Page 47 of Captivated

When I pull into her driveway, she tries to make a clean escape, but I grab her wrist when she goes to unbuckle her seatbelt.

She tries to shake me off, but freezes when I say her name. Her eyes close on a deep breath, bracing herself before she meets my eyes with a controlled veil over hers. I know that game well. She can show me nothing all she wants, but the longer I hold her gaze, the more her veil falters.

“We’re not done, Cassandra. Not even a little bit. Not even close. In fact, I don’t ever see myself being done with you. So, when you’re thinking of all the ways you can push me all the way out of your life while trying to convince yourself I’m not the one for you, just know that I’m not going anywhere.”

Her eyes drop their guard and I’m shown everything she refuses admit, and it’s all I need.

I cup her face. “A presto, la miarossa piccante.”

~ Chapter 15 ~

Cassie

I close my eyes at Nico’s Italian words and he drops his hands from my face and wrist.

It takes me a moment to gather my wits, then methodically unbuckle my seatbelt and climb out of the car. I was eager to jump out and leave as quickly as possible when he first parked, but now every cell in my body reluctantly follows my brain as it tells it to move farther away from him and inside the house where it’s safe.

Safe.

I’m safe when I’m alone, when it’s just me, and when no one is around to hurt me. Even when that comes with a loneliness that can be isolating, it’s still preferable to being hurt.

I can feel Nico’s eyes trained on me the entire time, and because I’m not sure about what comes next, I look back at him when I reach the front door. His heavily tinted window is rolled down halfway so I have an unobstructed view of his handsome face that’s hard as stone, but marred with regret and determination.

I look longer than I should, just memorizing his face. And when I finally look away and enter the house and close the door behind me, I lean against it, exhausted. It feels like I just closed the door on what could’ve been the best thing to ever happen to me, but that’s impossible. He can’t be.

I take a deep breath and gather myself.

I’ve got this.

Nico was just a distraction from my current predicament anyhow, and I don’t need him to interfere or make me feel bad for what I’m going to have to do to help Sean get the rest of the money.

I went to Pandemonium yesterday to audition and the manager loved me. I got weird sleezy vibes from him that I had to push down and ignore, but he said I would make a lot of money there, and that’s all I care about. That’s the endgame goal that’s keeping me on track.

~ Chapter 16 ~

Cassie

I wake up to a pounding headache and roll over to face away from the windows. I spent the rest of yesterday catching up on homework and readings for my classes, and then worked at the club from eight to two in the morning. I would’ve stayed longer, but the crowd died down and I have my two classes today. I don’t need to fall asleep while the professor is lecturing.

I made a little over five hundred. Which for a Wednesday in February is pretty good, but it’s nowhere near what I need. I’m not going to give up, though. I’ll find a way, no matter what.

Pulling myself together, I get ready for the day, and as I’m packing my bag for school, there’s a knock at the front door.

It’s seven in the morning, who the hell is at my door?

If it’s Nico, I swear…

But when I look through the peephole, it’s not him. It’s some guy in a suit, holding a big manilla envelope.

I leave the chain on the door and open it a crack. “Can I help you?”

“I have a delivery for you, Miss Connelly.”

“From?”

“Mr. Carfano.”

“What is it?”

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