Page 31 of Blame It On the Secret Santa

Twenty

Sean

“Okay, what did I miss?” I asked as I joined my family at my parent's large dining room table. We had already decorated cookies, watched movies, and ate pizza. Now we were having a game night, and the girls wanted to play Uno, even though they had no idea how to play.

“You’re a fish!” Carly exclaimed, giggling behind her hand as she held her cards in front of her.

“That was the last game, sweetie,” Stephanie said, laughing at how much fun her daughters were having.

“Oh yeah!” Carly pressed the palm of her hand to her forehead in true dramatic fashion.

I had been distracted since I first got a text message from Cassidy, but my mind had been wandering ever since she mentioned my ass. I couldn’t tell if she was drunk or if someone else had taken her phone and was texting me for her. Just when I was expecting the text messages to stop, another one came in. I grabbed my phone and checked it while the girls bickered over what game to play next since they were now bored with Uno.

Cassidy: Who said I want to touch it?

My lips curled up into a smile as I debated on how to respond.

Me: No one. But you are the one who brought up my ass to begin with.

Cassidy: All I’m hearing is that you’re an ass, which I strongly agree with.

Me: Just a few minutes ago, YOU were saying how I wasn’t an ass. So which is it?

Me: Did you mean to apologize, or are you on Percocet again?

Cassidy: Wouldn’t you like to know?

I raised my eyebrows and nodded my head, even though she couldn’t see me. I would like to know so I could make sure she was safe and not home by herself in an altered state. If she was willing to text me, she was probably drunk on Percocet.

Me: I would.

Cassidy: Why are you so obsessed with me?

Me: I’m not. But I do worry about your general well-being and about making sure you’re taken care of.

Cassidy: Like you used to take care of me behind the bleachers at school?

A whoosh of air escaped my lips as my mind started racing with memories of said bleachers.

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