40. Cassie
CASSIE
My phone buzzing stirs me from sleep. I blink my eyes open, an unfamiliar bundle of anxiety taking root in my stomach.
A consistently buzzing phone this early in the morning is rarely ever a good sign.
The events of last night repeat in my head like a bad dream I’m still trying to shake off as I stretch to reach my phone on the bedside table.
“No,” Robbie says from beside me, voice thick with sleep.
“Too early.” He’s stretched out next to me on his front, his arm heavy on my waist as he blearily peeks an eye open at me.
His face still has indents from sleep, and I press kisses along the line until I reach his lips.
I bury my head in his pillow, wanting to be as close to him as possible before the real world grabs us by the feet and yanks the ground out from underneath us.
He groans sleepily as he tugs my body closer to his. Neither of us bothered to get dressed after we collapsed under the covers, bone-tired and satiated, so now his warm chest is pressed against mine as his hand curls around the base of my spine.
The determined buzzing starts up again, this time from his side of the bed.
I can tell the second the sound registers because he lifts his head.
I rest my hand on his cheek, pulling him into a kiss, unwilling to spoil this moment.
I tease my tongue against his lips and feel him harden against my thigh.
“Cassie,” he breathes against my mouth as I reach between us and wrap my fingers around his length, nails gently scraping against him.
His eyes aren’t even open yet, but I push him back until I can climb onto his lap, letting my pussy brush against his length for one, two, strokes.
Robbie’s hand tightens in my hair, the loose bun I put it up in overnight nearly gone.
He gives it a final tug and frees the rest of my hair, winding it around his fist as he surges up to catch my lips in a bruising kiss.
I tilt my hips, letting the tip of his cock breach my entrance before both our phones start vibrating, the combined noise almost deafening over the sound of our ragged breathing.
I pause slightly to see if he’ll notice, but instead he mutters, “Don’t care” and slams me all the way down.
I lose my breath for a second, my head tilting back and my hair tickling my spine.
Robbie’s hands clasp my hips and rock me back and forth, slowly riding my body.
His hand reaches my breast, and he flicks my nipple before taking it into his mouth.
I’m already close, but when he gently tugs at my hair, I can’t stop the orgasm rattling through my body.
As soon as the aftershocks fade, he flips us with a growl, pounding into me with the stamina of a professional athlete.
He stares at me through hooded eyes as he devours me, and I can’t help but rake my eyes over his face, memorizing this moment forever.
“I—” Robbie starts, but his voice cracks and his head drops, the telltale signs he’s about to succumb too.
I rake my nails across his back, urging him to stay, stay, stay as he finally empties inside me.
He drops his weight to his elbows, and I run my hands up and down his back as a tear inexplicably falls from my eye into my hairline. I don’t want to speak, I don’t want to break this moment.
“Hmm,” he grumbles contentedly.
His phone rings again, and I know it’s over. The real world is here.
He hovers over me, his softening dick still inside me. “It’s Lucas. I’ve got to take this.” The wry smile on his face fades as he stands and takes in whatever expression I’ve got on mine. “You okay, trouble?”
I nod and send him what I hope is a reassuring smile.
He drags the sheet from the end of the bed up and over my body, gently tucking me in before pressing a fleeting kiss to my forehead. And then he’s gone.
My heart pounds in my chest as I scoot back to my side of the bed and grab my phone. It’s almost overheated from the amount of messages, emails and unanswered calls.
I try to take a breath but it comes out shaky. A message comes through from Anya, and I open our group chat first, scrolling to the top of my unread messages.
ROSIE
Sorry we had to leave early last night guys! Are we still on for brunch this morning? X
ANYA
I mean we are
hypothetically
whether the throuple are is another thing
ROSIE
the what?
ANYA
{attachment}
ROSIE
Wait what!! I swear I only left an hour before the end. How did I miss this??
PIP
hello, confirming we are sadly not in a throuple :(
but even I admit these pics are…
ANYA
yeah this is everywhere, I feel like my phone is going to overheat
ROSIE
maybe you should stop looking at it?
ANYA
I can’t I’m locked in
@cassie are you good babe?
PIP
I don’t think she’s even up yet
ROSIE
Uhm I think her mum is calling me??
PIP
IGNORE IGNORE IGNORE
ANYA
yeah she tried me too
ROSIE
how did she even get my number?!
