Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Hunter
C assidy’s bed is smaller than mine, but there is enough room for both of us to have our own space. She had mentioned on more than one occasion that she prefers to sleep alone and that she prefers to sleep in. I, on the other hand, have been waking up between four thirty and five thirty since I was in my teens.
The sleep I get next to this woman is the best I’ve had in ages, and it doesn’t have to be long. She fell asleep after riding me but woke up shortly after to use the washroom. This apparently gave her enough strength for another round. Before I knew it, we had spent more hours in the night rolling around in bed than actually sleeping.
Now it’s a quarter to five and the poor girl is wiped out. She lies heavily on her side next to me, a hand reaching out and gently holding mine. Her brown hair is a mess, matted in some areas and the rest splaying across her pillow. Her breathing is deep and even, her lips slightly parted. She looks exhausted, but stunning.
Her chest is exposed to the night air, so I reach down for the blanket that’s at her hip and pull it up to cover her. Not a muscle moves. Pulling my hand out from hers, I move to get out of the bed carefully, and Cassidy doesn’t stir.
I walk into her bathroom and take a quick shower. I smell her bodywash, her shampoo, her conditioner. Her bodywash is an obvious handmade bar, but not Franny’s. The shampoo and conditioner are in glass jars instead of plastic. These are the little things I like to see. Her reusable bags at the marketplace. The reusable containers in her shower and locally sourced body soap. Cassidy not buying into mainstream, easy-access cosmetics has a huge appeal to me.
I use her bar soap for everything, figuring it will suffice. After feeling cleaned up and wrapping a towel around my waist, I walk back into Cass’s room to find her sleeping peacefully on the side of the bed I had left.
I toss on a pair of boxers and head out to her living room to make some coffee. She has a prodigious selection of beans, but I look for some that are already ground so I don’t have to grind them and wake her. Kauai Coconut Blend? It seems to be the only one pre-ground, so I make a small pot. It smells and tastes sweeter than I like and lacks the boldness I prefer, but it’s not terrible. Grabbing the mug, I look over the space and decide to sit in the leather chair and read while Cass catches up on her lost sleep.
It only seems like a few moments have passed, but a gentle hand caresses my bare shoulder and I look over to find Cass. Mussed hair, sleep marks on her left cheek, wearing my shirt, and seemingly nothing else.
“Mornin’ darlin’.” I kiss her fingertips on my shoulder.
“How long have you been up?” Her voice is raspy. It’s more than just from sleep, it’s from her hoarse cries throughout the night.
“Since about five. What time is it now?” Cassidy comes around the arm of the chair and climbs into my lap. Sliding my hand up her leg I am disappointed to find that she is wearing underwear, but the girl could probably use a break after the night we had.
“A little after six. Do you want to go back to bed?” She yawns and stretches, to me it seems a bit like a cat stretching. In a lot of ways, Cassidy is like a cat. Independent, fierce, demanding, only wanting affection on her terms, but loving it when she gets it. Also, she is likely to bite when forced into a situation she does not like. The thought has me tossing out a light easy smile.
“I’m not tired, but I can bring you back to bed and lie with you.”
“Will you read to me?” She lays her head on my shoulder and sinks deeper. I hand Cassidy the book in my hand— Ready Player One— and cradle her in my arms carrying her back to bed.
“Have you read this before?” She asks flipping through the pages.
“No, it’s an interesting read. It’s a little out of my realm, but it’s appealing.” Cassidy chuckles and turns further into me.
Laying her in bed and then sliding in next to her, I get us situated and comfortable.
“Do you want me to start over?” I ask.
“No, I’ve read that book plenty of times. Just go from where you left off.” Her delicate hands slide the book into my harder hands. Opening up to the page I had left off, I start reading. Cassidy turns to me, laying her head on my chest and tossing a leg over mine, and falls back into her slumber.
Cass and I are walking through the flea market, hand in hand. It consists of two large, single-story warehouses that butt up next to each other. Inside, aisles are formed by the vendors’ stations. There are three main aisles in the building we’re in now, and Cass states that the other building has larger vendors so there are only two aisles.
She weaves through people with ease and confidence, speaking about her favorite vendors. When I was thinking of a market, I thought it would have held more traveling vendors. The majority of them seem to be settled, as though they have been there for some time. A few pop-ups are set up outside, but not many.
Cass shows me where she usually buys her soaps, lotions, honey, spices, and even some well-loved books. She’s proud and passionate about the little shops that she goes to.
