Page 50 of Captivated

“I’m never too busy for you, Cass.”

“Are you on campus right now?”

“I just got out of class. Why? Where are you?”

“On one of the benches by the lake. Can you meet me?”

“Sure. Is everything alright?”

“We’ll talk when you get here.”

“Alright. See you in a few,” she says, curiosity lacing her words.

I get lost looking at the water again, thinking about yesterday with Nico and how the water looked then, too. It was calm while I was a raging mess on the inside, until I felt Nico walk up behind me. Once I felt his presence, this profound sense of quietness came over me. The wind and frigid air didn’t touch me, and I was still for a moment. I was present.

If I took the same moment to realize what that meant, then I wouldn’t be in a constant battle with myself.

I like Nico.

I like him a little too much.

I like the way I feel when I’m around him.

He makes me feel like I’m all he sees, and I’ve never had that.

But how do you start something with someone who you fucked for days like you’d never see them again, then wished you would the second you left them, and when you did a month later, you were on stage in a strip club he owns…? All while you’re trying to earn money to save your brother’s life from the family who killed our father.

I hang my head in my hands and take a deep breath.

“Are you okay?” Lexi asks, taking a seat beside me.

“Not really,” I mumble through my hands.

“What’s wrong?”

“A few things. But mainly, I like Nico.”

“What?” I can hear the smile in her voice when she says it and I slap her leg. “Ow, what was that for?”

“Making fun of me.”

“I’m not. It’s just…” she says, then pauses.

I sit back against the bench. “What?”

“I knew you did from the moment you met him. That night at Royals, you were all over him, and it looked like you two were in your own little bubble you never wanted to burst. And when he offered to give you a ride home from the hospital, you blushed. Blushed, Cassie.You. You never blush.”

“And that’s all the indication you needed to know that I like him?”

“Sure.” She shrugs. “Plus, that man couldn’t stop looking at you like you were his next meal.”

“He is always hungry for me,” I tell her, and she bursts out laughing.

“See? Vinny is the same for me. I know the look. But I’m sensing that’s not the issue here.”

“No, it’s not. How much we want each other is not the issue.”

“Then, what is? When did you start talking to him again?”

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