As my sister predictably would, she turned on the waterworks when confronted and claimed that she felt she had no choice.
The professor lost everything. His job, his house, his family. Gone.
Do you think my sister has lost even a second of sleep since then?
Absolutely the fuck not.
A few minutes past that, Alec brought over everyone’s meals and we ate in relative silence while my parents would intermittently ask questions about Nicholas’s family and overall life.
Though, their efforts were effectively wasted.
He is as closed book as they come. All of his answers were short and clipped, never letting on too much about…
anything. Honestly, I’m not entirely convinced that he’s even human.
He could be some alien or weird AI powered robot impersonating a human.
That’s how he conveys himself at least. Dry. Rigid. Cold.
Nothing at all like the man I met last night.
Fuck. No. None of that.
I chastise myself internally, shaking my head.
I’ve been doing everything I can to erase that night from my mind completely.
Him being two feet away from me isn’t fucking helping, though.
Despite his personality being more bland than a soggy piece of bread, his body is definitely something I’m having a harder time forgetting. His hands, his eyes, his mouth, his…
Fuck. There I go again. Goddamnit. Tomorrow can’t come fast enough. The sooner they are out of here, the sooner I can forget about the time that I was a big ole slut and slept with my wicked bitch sister’s boyfriend.
No matter how much I can’t stand her, that guilt is going to eat me alive for approximately the rest of my fucking life. So, that’s cool.
After my dad and Nicholas fought over the bill, and Nicholas ended up winning, we all gather our things and stand to leave when a soft hand touches the crook of my elbow. I look up to see Alec smiling at me tentatively.
“It was really good to see you, Cassi.”
“It was good to see you,” I smile before pulling him in for a hug.
His arms wrap around me instantly, a comforting familiarity that grips me as he does. When we pull away, he looks down like he’s bashful before his blue eyes land on me.
“Do you think I could get your number? I got a new phone about a year ago and lost all of my contacts. Yours was one I definitely kicked myself for.”
A soft stirring of butterflies flutter through me at that.
I’d texted him on his birthday at the beginning of this year, but I never got a response.
We never had bad blood so I was confused, and maybe a little hurt.
Hearing that he didn’t ignore me, that it wasn’t intentional eases something inside me.
Nodding, I smile and steal his notepad and pen, jotting down my number and name, like he doesn’t fucking know my name. I’m so stupid.
He looks down at it like he just pulled the winning lottery ticket numbers before pocketing the notepad into his apron.
“I’ll text you.”
I smile at him as I look to see my family has already left, clearly to give us some semblance of privacy which I appreciate. As I weave through the restaurant, my eyes pause on one individual who is standing at the door, looking down at his phone.
“You shouldn’t have waited for me,” I say as I walk straight past him.
“Believe me, wasn’t my idea,” he scoffs.
“Whose was it?” I ask as I reach for the exterior door, though a large hand grabs it first, pulling it open.
I look to see Nicholas standing over me, holding the door open as he impatiently gestures for me to keep walking. God, this guy is such a fucking asshole.
My parents and Carly are already in the car and when I open the back door, I see that Carly is sitting on the passengers side, as opposed to in the middle like when we drove down here.
I guess they didn’t see a point in renting a car when they were only in town for two days but that means that we are pushing my mom’s Camry to the max when it comes to space.
“Move,” I say to my sister.
She looks up from her phone, scoffing as she shakes her head. “You move.”
Looking up at Nicholas and his six foot plus giant frame and the tiny little middle seat, I know I have no choice. Doesn’t mean I enjoy it.
Begrudgingly, I slide into the car, scooting into the middle before buckling in.
Nicholas follows suit, shutting the door behind him as his thigh brushes against mine.
I’m quick to jerk my leg away, a move that does not go unnoticed by him.
He pushes himself further against the car door as he buckles into his seat and the car takes off.
If dinner was eaten in silence, then this car ride is similar to a ride in a hearse. The tension around us is physically palpable and honestly, it’s fucking suffocating.
Once we are finally home, Nicholas can’t open the door fast enough. He’s practically throwing it open and stumbling out before my dad can even put the car into park. My dad laughs as he steps out of the car and shuts the door behind him.
“Sorry about the snug fit there. You could do worse than be in a backseat with two beautiful women, though, am I right?” he teases in a lighthearted way.
A smile touches Nicholas’s face that doesn’t quite reach his eyes as he nods.
“Men have certainly undergone far more perilous conditions for sure.”
I roll my eyes, having absolutely enough of all of this bullshit as I slide out of the car and make my way into the house. I don’t say goodnight to anyone. I don’t sit around and chit chat like I hear them do. Instead, I head straight for my room and take a much needed breath.
Pulling out my phone, I click on Naomi’s contact and type out a text that I’ve been aching to send to her.
It’s not like I don’t tell Arianna things too.
Nay is just…so easy to vent to. She’s the nonjudgmental friend, the one who sides with you no matter what.
Though I probably deserve all the judgment in the world and Arianna would never come at me from a place of love and respect… I can’t fess this up to her. Not yet.
Me: I fucked up…
After I literally vented my life away to Nay, I felt relief that I didn’t expect.
I mean, I’m still a shit person for sleeping with my sister’s boyfriend, but to Naomi’s point, I had no idea who he was.
I walked into that club single and looking for a consensual partner for the night.
He walked into it knowingly in a relationship, seeking to find a partner to cheat with.
It’s unfortunate that person had to be me, but I’m sure he would have settled for anyone with a heartbeat.
He's the scum. Not me.
