19. Cassie
Chapter 19
Cassie
‘Here you are, a nice warm oat milk for you,’ Katie said, handing Cassie her favorite teddy bear mug. ‘Let’s just sit down and try to figure this stinky situation out.’
Cassie smiled.
She thought back to the first time she met Katie. The pair of them were at a bar. And as it turned out, both had been stood up on by useless Daddy Dom dates.
But what could have been a total washout of an evening turned into one of the most fun nights ever. After both realizing that the other had been stood up too, they moved to speak to each other at the bar and before long they were practically best friends.
A few fruit-filled cocktails later and one thing was obvious.
Cassie and Katie were going to be friends forever .
They had even gone for a late-night veggie supreme pizza together and stayed up late into the night talking all about their childhoods, their fears, their dreams.
Their desire to find the right Daddy.
Their Forever Daddy.
Of course, Katie had found her Forever Daddy in the shape of Cage. Cassie was so happy for her.
Back when they first met, the prospect of finding someone as wholeheartedly awesome as Cage seemed remote.
But it was fun to hang out as two Littles, both relatively new to the big city. Adventure always felt around the corner. And they knew that if either ever needed help, they would be there for each other.
Cassie and Katie had replayed the moment they met so many times, it was like they were an old couple reminiscing back on their first meeting.
But it kinda felt like that.
Well, except for the whole kissing and sexy side of things of course!
‘Wow, this is perfect,’ Cassie said, sipping on the warm milk. ‘Your place looks amazing. As always! Is that rainbow painting new?’
Cassie was looking at the large canvas on the wall behind Katie. The painting in question was of a huge rainbow. It was super-colorful but also had a metallic sheen to it. Like an industrial, more masculine vibe.
‘Thank you! Before I had it commissioned, I had to convince my Daddy that it had enough macho Daddy influence in it. You know, being a rainbow and all,’ Katie giggled. ‘But as soon as he actually saw it, he loved it.’
‘I bet,’ Cassie said, studying the layers of shiny stars that the rainbow was painted over. ‘It’s beautiful.’
Cassie couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sadness.
It wasn’t the painting itself, more of what it represented.
Cassie felt like his relationship with Kane was on the trash heap.
A total mess.
This beautiful painting, and how it was a perfect representation of a Daddy and his Forever Little was hard to take.
Katie could see that Cassie was upset and moved over to sit closer to her.
‘Don’t worry, I’ve got you,’ Katie said, wrapping her arm over Cassie’s shoulder. ‘We’ll work it out.’
Cassie appreciated Katie so much.
And not just because she had given her her favorite cup either.
Cassie knew that Katie wouldn’t judge her about agreeing to pose for the nude photos. Not like many people would. Katie didn’t have a judgmental bone in her body.
Like Cassie, Katie knew how hard it could be to be a Little sometimes.
Not everyone got it.
Some people even thought that being a Little was some kind of perversion. This was crazy, of course. It was just a preference like any other. A healthy, positive preference made by consenting adults.
Katie began to explain what had happened.
How humiliated she felt stripping down until she was naked. Showing Lyle her body. Being made to pose and expose herself in a way that she didn’t like at all.
‘I can’t believe he made you do that, it sounds awful,’ Katie said, her voice full of emotion. ‘This Lyle sounds like the grossest guy ever. I hope he never gets to eat another ice cream. Ever!’
‘It was my choice. I chose to do it,’ Cassie said, sadly. ‘I just couldn’t handle the thought of him exposing me. I know most people would have been supportive. But the things trolls do. Urgh. It was too much to even contemplate risking.’
Katie nodded.
‘I know, I know,’ she said. ‘Cage has had to deal with people like this. It’s never nice. Bad guys like this always seem to find a way to justify it. They know how to manipulate people and play on their worst fears. This Lyle guy sounds like he’s done this before. He also sounds like a big poopy asshole.’
Cassie and Katie giggled.
Even in a moment like this, the pair of them couldn’t resist laughing at the term poopy head. The two of them, and Sydney too, prided themselves on always being able to laugh at the most sill, fun things. Calling someone a poopy head definitely fell into that category.
But Cassie couldn’t hide how sad she felt for long.
The second the laughter stopped her mind was back on the events that had played out.
The way that Lyle had relished every second.
The stale air in Lyle’s apartment. The slightly off smell.
The obvious excitement that Lyle was experiencing as Cassie had posed and modelled her naked body for him.
Every single detail was gross.
And it might not have happened if she didn’t mess things up with Kane.
Cassie would never know now. She didn’t have a time machine to go back and see it play out another way. All she could do was imagine what would have happened had she not gone to meet with Lyle in the first place. Or even better, if she had not replied to Lyle’s message at all and waited for Kane to arrive home.
But this was the past.
It couldn’t be changed.
Cassie knew she had to live with what happened.
But even as upsetting as all of that was, it wasn’t as painful as her situation with Kane.
‘I do think Kane was too hard on me,’ Cassie said, happily accepting a refill on her warm milk. ‘But thinking about it, he was just looking after me. He was worried. Like, super-worried. I can’t blame him for losing his cool. I just struggle when people shout at me.’
‘I know, you can’t be too harsh on yourself,’ Katie said. ‘Everyone reacts differently. Especially when you consider the differences between Daddies and Littles. Cage can get very grumpy sometimes. Like, seriously. But even though it can be a bit scary when someone big and powerful loses their cool, I know he’s my Daddy and he loves me. I always feel safe.’