PIP
she has mysterious ways
ROSIE
I’m getting stressed
@pip are you okay?? What the fuck was REDACTED doing there?
PIP
Ugh
I can’t even
I’m just glad Cobbie scared him off
ANYA
COBBIE
PIP
Rassie?
Poll: Cobbie vs Rassie
ANYA
Cobbie wins.
I thumb through the handful of photos the girls share.
I’m usually not too bad at noticing when a camera is pointed in my face, and I definitely spotted the ones taking pictures of me and Robbie after the red carpet.
His arms are on my hip, and I’m gazing up at him with what can only really be described as a lovestruck expression.
The photos from the rest of the night however…
Callum throwing a punch, Robbie laughing in his face, him hugging Pip and then kissing my temple.
Kudos to the photographer for being so thorough.
I hardly care that I’m in the pictures. It’s not the first time a pap has caught me in a compromising position, and it likely won’t be the last, so I don’t look up my own name.
Instead, I type Robbie’s into the search bar.
My stomach churns as I read headline after headline talking about how the normally clean-cut and well-behaved soccer player is suddenly getting into fistfights in a LA nightclub and rumoured to be linked with both a supermodel and a pop star.
The only reason he was even in that courtyard was because of me. Well, me and goddamn Callum McBride.
I fling the sheet off my body and rise, quickly pulling my clothes on before searching the blankets for the scrunchie Robbie pulled free. How long will he be on the phone for? How long does it take to talk to your agent?
Maybe it is that bad. Maybe my dad has already cancelled his contract.
Maybe he’s been blacklisted from every team in the US.
Maybe he’s been blacklisted in Europe too.
Maybe he won’t get enough hours on the pitch to play for Wales.
Or maybe he’s already got a ticket to go back to a random team back home, and he’ll leave me here, and this will be over.
My chest tightens as I flick the sheets with more force than necessary, my tiny green scrunchie flying through the air. I snatch it from the floor and scrape my hair back, letting it rest in a floppy mess on the top of my head.
What if he does walk back in here with an excuse to leave? Maybe this will be the moment that he decides I wasn’t worth the risk to his career.
My phone buzzes once more on the mattress, and I take a deep breath before checking it.
PIP
@cassie sign of life please
ME
I’m all good. Turning phone off now for a bit but love you guys x
The notifications aren’t that overwhelming, only messages from friends who are close enough to have my number. The emails however…
I flick through them. My publicist has sent an ominous one titled “PR BATTLE PLAN”, flagged as urgent.
Nothing from my Dad. Fuck. He must be so pissed to completely ignore me.
I don’t think I’ve ever truly disappointed my father before.
Sure, ditching the London stuff was an awkward hand-wringing exercise, but his little girl has never been caught canoodling with his star player before. The fallout is going to be crazy.
My phone rings in my hand, and I wince as my mother’s name flashes on the screen. At least one parent isn’t pretending I don’t exist. I let it ring out, but it vibrates in my hand again.
I lift my bun higher on my head with one hand as I bring my phone to my ear with the other. “Hi Mom.”
“Why haven’t you been answering my calls?”
“I was asleep.”
“Asleep with him, I assume.”
I don’t comment.
“So it’s true? You’re dating that soccer player?” The words drip with disdain.
“I—” I glance at the door. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know.
“I’m sure this is your father’s doing.”
“What? No!”
Mom harrumphs. “I wouldn’t put it past him. You never listen when I suggest suitable men for you. I don’t know why you didn’t listen to me when I said you should capitalize on your relationship with Daniel—”
“For the last time, I am not—” I barely have time to grit out the words before she interrupts again.
I pull my phone away from my face so her tinny voice echoes through the speaker. “—but your father suggests one of his players, and suddenly you jump into his bed. Who are his family? His connections?”
“Mom,” I snap. “I’m going to hang up. Dad had nothing to do with this. If anything he’s going to be—”
“He’s not going to be anything but thrilled, Cassandra,” she scoffs. “You’ve played right into his hands. This is all about money for him.”
“I’m hanging up now. Bye.”
Anger races through my body as I clench my phone in my hands. Of course it just becomes another argument. Another way to blame my father and try to make me side with her.
Still nothing from Dad. I turn to the window, resting my head against the glass as if the cool pane can erase the last hour from my brain, unable to do anything but wait for Robbie to come back.