Okay, I know how that sounds but honestly, I’m not sorry. On top of being a cheating bastard, he’s also just a grade A asshole.
I heard the chatter from downstairs quiet an hour or so ago so I know that means that everyone has turned in for the night. Which is perfect because I have a hard time going to bed without a late night snack.
Tip toeing out of my room, I make my way down the stairs and head into the kitchen.
I don’t know when the need for late night snacking started.
Honestly, from birth if I had to guess. My dad is also a late night snacker and most of my life, we’d meet down here every night.
Whether it was a bowl of ice cream, a thing of popcorn or even spoons full of peanut butter, we’d sit at the kitchen island, snack and talk about our day.
When I turn the corner, I find someone already rifling through the fridge, but it’s not my usual snacking partner in crime.
When the identity of this late night snacker is apparent, my appetite sours and I contemplate heading back to bed.
Unfortunately for me, he has already spotted me, and Cassi Fischer is anything but a coward, especially to a man?
Ew, no. My pride simply won’t allow retreat at this point.
He looks at me and curses under his breath.
“Jesus, do you have to be everywhere I fucking turn? Is there anywhere I can go that you’re not right fucking there?” Nicholas snaps at me.
I’m stunned for a moment, physically taken aback.
“Are you seriously yelling at me for being in my own house?” I ask in disbelief.
His eyes bore into my own for several seconds, before he closes them roughly and looks away. When it seems like he composes himself, he opens them once more and looks to me.
“Sorry. You’re right. I just…you…” he breaks off, shaking his head before his gaze meets mine once more. “Sorry.”
I nod at his apology before slipping past him for the cabinet. I rifle around until I find some of the ingredients I’m in search for. Sliding over to the fridge, I grab the remaining items and begin assembling my late night treat.
“What are you making?” he asks.
I look up at him while spreading the jam against the bread.
“A sandwich.”
His brows furrow. “A jelly and…cream cheese sandwich?” he asks, as if the concept was so completely foreign.
“Jam, not jelly. There is a difference,” I correct as I spread the cream cheese on the other piece of bread before putting them together.
“You’re not seriously going to eat it like that,” Nicholas deadpans.
“Of course not,” I say with a shake of my head.
Reaching down beneath the stove, I pull out a small pan and set it on top, turning the burner on before dabbing a little butter into the pan. Once the butter has melted I plop my sandwich down and savor the sound of my bread being grilled to perfection.
I do my best to ignore Nicholas’ outraged expression but it’s hard to do so when he’s gaping like a fish out of water. Pretending he’s not there, I slip a spatula beneath the sandwich and flip it over, allowing it to become crispy golden deliciousness before I remove it from the heat.
Busying myself with setting up my plate and napkin, I pull my sandwich out of the pan and onto my plate before cutting it in half with a butter knife. When I turn, I find Nicholas practically frozen in place, still staring at me as one stares on at a train accident.
“That’s disgusting,” he comments.
I give him my best ‘I don’t give a fuck’ expression before taking a huge bite out of it. I chew it very exaggeratingly, moaning my pleasure in the delicious combination. Though, I may have taken one moan a little too far and we are both acutely aware of that moment.
My jaw stops checking immediately and our eyes lock as we both stand like statues. I’m the first to resume, slowly swallowing my bite before clearing my throat.
“So what time do you and my sister get the hell out of dodge?” I ask.
He stares at me for half a beat longer than probably appropriate before he clears his throat as well.
“Wheels up at two o’clock in the afternoon.”
I nod at that. “Have a nice flight,” I say as I grab my plate and head to my room because whatever this weird tense moment is, I’m not loving it.
“It was your birthday last night?” he asks, his voice surprisingly soft, uncertain almost.
My feet stop on their own accord, no matter how badly I beg them to keep moving. Turning to look over my shoulder, my eyes meet his.
“Yeah.”
He frowns like he doesn’t like that, though I don’t understand what my birthday has to do with him in the slightest.
“You didn’t tell me.”
My face screws up in confusion as I turn to face him fully, taking a few steps closer so I can lower my voice.
“Why would I? When you and I met the significance of our presence in the club was not discussed…clearly. Things would have been very different otherwise, Nicholas,” I scoff.
His gaze is unyielding, not allowing an ounce of emotion to show. Though, I do see his fists tighten by his sides.
“Nico,” he says stiffly.
“What?”
“My name. I hate being called Nicholas. Everyone calls me Nico.”
I tilt my head to the side in confusion. “Then why does Carly call you Nicholas?”
He shrugs his shoulders, and I think that’s all he has left to say until he purses his lips as if he is deep in thought.
“Was it a good birthday? Last night?” he asks.
My eyes roam across his face, carefully inspecting for some kind of clue as to what the fuck kind of angle he’s playing at.
When I come up short, I decide enough is enough.
Turning on my heel, I make my way to my room once more when he speaks yet again, as if he were intent on not allowing my escape.
“We weren’t together, Carly and me. Last night. We broke up…I broke up with her. We got back together the morning after, kind of. She convinced me to at least come meet your parents and we’d figure it out from there.”
I turn to look at him once more with a shake of my head.
“So the first thing you decide to do when you break up with your girlfriend of three years is go to a sex club?”
He has the decency to look ashamed as he looks down at the floor while he continues.
“I wasn’t sure what kind of place it was until I was there then I…” his words trail off as his jaw tightens.
The air is heavy between us for several moments before a word escapes me before I think better of it.
“Yes.”
He frowns in confusion. “Yes?”
“Yes…it was a good birthday.”