Chapter 26 Cassidy
Idon’t leave my room the next day.
I do need the rest, but I also don’t want to face anyone today, especially Jackson. I’ve been so careful trying not to show my pregnancy symptoms, but he caught on to one.
So many things make me feel so nauseous. If I’m throwing up all the time, that’ll bring way too much attention to me, and people will immediately get suspicious. The nausea is easier to handle when I don’t eat much.
Sure, not eating enough has its own handful of side effects, but I’d rather get dizzy and chalk it up to exhaustion over wedding activities than have to explain constant vomiting. All I have to do is make it through the wedding.
When I get home, I can start dealing with the big, hard decisions. I just don’t want to drop this bomb on everyone days before the wedding. I don’t want to ruin things for Ryan and Sarah.
“Ouch,” I mutter as I massage my foot through my fuzzy socks.
I’m tired of so many parts of my body aching. I’m tired of not being able to eat all the amazing food served here because I don’t want to throw up all the time.
And I’m tired of having to hide so much from the people I care about the most.
I hate to think it…but I’ll be glad when this week is over.
A knock sounds on the door of my suite, ripping an annoyed sigh from me. I texted everyone I needed to and let them know that I’ll be resting today, so why is someone at my door?
I slide out of bed and stand up, my stomach twisting and my head pounding. I ate a little bit this morning, but I don’t expect to eat much for lunch and dinner. Just the thought of food makes me grimace.
I slowly make my way over to the door, figuring Sarah or the guys came by to check on me. I unlock the door and pull it open. “I told you guys I’m—”
The rest of my words disappear before I can get them out of my mouth.
Derek gives me a small smile as he stands out in the hallway. “Well, at least you can get out of bed. That’s a good sign.”
Anxious heat spreads across my skin. He’s the last person I want to see right now. I’d rather deal with Jackson interrogating me over not eating.
“What are you doing here?” I ask him, planting one hand on the doorframe and one on the door to completely block the doorway.
He’s not coming in.
“I came to check on you. I heard about what happened last night,” Derek replies, shifting closer to me.
Tension winds around my chest. He’s lying. He doesn’t care about me.
“I’m fine. I’m just trying to rest,” I tell him, motioning to the bed with a jerk of my head.
“Anything I can do for you?” Derek asks. “I can get you something to eat or give you a massage or something. You always liked those.”
The thought of him putting his hands on me makes my skin crawl. He used to treat me so lovingly, but it was all a lie. He didn’t care about me.
He cared about what I could do for him.
Was I useful enough for him? Did I contribute enough? Would I support his every move or hold him back from what he wanted?
He answered those questions himself, and he made a decision.
I wasn’t enough.
“I was about to take a nap,” I tell him as I tighten my grip on the door, preparing to swing it shut.
Before I can even move it a centimeter, he plants his hand on the door, preventing me from shutting it in his face.
“I’ve really been wanting to talk to you, Cassidy,” he says, his tone shifting to a serious one.
Oh, no. No, no, no.
He can’t seriously be about to do this.
Pressure builds in my skull as the mere sound of his voice gives me a headache.
“I’m not really in the talking mood right now,” I tell him.
“Just hear me out then,” Derek replies, moving even closer to crowd my space.
I stand my ground. If he comes in, it’ll be even harder to get him to leave.
“I’ve been thinking a lot over the past few months,” he says. “We had something really good, Cassidy. We were building a life together.”
I scoff. “And you dumped me and immediately got with another girl.”
Derek frowns and shakes his head. “It’s not serious. You know me…I’m not good with being alone. It was a reflex.”
I quietly grind my teeth, leaning more on my hand on the doorway as more strength drains from my body. I’m so tired, and this isn’t helping.
“Being with her showed me how good I had it with you. We were happy. We were a good fit,” Derek says.
“You questioned my ability to support myself and to support you,” I remind him. “I enjoy my job. I’m keeping it, and it does sustain me.”
“And I get that now. I misjudged things,” Derek replies. “I messed up.”
I press my knuckles against my cheek, my skin heating up as my stress level shoots upward. “I’m not doing this right now, Derek. Just stop.”
“Are you not feeling well? Are you feverish?” Derek asks, placing his hand against my forehead.
I lean away from him, my balance wavering from the sudden motion. I tighten my grip on the doorframe, trying not to stumble but failing.
“I’ve got you,” Derek says, grabbing my arms to steady me.
“I’m fine,” I tell him, trying to shrug his hands off me. If he just gives me some space, I’ll feel better.
Derek doesn’t listen and guides me backward toward the bed, entering my room without permission. I was foolish to think he wouldn’t find a reason to barge his way inside.
The door catches on the latch, leaving it cracked open.
“Sit down,” he says, guiding me down to sit on the mattress. “I’ll get a damp rag for you.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I sigh, wishing he’d just leave me alone.
Derek heads into the bathroom.
I seriously consider fleeing my room just to get away from him, but I’m in sweatpants and a tank top. I’m not dressed up enough to roam around a luxury resort, and I doubt I’d get out the door and to the elevator fast enough.
I wait to hear the water running from the bathroom sink, but it doesn’t come.
“Derek? What are you doing in there?”
Before I can get up and check for myself, Derek walks out of the bathroom and holds up a familiar bottle. My heart shoots up into my throat.
“What are you doing with prenatal vitamins? Do you have something to tell me?”
I breathe in, but it doesn’t feel like I have any air in my lungs. “You went through my things?”
“It was sitting at the top of your bag,” Derek says with a scoff as he tosses it onto the bed next to me. “I asked if you have something to tell me.”
He still violated my privacy!
Anger breaks through the fear filling my chest, and I stand from the bed, not caring that it makes my head feel woozy for a second.
“It’s none of your business,” I tell him.
“I think it is,” he says, raising his voice. “You’re pregnant, and you didn’t think to tell me?”
Is he dumb? Does it look like I’m months pregnant? I haven’t even started showing yet!
“No, I didn’t tell you because the baby isn’t yours!” I snap at him.
“You’re lying! I’m the last person you were with!” he argues.
I almost laugh at him, but I don’t want him to find out who I’ve been with. He’ll go straight to Ryan, and I already have to worry about him knowing one secret.
Why did it have to be him to find out first?
“Listen to me. This isn’t your news to share with anyone. We broke up months ago. I’m not even a few months pregnant yet,” I tell him firmly. “You can’t tell anyone.”
“You can’t tell me what to do,” he bites out. “You’re going to judge me for moving on so fast, but you got yourself knocked up by someone just as quickly!”
My cheeks burn as he deals that low blow.
“Get out,” I say.
“I deserve an explanation,” he tells me. “Whose baby is it? How can I even believe you?”
“You don’t deserve anything!”
The door flies open, and Jackson, Tyler, and Marcus storm inside.
I’m so jarred by their presence that all I can do is stare at them with wide eyes. How are they here right now?
“She told you to get out!” Jackson snaps at Derek. “Go before I make you.”
Derek’s eyes blaze with anger. “You know, I’m getting really tired of you ordering me around. You need to watch yourself.”
Tyler and Marcus wedge themselves between Jackson and Derek before they can get too close to each other.
“You heard her. Go,” Tyler tells Derek.
Derek looks over at me and shakes his head like I disappointed him. He pushes the guys away and leaves the room, but he doesn’t take the tension with him.
I can’t even feel relieved that he left because the secrets revealed are still in this room.
Jackson walks over to me, but he doesn’t pull me into his arms and comfort me. He grabs the bottle of prenatal vitamins off the bed and holds them up, a serious look settling on his face.
“I think there are some things that you need to explain.”