“I don’t come here all the time, because I stock up pretty well when I do.” She hasn’t bought anything today, but I know it’s because her intention is to help me find something. As we finish in the first main building which consisted mostly of food and home goods, we exit and make our way to the second one.
“This is where we’ll likely find what you need.” She smiles up at me giving my hand a firm squeeze. What I would do to keep that smile on her face and keep her hand in mine.
“Sounds good.”
We enter the second building and it’s filled with furniture, trinket shops, and plants. People are walking around smiling and laughing, looking from afar and others are weaving in and closely inspecting merchandise.
“There’s a mix of everything all over the place in here, so there really isn’t a section just for outdoor stuff. So, we’ll have to walk around.” I didn’t mind listening to her talk and walk through each store in the other building, so this isn’t bad news to me.
“I don’t mind…”
“Cassidy? Cassidy!” I hear a feminine voice yell. Her green eyes light up and she looks away from me to search for who is calling her name. I assume it may be one of the girls because she seems slightly alarmed. Her hand loosens as she goes to turn away from me, but I keep hold of her. A knowing smirk comes across her face. She knows I don’t want to let go.
“Cassidy Walker, what a small world!” A tall thin woman slinks up to us. She’s wearing a revealing dress, with a type of heeled shoe, and a silk scarf around her neck. It draws attention to her large, and obviously fake, breasts that are spilling out of her dress. Overall, she seems overdressed to me.
Cassidy’s friend that came down for her wedding seemed to be done up, but still more down to earth. This woman’s pin-straight hair is pulled back into a sleek ponytail and not a single strand is out of place.
Cassidy’s outfit today is a pair of ripped jeans with a thick leather belt, a white Fleetwood Mac shirt tucked in, and her standard Converse. Her hair is down and windblown dry after her shower before we left. To me, without the effort, not a strand seems out of place either. My gut suddenly turns, wondering what Cass’s crowd means to her, and how this will affect any kind of role I may have in her life.
“Monica, wow! How are you?” Cassidy turns to face the girl, and I keep hold, turning with her. Monica looks Cassidy up and down, but her eyes linger on our linked hands before giving me a quick but efficient scan.
“Girl, I am so good. Are you still at P it would give my place the charm it sincerely lacked.
After slipping into a pair of jeans, I reach into my duffle for a shirt but find the surprise I brought for Cassidy. She’s still in the bathroom finishing her post-shower face routine. It was always so baffling to me why women went through so much work with cosmetics. I’ve used the same soap practically my whole life and never had an issue. No matter though, Cassidy barely wears any makeup, and her skin is flawless, so whatever she’s doing it’s working.
I walk down the hall with the item behind my back. Peeking into the bathroom, I see the light and fan on, but she’s nowhere to be found. I venture to the living room and find her, body wrapped in a towel and her hair wrapped in another, sitting on the couch… reading. She doesn’t stop to look up at me, she’s lost in her own little world.
She looks perfect—her bare shoulders, her silky skin dewy from lotion. Her brows scrunch a little as she’s focused but not enough to be considered a scowl. Her legs are bent with her elbows propped on top of them. She holds the book in one hand and chews her other thumb, captivated .
Next to her on the coffee table is a small stack of books. Must be this week’s readings. I walk up quietly and set the book I was holding behind my back on the top of the pile.
Cassidy blinks a few times, and her thumb drops from her mouth.
“Oh Hunter, sorry… I was letting the lotion dry before putting my oils on. I guess I got carried away.” She turns to look at what I’ve set down and her eyes widen. I smile and I see a light within them spark. “What is that?” she gently inquires.
“I told you I had a surprise for you.”
Cassidy’s delicate hands reach out and open the old spine.
“Hunter, is this your mother’s?” I laugh at her question.
“I wouldn’t dare touch one of her books. I’d like to keep all my fingers.”
“This is a first edition of Emma .” She handles it like glass, turning the pages carefully as if they will break in her hold.
“It is, I had it overnighted so it would be here in time for this weekend. Do you like it?” I sit down in the leather chair and watch her look over her new treasure.
“I do not.” She shuts the book gently and her bold eyes look into mine. They’re fierce, like the scales of a dragon. Green. Unyielding. Beautiful. Powerful.
I’m surprised, to say the least. I thought for sure this would be the kind of gift she would appreciate. I feel my shoulders drop a little, causing hers to rise.