From Ashes

“Nope. You’re staying here. I don’t care if he’s family—hell, I’ve already dropped too many things he’s done because we’re family. But not this, not the way he treated you.”

“But—”

“We’ll be fine, Cassidy. He’s being a dumbass, I’m allowed to not want to see him.”

I just nodded my head.

“Are you okay? I’m so sorry I scared you.”

“I’m fine, I just—I’m fine.”

His hand trailed soothingly up and down my back. “I’d never hurt you.”

“I know that, Gage,” I said on a sigh. He wouldn’t hurt me, but he didn’t understand I couldn’t see him hurt anyone else either.

GAGE

THINGS WERE NEAR perfect over the next few weeks. Cassidy had gone back to work the Monday after Tyler showed up, and he hadn’t bothered her since. I still saw him at school, and we were back on for going to breakfast Saturday mornings, but even though things were getting back to normal, they were still strained. I was taking Cassidy to and from work, and failing at helping her in the kitchen at night, but damn if it wasn’t one of my favorite times with her.

All the guys came over to my place for her cooking about once a week and I was glad it was less than what they’d been doing at Ty’s. I knew I was being selfish, but I loved our time together, and having a bunch of people over just got in the way of that. When it was just us, we’d curl up on the main couch and she’d watch TV while I did homework, and more often than not, I got to carry her to bed at night. If others were over, she always kept at least a foot between us, and even though it was small, I hated any distance from her. We didn’t touch a lot, but knowing I couldn’t put my arms around her sucked. Like now. We’d gone out to grab dinner with a bunch of our friends, and even though she was in the seat next to me, there might as well have been a damn table between us.

“Yo, Gage.”

“Hmm?” I reluctantly tore my gaze from Cassidy to look at Grant and throw back the chip he’d thrown at me.

“Shit, I thought you’d gone deaf for a minute.”

“I was distracted. What?”

“I bet you were.” Adam and Jake laughed next to him and Grant pointedly looked at Cassidy. My foot shot out and connected with his leg when his look turned hungry. Grant grunted and fixed his eyes back on me. “Guys’ night tomorrow, you in?”

“Yeah, sure.” Cassidy laughed at something Jackie said and like an addict drawn to heroin, I couldn’t help but look over to watch her. My first observation still held true; it sounded like damn angels when she laughed.

Ethan looked past Jackie and Cassidy. “You’re going tomorrow?” When I nodded he continued. “All right, as long as I don’t have to be the only one to deal with their drunk asses at the end of the night, I’m in too.”

Cassidy laughed softly and turned to look at me with a smile that had me fighting not to lean over and kiss her there in front of everyone. Wait, tomorrow? Tomorrow was Saturday. “Ah, never mind, sorry, I forgot what tomorrow was. I can’t go.”

“What?” Jake and Grant said at the same time, and Grant continued. “No. Guys’ night. Which means both of y’all need to be there.”

“Sorry.” I shrugged; I was anything but sorry. “Tomorrow’s Saturday, I already have plans.”

“Bro. Two words. Guys’. Night.” Grant looked at me like I was missing the hidden meaning and losing my damn mind.

I knew what guys’ night entailed, but until a few months ago when I realized that Cassidy and Tyler were really together, I hadn’t cared for guys’ night much. And was kind of relieved I had a legit excuse to not go now. “I have a date. Sorry.”

Adam stopped kissing Dana’s neck and looked at me with one brow raised and shot a quick glance to Cass, then back to me, and shook his head. He knew about all the girls I’d been with at the end of last year, why I’d been with them, and how I felt about Cass. I’d spilled everything in my truck on the way back from punching Tyler that night. It was obvious he thought I was going out with some random girl; I’d have to clue him in that my date was with Cassidy. I turned to say Ethan was on his own but stopped when I saw Cassidy’s stiff posture. Her face was completely blank. If it weren’t for Jackie shooting daggers at me, I would have thought Tyler had shown up. Even still, I looked around me and couldn’t figure out why Cassidy’s mask would be back. Didn’t she want to have our Saturday night together? We’d started watching movies every Saturday night when I lived with her and Tyler, and we’d easily fallen into the same routine since she’d moved in with me. Maybe she’d made plans with Jackie, and that’s why Jackie was looking at me like she was about to go psycho firecracker on me.

My confusion only intensified, and by the time Cassidy got back from getting groceries with Jackie the next day, I was completely dumbfounded. She hadn’t said a word the entire way back to our place last night, hadn’t gotten up for our morning hug before or after my run that morning. And I cut breakfast with Ty short so I could be home when she got back. She still didn’t say anything and kept taking the groceries I was trying to help put away out of my hands and doing it herself. After she finished putting everything away, she walked into her room and shut the door.

I finished the rest of the homework I had for the weekend and decided to order pizza so she wouldn’t have to cook that night. After hanging up the phone, I walked over to her room and knocked on the door.