Katie’s words made a lot of sense.
Cassie could see they were coming directly from experience.
And from Katie’s heart too.
But Katie and Cage had been together for a while now. Their relationship was on much more even ground than Cassie and Kane’s.
‘I don’t know… is it possible it’s all over between me and Kane?’ Cassie asked, the words sounding awful out loud. ‘I don’t know what I’d do if it was. I’d cry for days. I wouldn’t let go of Bouncer the whole time!’
‘I don’t think it’s all over between you and Kane,’ Katie said. ‘I can’t say too much but I know from how Cage talks about him that he’s a good man. Cage wouldn’t be friends with him if he wasn’t. There will be a way to work things out.’
Cassie wanted to share Katie’s optimism.
But her cup of optimistic thoughts was far from full at that moment.
It was proving very difficult to not think the worst.
Mentally, Cassie was thinking about a situation where she was no longer making comics, no longer in a relationship with Kane and no longer living in New York City.
It was a depressing picture.
But it felt plausible.
‘You don’t think Lyle will leave you alone now?’ Katie asked. ‘You did what he said. You’ve got your email account back.
This sounded good in theory.
But Cassie had been thinking it over in her head.
‘Yeah, but for all I know Lyle has taken copies of the photos and emails,’ Cassie sighed. ‘I was so na?ve to think that agreeing to his terms would mean the end. If anything, it’s worse now.’
‘Worse?’
‘Now he’s got photos of me,’ Cassie replied, burying her head in her hands. ‘He can use those to blackmail me with too.’
‘ Urgh . I really, really, really can’t stand this guy,’ Katie said, leaning back into the couch and raising her arms in frustration. ‘I wish we could do something.’
Then, out of nowhere… another voice.
‘Who says we can’t do something?’
Both Cassie and Katie turned to look.
It was Kane. And he was there with Cage and Leon too.
‘We’re going to get those photos back alright,’ Kane said. ‘Not only that, but we’re also going to make sure that Lyle stays away too. For good.’
OMG. He’s here to save me.
I didn’t dare to dream that this would happen…
‘D-D-D-D-Daddy…’ Cassie said, her voice trembling. ‘Can you really make everything okay?’
Kane wasted no time.
Not a single second.
He promptly marched over toward Cassie and picked her up from the sofa and held her in a bear hug.
Instinctively, Cassie wrapped her legs around her Daddy’s strong, solid torso.
‘I thought I might never see you again,’ Kane said, a hint of emotion in his voice. ‘I thought I’d screwed it all up.’
‘N-n-n-no, I never wanted it to be over,’ Cassie said, tears filling in her eyes.
‘Listen, you’re under no pressure here,’ Kane said, his serious Daddy tone coming on strong. ‘I’m doing this to help you. There are no strings attached. If you don’t want to be in a relationship afterward, I would totally respect that. I think far too much of you to try and trick you into being with me. I acted poorly. I shouldn’t have shouted over you like that. Maybe if I hadn’t, this creep wouldn’t have progressed this situation like he has.’
Cassie couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
She loved how much of a man of honor Kane was.
This was Kane opening up and admitting to her that he would help her no matter what.
No ulterior motive.
Cassie wouldn’t need to promise anything in return.
Kane was a Daddy Dom through and through, but when it came to helping people he never, ever put his own desires first.
It was incredible to witness.
Cassie knew that she could trust Kane.
‘I’ll do better in the future, if you let me,’ Kane said, furrowing his brow as he spoke. ‘But like I say, whether or not there is an us , that’s entirely up to you.’
Cassie wiped a tear away from her cheek. With every word that Kane spoke, he was sounding like the perfect savior.
But before they could dive into their relationship status too deeply, Cassie knew that it wasn’t just Kane who needed to step up and be counted.
Cassie needed to do so too.
For too long in her life, Cassie had let people like Lyle take advantage of her sensitive nature.
But no longer. Now it was time for Cassie to take a stand and be counted. And that time was very much going to start right here and now.
‘I say let’s go and solve this problem,’ Cassie said.
‘That’s what I like to hear,’ Kane said, a smile on his face.
Cassie wanted to lean her head forward and kiss Kane. She couldn’t think of anything she wanted to do more. The feeling of being held in her Daddy’s arms was magical. It immediately brought back memories of their relationship.
They hadn’t been together for long, but certainly long enough to make some incredible memories.
But now wasn’t the time for looking backward.
This was a time for action.
‘You two, I hate to break up the party,’ Leon said. ‘but if we’re going to teach this slimeball a lesson, we need to haul ass right about now.’
‘Leon’s right,’ Cage said, his arm protectively around Katie’s waist. ‘We must show our Littles that they’re safe. Lyle has a lot to answer for. It’s time we paid his apartment a visit.’
Cassie gasped.
They were going back there?
This sounded dangerous. Definitely something that carried a real degree of risk to it. What if Lyle had friends over? What if Lyle then decided to hack into everyone’s private affairs?
‘But Daddy…’
‘I know you’re scared,’ Kane said. ‘But I’m going to need you to be the bravest little champ. I know you can do it. I believe in you. You’re the most talented, funniest, smartest Little around. And the cutest too. You’ve got this. And I’ve got your back all the damned way.’
Cassie smiled and squeezed onto Kane extra tight.
With that, they were out of the apartment and heading over to Lyle’s place.
The Daddy’s had worked out a plan. But for it to stand any chance of working, timing was everything.
Every single second counted.
And time was very much ticking.